Forum Topic

Swyncombe Ave now a political toy.

So now it's political  Football time with featured teams playing at swyncome Ave Stadium of enlightenment.If the statement released is not an April 1st wheeze then it's a shame it would be a winner!But it is incredulous that its flawed in basic detailSwyncombe Ave is a wide straight road. Built with strengthened Sewers for heavier traffic to allow for those lanes and older roads that do not. Windmill Road and Northfields Ave being examples nearby.Swyncome does not have a CPZ. Why/ Because it cannot be profited from.Almost every property has garaging and off street parking. It is stuffed up with Traffic at  times because Windmill Road, Northfields Ave and South Ealing Road cannot cope with the increase in HGVs and general local traffic.At other times it's much the same as it's always been.Swyncombe Ave residents will also be stuck in the ensuing chaos just to reach their personal checkpoint charlie.No one will gain.South Ealing Road has been a no go zone for local traffic for nearly 24 months. and badly for the last 12.Lower Boston Road is now chaotic for most of the day even weekends and during the lockdown at it's peak.The fallout goes a long way. Swyncombe ave is a wide straight link road with ample off street parking. Windmill Road, Boston Manor road and all the other local roads cannot claim that luxury.This is messing about with a scheme that is completely flawed in every aspect.The losers in this are all those who rely on transportation to make a living, help others and balance time with work.Not everyone works in an environment where it's easy to rock up stinking of sweat and have a macbook and a perch as a workplace.

Raymond Havelock ● 1119d7 Comments

To suit the straight and wider Swyncombe Ave which has no CPZ as almost every home has a driveway.It's all part of this divide and rule culture Ealing and Hounslow are becoming rather adept at.Listening? It's all smoke and mirrors. They are dictating and using residents as pawns.

Raymond Havelock ● 1111d

Alison - yes, the Traffic team at LB Hounslow have just confirmed that our understanding is correct. Up to 50 on-street parking spaces will be lost when the existing single-yellow lines are replaced by double-yellows in Windmill Road.This will lead to additional pressure for parking spaces in nearby streets. This pressure will be apparent outside the existing restricted hours in Windmill Road i.e. on Sundays, and overnight on all other days.We have asked LB Hounslow to reconsider their plans, but I wouldn't bet on a good result.

Jim Storrar ● 1111d

Just seen this - and haven't looked into it properly - but does it mean that those who currently park in Windmill Road will now be left with no option but to try to park in Avenue Road, Enfield Road and adjoining streets?

Alison Robins ● 1112d

Not directly related to Swyncombe Avenue, but I would welcome views on the impending traffic and highways works in Windmill Road.Below is the text of an email that we sent 3 weeks ago to the Traffic Team at LB Hounslow. This was prompted partly by the planning application on the Churchill House site. There seems to be a reluctance to answer our questions. Is our understanding correct or, not for the first time, have we got this all wrong? Many thanks."I would be most grateful if you would provide me with confirmation, and some additional information, on one aspect of the Highway and Transport Improvements.Our understanding is that the improvements will include the upgrade of existing single-yellow lines to "At Any Time" double-yellow waiting restrictions throughout the section of Windmill Road north of the A4. We understand that this will mean that on-street car parking in Windmill Road will no longer be possible at any time outside the existing restricted hours of 8.00 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. Monday to Saturday. If our understanding is correct then on-street parking in Windmill Road would no longer be possible at any time, including overnight and on Sundays.I would be most grateful if you would:1) Confirm that my understanding of this aspect of the improvements is correct.2) Provide an estimate of the existing number of on-street parking spaces in Windmill Road that would be "lost" as the result of the improvements? A quick "eyeball" estimate suggests that this may be up to 50 spaces, but this could be well wide of the mark.To the best of my rapidly fading memory, the Brentford North CPZ was introduced in July 2013. When the planning application for the Reynard Mills site was considered in 2015 it was noted in the officer's report that "Independent surveys by Hounslow and Ealing Councils have confirmed high levels of parking stress on the residential side streets to the east."  I understand that the completed development at Reynard Mills includes 200 parking spaces for 195 homes. Nevertheless, there is considerable (anecdotal) evidence that residents of, and visitors to, Reynard Mills habitually use the local streets for parking."

