Agenda and minutes

To note the attendance at this meeting of any duly appointed Reserve Members.

Reserve Members may attend meetings:-

(i)                 to take the place of an ordinary Member for whom they are a reserve;

(ii)               where the ordinary Member will be absent for the whole of the meeting; and

(iii)             the meeting notes at the start of the meeting at the item ‘Reserves’ that the Reserve Member is or will be attending as a reserve;

(iv)              if a Reserve Member whose intention to attend has been noted arrives after the commencement of the meeting, then that Reserve Member can only act as a Member from the start of the next item of business on the agenda after his/her arrival.

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no Reserve Members in attendance.

In accordance with Executive Procedure Rule 40.1-part 4D of the Constitution, the Panel agreed that the following Members could speak at the meeting:

Councillor Stephen Greek, Councillor Joyce Nickolay, Councillor Christopher Noyce and Councillor Bill Phillips.

To receive declarations of disclosable pecuniary or non pecuniary interests, arising from business to be transacted at this meeting, from:

(a)               all Members of the Panel;

(b)               all other Members present.

RESOLVED:  To note that the following interests were declared:

Agenda Item 7 and 8 – Petitions Report; Burnt Oak Broadway Controlled Parking Zone Review – Results of Statutory Consultation

Councillor Susan Hall declared a non-pecuniary interest in that she sat on the Board of the London Fire Brigade and was Ward Councillor for Hatch End.  She would remain in the room whilst the matter was considered and voted upon.

Agenda Item 8 – Burnt Oak Broadway Controlled Parking Zone Review – Results of Statutory Consultation

CouncillorMrinal Choudhury declared a non-pecuniary interest in that he was a Local Authority appointed governor at Elmgrove Primary and Nursery School and Ward Councillor for Burnt Oak.  He would remain in the room whilst the matter was considered and voted upon.

CouncillorMrs Vina Mithani declared a non-pecuniary interest in that she was  Ward Councillor for Kenton West.  She would remain in the room whilst the matter was considered and voted upon.

Agenda Item 11 – Traffic and Parking Schemes Programme Update

Councillor Stephen Greek declared a non-pecuniary interest in that he was a Local Authority appointed governor at Weald Infant and Junior Schools.  He would remain in the room whilst the matter was considered and voted upon.

That the minutes of the meeting held on 21 June 2012 be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 21 June 2012 be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

To receive questions (if any) from local residents or organisations under the provisions of Executive Procedure Rule 51 (Part 4D of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that the following public questions were received:

1.

2.

To receive petitions (if any) submitted by members of the public/Councillors under the provisions of Executive Procedure Rule 49 (Part 4D of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note the receipt of the following petition which was referred to the Divisional Director of Environmental Services for consideration:

Petition from the residents of Southbourne Close, Pinner, containing 19 signatures, with the following terms of reference:

“We, the residents of Southbourne Close, Pinner, request that the Council provide Parking controls in Southbourne Close to ensure clear access at all times into and to the end of the close.  This is required because of inconsiderate parking by non-residents who have often prevented refuse vehicles getting down the close to empty bins and furthermore, potentially more serious, causing an impediment to emergency vehicles when needed.”

To receive deputations (if any) under the provisions of Executive Procedure Rule 50 (Part 4D of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no deputations were received at this meeting.

Report of the Interim Corporate Director of Environmental Services.

The Panel received a report of the Interim Corporate Director, Environmental Services, which outlined the proposed changes to the existing Controlled Parking Zones (CPZ) in the Burnt Oak Broadway area.  An officer advised that the report provided results of the statutory consultation and the review of the measures implemented in the area in 2011.  The proposed recommendations reflected the majority views of the consultation responses. He stated that the key elements of the proposals were as follows:

·                    CPZ X would now be extended to the remaining section of The Chase;

·                    double yellow lines would be extended to junctions to alleviate access problems;

·                    following surveys to monitor traffic flow on the side roads off Burnt Oak Broadway, double yellow lines (DYLs) on one side, parking restrictions to allow loading at busy times, with pay and display (P&D) during the rest of the day are being proposed;

·                    comments from residents in the vicinity of the Krishna Avanti School (KAS) had been taken into consideration and section 106 monies would be available to review parking in the area surrounding the school.  Recently granted planning permission would allow the school to increase its pupil intake annually which was likely to impact on the volume of traffic in the area.  A 20 mph scheme largely following the Burnt Oak CPZ area was currently under consideration funded by TfL.

