Forum Topic

Nth Brentford Resi Parking Scheme - update

The petitions from Avenue, Eastbourne and Enfield Roads will be put before the Council on Tuesday 5th April 2011 for discussion. As you may be aware the monies are there, for another consultation on the parking problems that we now have in this area. Hopefully, as we have over 51% of the residents in these roads now wanting parking restrictions, we should be successful. And with restriction for just two hours a day this should stop the overflow from TVU, SKB, Heathrow etc.

Sharron Clarke ● 5253d19 Comments

Just a general point on TVU parking. I was told that their lectures only run for 3 hours so unless the timings are right on your cpz,they will still be able to use your roads. I live on boston manor road and since our cpz was introdused parking during the day is great but at night we still have problems. By the time all the yellow lines are put in you can loose a lot of potential parking. TVU and GSK staff now park in boston manor park, with very little regard for parking bays or other park users!!

Sarah Spain ● 5239d

That Carol, is probably what would be acceptable to almost every resident.A simple, fair scheme that allows the comings and goings of daily life.The problem is in dealing with the way officialdom and politicians etc see the solution. It's a mix of regulations (most of which are actually guidelines and NOT statutory) and financial opportunities.TVU as the root cause should also be the financiers of the infra-structure of any scheme (as GSK were)Operational costs of a 2 hours scheme are minimal allowing for a low cost permit and visitors permitsResidents need to negotiate hard to get a suitable scheme which is for the benefit of the inhabitants their district and that needs to include small businesses who pay their fair share of council tax but make relatively modest incomes.Residents of Zone C in Ealing (which is where I worked for a while) got several concessions brokered at the eleventh hour.These included a promise that the scheme would be for residents and not for profit and that permits would be subsidised by fines and would not be for profit.The scheme would be reviewed by a panel of residents and officers bi-annually and ammended by mutual agreement.It was to be a resident friendly 'coalition'For the first few years this stayed stable but some things did not happen like the review.Under the Tory council, the reviews did happen and some small changes did take place but they honoured the pledges and again things remained stable.However the present administration has ignored the pledges and turned it into a revenue making scheme, claiming it was subsidised by non car owning residents and several other wild claims all of which are accountants recipes to suit politicians.The result is a pending 65% hike in permits and a huge 200% charge in visitors permits. How that benefits non car residents who may have visitors with cars is beyond comprehension.!Whilst 2 local residents association have lawyers who have offered to help, it seems to date that the council have 'lost' the terms of the agreement. Only the minutes from the residents present at meetings still exist.So my advice, is to make sure that everything agreed is made in writing and the terms of the scheme are published in every renewal, otherwise administrations that come and go will find a way to do the same again, and as usual, the resident loses.

Anthony Waller ● 5240d

I am a resident in Eastbourne and am in favour of a consultation for a parking scheme hence the petition.We have previously looked at schemes which were not  acceptable and were rejected. Over the past 2/3 years the situation has changed dramatically - most problems seem to be created by the Paragon Centre and students/teachers etc that attend locally. A number of cars are regularly parked in Eastbourne and are left all week without moving. We all want to ensure that any scheme is acceptable to everyone and would therefore encourage everyone to attend any meetings that will surely be organised after the council meeting on 5th April. Everyone's opinion is valid and any scheme offered needs to be fully researched. Cost is very important to all and that is why the intention is to request restrictions for two small periods each day and as already noted in an earlier message this seems to work in other area's.There are many people who have commented on this site that have some great knowledge regarding policies, laws etc and we should tap into this resource to ensure we can negotiate the best for all concerned. I think at the end of the day we have a common goal - to be able to park our cars within a reasonable distance of our homes at most times of the day.

Carol McQueen ● 5242d

Well said.I live in Whitestile Road where a CPZ has been ruled out twice now. Even though we do suffer some parking problems they would only be exacerbated by a CPZ and everyone would end up paying more for no tangible benefit.If they introduce a scheme in Enfield and Eastbourne Roads we will no doubt get the overflow !!!