Jim Storrar ● 1117d

Quite simple local history and local knowledge from 4 generations living locally. Several of whom worked at London Transport at Chiswick and Acton and Northfields depot so knew some of this from a young age as well as one who lived in Swyncombe Ave when first built until quite recently.Swyncombe Ave was built with stronger modern sewers and road surface and foundations from new.  It is not a Victorian lane or road. It was built in the 20th century. Part of Boston Manor road similarly. It was built accordingly to allow a direct link for LT Acton Works in Bollo Lane to transport train wheel sets and components to Northfields depot also dating from the same period.  This was a constant daily routine until the early 1960s when newer tube stock required less regular heavy depot maintenance but remained regular until recently. Surface stock was then all transferred to Ealing Common and Upminster after the cessation of the District Line to Hounslow.Quite why they never used a specific train for this purpose has never been explained. Probably because of the constant flow demand. Acton Works was then a Day and Night shift operation as is Northfields Depot.It's also why the houses in Both Swyncombe and Boston Manor Road are set back further than comparable housing of the time to mitigate the then large and noisy movements of heavy vehicles.  A lot more thought was given then than now.These were daily operations and a regular sight of those grey LT trucks even when I was at school in the 1980sConsiderably newer thoroughfares than most of the surrounding district to the east and south-east  It's also why it is straight and wider. Unlike the Ride, built around the same time but not a link road but with a better and standard specification. It meets the then newly established highways specifications of the 20th century.However it is true that Swyncombe has never been classified as it came after the first road classifications and also retained residential street lighting of low height until relatively recent times. More to do with the huge drop in heavier industry in the 1950-80 era in Brentford and Hanwell.  Little Ealing Lane, Windmill Road, Northfields Lane ( now Avenue ) were all Horse and cart era roads and only upgraded in part and within what is possible as it was already built up. The dimensions depths and loadings for sewers and the fact that this was always intended as a Link road for larger vehicles which were already in the vicinity ( Brentford being highly industrial and the A4 was not yet fully built but planned. The M4 much later ( 1965).We lived for a while in Barnet in a CPZ and a drive. One vehicle had a permit the other did not.  But our neighbours never bought permits. Had 3 or 4 cars stuffed on their drives.  No need. As for visitors, They have visitors permits which have to be paid for. They were cheap at 10p per hour or 40 for the entire active period. My family in Ealing don't have a permit for their drive based car.We have a permit here but no drive or even a parking space near the house.  Either you have a problem with parked vehicles or you don't.The consultation does not ask if you intend to buy a permit or not.As you have no CPZ you don't know who would buy a permit or not. If it were a CPZ for just one or two streets and had a driveway, I most certainly would not.As for congestion. As I said the fall out and problem is far wider. Turning right into Windmill Road from the A4 causes queues as far back as Brook Road North. This at least filters the flow northbound.  South Ealing Road has been closed and part blocked in several locations for some considerable time ( just reopened in last few days)  Windmill road Ealing Bound is regularly queuing back to Gunnersbury School,usually caused by HGVs and Buses which do use this road which cannot really cope with large vehicles.Southbound it is far worse.  The A4 Junction is terrible.No luxury of off street parking for those residents.The problems with Windmill Road are further down, by the time you make it to the Swyncombe Junction it is, as you say, apparently clear. But there's the rub. It is far easier to head to Boston Manor Rd and avoid Windmill altogether, but the LTNs have made that impossible to get into South Ealing or Ealing Park without using Swyncombe Ave.  With light trucks now banned all this has done is block up Windmill Road further.It is the HGVs in the vicinity that now add to the problems.  You have to look at the whole area and this LTN thing has caused a ripple factor that manifests in problems site far away.  Swyncombe Aves problems are indeed part LTN but also part of the mass of roadworks that has caused havoc over a wider area.As Ealing did not take any pre- road works or Pre LTN surveys the only data is post implementation and thus not accurate picture can be ascertained.What can be ascertained is being stuck in delays that did not exist this time last year or before the lockdown, except at small parts of the day at peaks.There are daily queues In Little Ealing Lane as far back as Mount Carmel School round to The Plough. Was a very rare occurrence. Not any more. Northfields ave is one big queue much of the time. Sometimes even at night !  It blocks on both sides of the Station Hill where even buses cannot pass each other on the North side. It's been like that since I was at school only the now increased local traffic has made it 10 times worse.I have to use use this whole area daily and the only thing I have found is it does not follow a pattern except for around 3-4pm and pre 9am.Little Ealing Lane is, without roadworks OK heading East. But turning right out of Windmill is slow because of the sheer volume of traffic heading into Northfields or left into Windmill.