Following questions and comments from Members of the Panel, an officer advised that:

·                    the potential impact of large sporting events being held at the Hive Football Centre was being evaluated and proposals were being formulated to deal with this.  He added that event day parking schemes such as the one in operation at Wembley Stadium had high ongoing maintenance costs.  Although these costs were funded by contributions from Wembley stadium, this would not be possible for the Hive as it was unlikely that it would be commercially viable to do so.  Officers were considering options that used a conventional CPZ scheme in the area and discussions about this were ongoing;

·                    the Canons Park area parking schemes should not be delayed while plans relating to the Hive were being finalised as this would disadvantage residents were seeking relief from parking problems currently.  The parking schemes proposed could be extended to include the Hive at a later date.  Timescales for implementation would depend on whether the parking schemes or the proposals for funding for The Hive were finalised first;

·                    A reduction in the number of vehicles parked in the Burnt Oak CPZ had lead to the perception that vehicle speeds in surrounding streets had increased, which was partly the reason for the proposed 20 mph zone in the vicinity of the KAS.  This would help lower vehicle speeds and improve pedestrian safety in the area. £60k funding from TfL for this project had been agreed at the June panel meeting and the proposed 20 mph zone and it was noted that this was not a departure from current council policy.  The Council was working to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 138.

Report of the Interim Corporate Director of Environmental Services.

The Panel received a report of the Interim Corporate Director, Environmental Services which set out how parking concerns raised by local residents and traders in the Rayners Lane area were being addressed.  An officer advised that:

·                    the programme for statutory consultation regarding reviewing sections of some roads had been agreed at a previous meeting of the Panel;

·                    there was now majority support among the residents of Central Avenue in Rayners Lane for inclusion in the existing Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ);

·                    following a petition submitted to the Panel in 2011, Alfriston Avenue and Fernbrook Drive had been re-consulted and traffic flow and parking in these streets had been monitored.  Subsequently, Alfriston Avenue was now recommended for inclusion in the scheme but Fernbrook Drive had been omitted;

·                    officers had met with the residents of High Worple, Newlyn Gardens, Raynton Close, Trescoe Gardens and Waverley Road and carried out a statutory consultation.  Although the consultation had a low response rate, the results demonstrated that residents were in agreement with the revised proposals;

·                    residents of Southbourne Close had raised concerns regarding obstructive parking and this issue was dealt with under the Petitions report in agenda item 7.

A Member stated that following site visits by Members and officers to Southbourne Close, residents had indicated that some of them wanted the existing double yellow lines (DYLs) removed and new DYLs implemented in other areas.  Refuse vehicles had experienced difficulty in gaining access to Southbourne Close on four separate occasions this year, and on several other occasions had only managed to gain access on the second or third attempt during the same day.  He added that he had concerns about access for emergency vehicles and proposed an amendment to the officer recommendation.  This motion was seconded and unanimously agreed by the Panel as set out in paragraphs (g) and (h) below:

‘(g) the officers are instructed to review the yellow lining for Southbourne Close to enable refuse and emergency vehicles to gain access;

(h) the officers reconsider the double yellow lines around the two islands in Waverley Road to allow for some parking to be reinstated without affecting road safety.’

A Member, who was not a member of the Panel, stated that he had previously been Ward Councillor for Southbourne Close and knew it to be a very narrow road.  He was in agreement with the recommendations in the report and was pleased that DYLs would be implemented in the five Closes in question.

Another Member, who was not a member of the Panel, thanked officers for taking on board comments and feedback from residents.  The roads in question were access roads with little through traffic.  The Member asked for double yellow lines around an island at the junction of Waverley Road with Yeading Avenue to be considered for modification along the lines applied to another island at the junction of Lynton Road with Newquay Crescent.  

A Member of the Panel stated that there was a second island in Waverley  ...  view the full minutes text for item 139.

Report of the Interim Corporate Director of Environmental Services.

The Panel received a report of the Interim Corporate Director, Environmental Services which set out details of the petitions that had been received since the last meeting of the Panel and provided details of the Council’s investigations and findings where these had been undertaken.

Officers made the following points about the petitions listed below:

Cymbeline Court, Knowles Court, Line Court, Charville Court Gayton Road Harrow

·                    residents had requested that parking controls be introduced in the above streets, which were adjacent to the existing zone E CPZ;

·                    officers had carried out a thorough investigation as to why Gayton Road had been omitted from the existing zone E CPZ, but had been unable to identify any reasons for this omission;

·                    local Ward Councillors had been contacted and discussions had focused on the possibility of funds from the Neighbourhood Investment Scheme (NIS), where £10k was allocated to each ward.  This could be used to fund the extension of the existing CPZ to this road and the feasibility of doing this would be confirmed shortly.

A Member stated that if Gayton Road had been omitted from the CPZ due to an oversight by the Council, then it was the Council’s responsibility to rectify the situation and requested that this issue be considered at the November meeting of the Panel.  Another Member agreed with this, and added that she was concerned about lack of access for emergency vehicles.

A Member, who was not a member of the Panel, made the following points:

·                    meter parking in the streets adjacent to Gayton Road cost 50 pence for 10 minutes.  This led to motorists to park in the access road off Gayton Road, which was currently free of any parking controls;

·                    Gayton Road, which provided access to 4 blocks of flats, was a narrow access road;

·                    the residents of the last block of flats were mainly over 60 years of age and there was a higher incidence of emergency vehicles being called to this block.  When there was a high volume of cars parked on this road, the only way for emergency vehicles to gain access to this block would be by mounting the pavement;

·                    if this road had been omitted from the existing CPZ due to an error by the Council, then the Council should take prompt measures to rectify the situation;

·                    he hoped that it would be possible to allocate NIS funds to deal with this.