Ian Silver ● 5248d

Ealing's first CPZ was not Zone C/D but it was the first instigated by residents.It too, was pushed by a residents group based around The Park W5 and that group claimed to represent and have the mandate of all the residents of the proposed zone. In fact, they did not. yet manipulated the council into the scheme with a very lame consultation. With the council too lazy and naive to realise that the Park group were not acting with a full mandate, Two other residents associations found out but too late. Thus, even with a majority opposed, Zone C was instigated and remains to date a very draconian parking zone.Now a few years later, The current Ealing administration has renaged on all the conditional concessions made and turned the schemes into huge cash cows.This immediately transferred parking problems to South Ealing and left the residents there no choice but to accept urgently an identical scheme.By then though, other residents groups wised up to the pitfalls of the first two zones and subsequently Zone N in Northfields was of the 2 hour a day type and is equally effective. By far the fairest method in use locally.Hounslow CPZs have been far more rigid and inflexible in layout and the adherence of guidelines results in a major loss of available spaces.The borough policy includes extended use of yellow lines on junctions and turning circle points.In a recent proposal for Griffin Park some 30 spaces would have been lost with no alternatives available for residents to park.The previous CPZ design for the same area would have lost 108 spaces in the whole block.Naturally, residents who grasped the nettle realised the problem and opposed (succesfully for once)There will be one simple result. There will be more permits than spaces and therefore residents will be paying for a parking space that is not there.Students who are resident will also be entitled to a permit and under current legislation, their accomodation will have to be included in a CPZ if it is buffered or surrounded by adjoining zones, which  I believe will be the case.

Anthony Waller ● 5248d

Road Traffic Act 1981. Go to direct.gov.uk type in Controlled Parking Zone. You may be very surprised at what you find, pityyou did not check it out before you started your crusade.

Robert Ayres ● 5249d

Well this is wonderful two legal eagles in one day. I would be very grateful if Robert and/or Angela can point me in the direction of the points of law you are both referring to under the Road Traffic Act. This is exactly what we need and I would love to put it on this thread, so we residents can see exactly what the law says. I am not going to ask two busy solicitors like you to do anything, but if you could let me know the book/website where I can photocopy/download the info, I would be gratefull.

Sharron Clarke ● 5249d

I simply cannot understand the logic of anybody wanting a CPZ in their street.  For one thing, if you think you won't have to have marked bays then think again.  It won't be legal without marked bays.  You'll not only have marked bays but also posts erected with signs on the street informing people that it is residents only during certain hours. Also, there most probably will not be enough marked bays for all the residents as certain areas of the street will become no parking to allow vehicles to pass safely.  Therefore you may find that even with a CPZ you still cannot park in your street.  Also you will have to pay to park in your street, even as residents, possibly as much as £100.  Any visitors or tradesmen you have visiting your property will be unable to do so without a visitor's permit, which again you will have to pay for.  Be very careful what you wish for, it may come back to bite you!

Angela Parker ● 5249d

I can understand peoples concerns with a CPZ but this area is at breaking point with people from outside taking residents valuable parking spaces. If we don't do anything it is only going to get worse. I would only agree to something that would benifit the people that live on these streets and as it stands at the moment the CPZ is the only thing that will stop outsiders from parking in our streets.If sombody can suggest something sensible that would have the same result, i would be happy to look at it.It is high time the council started supporting us (the council tax payer) on this issue, instead of ecouraging every tom, dick or harry to take advantage of the free parking.

Peter Thompson ● 5249d

Hallo, I am a bit surprised by the 98% of Eastbourne Road voting for parking restrictions.I was against any kind of scheme last time and will be this time too.I do have a very bad experience, and I believe with a scheme like that it will only get worse for us.I am already fighting with coucil about parking tickets that I received for beeing parked with one or more wheels on the pavement, and as we all know, every single car is parked this way on our streets.They refuse to cancel the tickets no matter what. Try to imagine what kind of problems we are going to have later on.