Raymond Havelock ● 1118d

Hey Raymond, Nice to hear from you againIm sorry, but you really really need to get your facts right- You claim Swyncombe has "strengthened sewers" for heavier traffic? Where did you get this info from? This is totally new to me....- Swyncombe does not have a CPZ, why because it cannot be profited from? Total BOLLOX. We were consulted about CPZ and it was rejected by residents ( I was for it BTW ) . Everyone I know who lives in a CPZ and has a drive ALSO purchases the CPZ pass. This allows you to park on the road and leave your driveway for visitors.. So your argument is untrue (you'd know this if you googled Swyncombe Ave CPZ consultation) - Its stuffed at times because Windmill Rd / Northfields Ave cannot deal with the traffic. WRONG! If you bothered to go to Swyncombe when it is stuffed you will note that Windmill Rd is usually flowing, often 4-6 cars queuing northbound at the roundabout and Swyncombe has queues along its length EASTBOUND only, never westbound.  Northfields avenue is flowing (until you get to the allotments) and Little Ealing Road is totally clear. The real world experience is that Swyncombe Ave and Windmill Rd (connecting Swyncombe to Northfields) is stop/start/idling traffic. As soon as you reach Northfields Ave/Little Ealing Lane your clear, drive at 20, or 40mph, as you wish. The real problem is the amount of traffic flowing down BMR into Swyncombe and then 80% of this traffic goes north up Northfields ave. The real issue is the roundabouts, the zebra crossings, the plough junction etc cannot cope with the extra traffic LTN21 is sending this way. By all means issue a FOI to Ealing for this information, or ask me and I'll send u the data from LBE.. They have it documented as such and explicitly say that Swyncombe is unable to cope with the additional traffic.. Again ask LBE dont just trust me.- Stuffed with HGVs?HGVs are now banned and whilst they still nip down there , the ANPR camera car is catching lots and the number has reduced... So HGVs are now less of a problem and not really an issue.- South Ealing Lane???? I think you mean Little Ealing Lane, again get the data and you'll see queues go northbound. Again come and visit Swyncombe when its rammed and you'll see Swyncombe Rammed, Windmill only queuing a bit northbound at the roundabout,  Northfields Avenue flowing and Little Ealing Lane clear.. Swyncombe is basically the bottleneck and a concentrated pipe that cannot cope with the additional traffic.- Swyncombe is a wide road..Has nothing to do with anything. Swyncombe Avenue is an officially (check the official maps) unclassified non distributor residential street, whereas Windmill Rd is a B Road (B454), Boston Manor a A road (A3002) and again Swyncombe is not classified as a distributor street (unlike say Culmington Road).Facts are important mate..

Angelo R Santagata ● 1118d

Bonkers to restrict entry to Swyncombe Avenue. Next Council will be restricting entry to A4 because of all the houses and flats alongside it.The Council should be agitating for a standard charging point for electric cars and considering how drivers from 2030 will be able to charge their electric cars in congested streets in Hounslow.

Chris Dakers ● 1119d