Forum Topic

A fundamental flaw in Hounslow's Parking Strategy

If you look at the two documents that the council is currently consulting in it is hard not to be taken aback by the difference between the rhetoric and the reality.While it is a perfectly laudable aim to discourage car use and encourage sustainable transport measures, this is hard to achieve if you have a huge vested interest in encouraging people to drive which Hounslow does because it operates the largest number of car parking spaces in the borough.These are concentrated in the Hounslow town area which is also very well provided with privately run car parks so there would be a limited impact if the council were to get out of the car park business and bring much needed funds to its coffers by selling the sites for development.However, the 'strategy' is to upgrade the existing car parks and provide more when they deem demand requires it.The kerbside strategy on the other hand is to squeeze space even further with more parklets, EV chargers, bike hangers and cycle lanes. All of these are laudable, and some may even be necessary, but the report acknowledges that there are already parts of the borough where demand for residential spaces already outweighs supply.This includes Chiswick which already has the lowest level of daily car usage and pays more that the rest of the borough put together in permit charges.Chiswick's main car park at Sainsbury's is under continued threat of development and even that provides a fraction of the space available if you want to park in Hounslow. Squeezing further the limited available space will achieve almost nothing in encouraging people to switch modes of transport but will further reduce footfall on the High Road.

Jeremy Parkinson ● 241d5 Comments

Of course they will ignore everyone - if their current form is anything to go by around this part of the world they will just leave it all to a 'Chief Officer decision' - and then if challenged tell you they don't know very much about the proposals, quite possibly because they couldn't be a*sed to read their papers.

Vanessa Smith ● 237d

I fear another 'consultation' that LBH will ignore residents views

Elizabeth Price ● 239d

They might be Zip Car but I use Enterprise. The nearest is a van in Glenhurst Road and a car which is seldom available. I pick up from West ealing more often as it's from my workplace that I usually hire.It is though far more convenient and cheaper using my vehicle Especially if doing over 50 miles which is the low end of a normal days mileage.

Raymond Havelock ● 239d

Raymond = are the spaces where The Butts meet Boston Manor Road Car Club and, if so, are they the nearest to the Griffin Park area? That's if you know, of course. Thanks.

Anne England ● 239d

Having read that it's a mix of a few good ideas, some totally impractical ideas and some sneaky bits weaved in with the usual vagueness.And a map than cannot be enlarged to see exactly what works.I use Enterprise Car Club but it's gotten very expensive now to use and with all the local delays and diversions almost impossible to hire for the shortest period so it's doubles the cost for the actual time I need it even with a bit of delay time factored in.  Plus I now have to book weeks in advance for a short slot and, of course the demand is generally at the same times. You would need almost as many car club vehicles as there are private vehicles to make this practicable at all times.

Raymond Havelock ● 239d