Adrian Koselak ● 5249d

Can you tell me any CPZ anywhere in Hounslow that does not have marked bays. I think you will find in order for a scheme to be lawful under the road traffic act it must be set out in the prescribed manner.  Hence why I mentioned Ealing as all local Authority use the same law to create a CPZ why is it going to be different for your scheme ?

Robert Ayres ● 5249d

I agree with Sarah that this appears, at last, to  be a more common sense approach.  I have always voted NO to previous proposals just because they wanted to introduce marked bays, and far fewer parking spaces.My understanding is that the current proposal will allow residents to continue to park as we do now, i.e. no markings.  But, by limiting parking to residents only for the morning and evening rush hours, it will deter non-residents from leaving their cars parked for any length of time.  Most non-residents parking in Eastbourne Road are students, workers in local offices and travellers from the station and even the airport - which means their cars are parked for days or weeks at a time.  It seems to me that the new proposal gives most of us what we want - the ability to park in our own street and ideally near our house - in a low-cost way and without imposing any further restrictions on residents.

Elizabeth Jane Parslow ● 5250d

There a couple of points worth mentioning here.  Ealing is another borough - and we have no reason to suppose that Hounslow will allocate parking spaces in a similar manner.  Secondly we are at the consultation stage, and residents must make their concerns heard if progress is to be made.  Personally I would not want to see parking bays along Enfield and Avenue Roads -  just a common sense approach to permit parking.We are all at the end of our tether with regard to parking.  Many of us run a small business from our premises, and need to be able to park near or outside where we live.

Sarah Rees ● 5250d

Apologies. I have indeed then mixed you up with another Lady called Sharron who for years has been trying to get controlled parking. I, you will understand am totaly against controlled parking. I do have a car and have noticed that Students from the TVU are parking in the area rather than pay to use the TVU car park. But the answer is not controlled parking, it is to get the TVU to live up to the undertaking they made when planning was granted ie:that they would provide parking for there students. As for controlled parking. I lived in The Park W5 which was the first CPZ in Ealing, again the problem was caused by TVU and the residents thought this would be the answer, how wrong they were, the first thing to happen was bays were marked out which cut the number of cars that could be parked by 50% the intial charge for the scheme was £20 percar,it is now £85 we were told at the outset we could parkin any other controlled zone in Borough. Within one year this had been changed and you could only park in your own zone which led to Residents rushing home each night to get a place to park. At the outset the scheme to ran from Monday to Friday but now it runs seven days a week and fromthis little start in one street it has now spread throughout the whole of Ealing so be careful because as soon as a Council finds people who are mug enough to payto park in there own street and they set up a zone thats itthere is no getting rid of it.

Robert Ayres ● 5251d

Robert, you are so wrong. I have never petitioned FOR a parking scheme, I have held meetings against parking schemes in the past, so sorry you have the wrong person here. The petition for Enfield Road has Over 51% and every door was knocked on to ask if they wanted to sign. The petition for Eastbourne Road has 98% of people wanting a scheme. Perhaps you do not have a car and therefore have not noticed the parking problem. There is money sitting waiting for a consultation, it can't be used for anything else, so will not be taken away from little grey haired old ladies/men or children. Perhaps you should check, next time.

Sharron Clarke ● 5251d

You have 51%. I live in Enfield Walk nobody has asked me or any of my neighbours. My friends live in Enfield Roadand nobody has asked them. The last time this issue came upthe answer was a resounding No. What part of No dont you understand. At a time when the public purse is empty and  what little is left should be spent on helping the poorer members of our community you want to spend money on yet another consultation and all because each time you have tried and failed to get your own way on this issue youhave been unable to accept the result of a democratic vote.

Robert Ayres ● 5251d

Sorry Duncan, it has been sent to the council and we await a consultation, when you will be able to have your say.

Sharron Clarke ● 5251d

I would be keen to sign the petition if there is still time.

Duncan Pinnock ● 5251d

Thanks, Sharron, for helping sort out our parking problems.

Emma Renton ● 5253d