An officer stated that this road was not part of the current programme of works, however, it may be possible to fund this with NIS funds.  Officers would need to meet residents and other local stakeholders and agree draft proposals and timescales before progressing to the statutory consultation stage.

Following questions and comments from Members of the Panel, an officer stated that NIS funds could only be used for capital expenditure.  Streets and highways were considered assets and any improvements to assets were considered capital expenditure.  This would include the associated costs of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 140.

Report of the Interim Corporate Director of Environmental Services.

The Panel received a report of the Interim Corporate Director, Environmental Services which set out the performance of the highway network since the introduction of additional regulatory powers under the Traffic Management Act (TMA), which aimed to control street works and other activities such as Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs).

An officer reported that the Council had been successfully managing its Network Management Duty as set out under the TMA.  He advised that:

·                    there had been significant improvement in average journey times, particularly in bus journey times during peak periods, which were a good indicator of congestion and traffic flow;

·                    there had been a slight drop in the performance of the Council’s works in comparison to works carried out by utility companies, but this was not a significant cause for concern as this coincided with the highways contract renewal process, which had resulted in a drop in performance;

·                    there had been an initial increase in the use of FPNs against contractors who had not complied with their permits and a subsequent decline as compliance improved, showing that the use of FPNs was proving successful;

·                    the Council operated a systematic inspection regime after utilities works had been completed by contractors to ensure that the quality of reinstatements was satisfactory.

Following feedback from a Member of the Panel regarding the poor condition of Christchurch Avenue after completion of recent works, an officer undertook to look into this.

RESOLVED:  That the report be noted.

Report of the Interim Corporate Director of Environmental Services.

The Panel received a report of the Interim Corporate Director, Environmental Services which provided an update on the progress with delivering the 2012/13 programme of traffic and parking schemes, including schemes funded by Transport for London (TfL).

An officer made the following points about the schemes listed below:

Stanmore - linking of traffic signals in Stanmore Hill / the Broadway / Elm Park / Marsh Lane / pelican crossing outside Sainsbury’s

·                    the scheme was progressing well and TfL had begun installing new signalling equipment which would enable the linking of signal controllers.  Once this was operational, officers would evaluate the feasibility of introducing an all red pedestrian phase without adversely affecting traffic flow in the area.

20mph zone programme 2012/13

·                    the aim of this was to improve walking and cycling and create a safer environment by reducing congestion, accidents and vehicle speeds, particularly around local schools.

·                    Elmgrove School, Bacon Lane (Krishna Avanti School) & Weald School - 20mph zone

Elmgrove School

·                    consultation results showed that 89% of respondents were in favour of the scheme and the scheme would move forward to implementation.

Bacon Lane (Krishna Avanti School)

·                    consultation results showed that 89% of respondents were in favour of the scheme and the scheme would move forward to implementation.

Weald School

·                    a petition from 72 households in Chestnut Drive and Weald Rise objecting to speed cushions and the proposed one-way section in Robin Hood Drive had been received.  The cushions were deemed to increase traffic noise.  Proposals to make the road one-way had not been supported.  Officers had discussed the petition with the Portfolio Holder for Environment and Community Safety and agreed that the 20 mph scheme would advance to statutory consultation;

·                    a majority of residents of The Avenue had been in favour of being included within the proposed 20 mph zone and officers would be liaising with residents about including the Avenue within the zone during the statutory consultation process.

·                    there was majority support for the double yellow line proposals in Elms Road, Wilsmere Drive, White Gate Gardens and Wynchgate and these would be taken forward to statutory consultation.

A Member, who was not a member of the Panel, made the following points:

·                    he was pleased that the petition had been considered and hoped that officers and the Panel would take its contents into consideration along with the consultation results for Chestnut Drive and Weald Rise, as these roads were directly affected by the proposals;

·                    80% of the residents in these streets had been in touch with local Ward Councillors and given feedback about local traffic and parking related issues;

·                    some residents felt that speeding was not currently an issue and therefore residents did not feel speed cushions were necessary.  The current arrangements worked well and should be maintained;

·                    15 residents of The Avenue were in favour of being included in the proposed 20 mph zone.  The statutory consultation should separate out questions regarding the speed limit and the introduction of speed cushions;

·                    there was a strong feeling amongst  ...  view the full minutes text for item 142.

Which cannot otherwise be dealt with.

In accordance with the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, the following items were included late on the agenda due to concerns relating to the health and safety of motorists, pedestrians and public transport users:

An adviser to the Panel stated that:

·                     the double yellow lines outside the Old Etonian restaurant on the High Street on Harrow on the Hill allowed loading.  This meant that there could be no disabled parking during loading times.  He had recently witnessed buses having to either try to manoeuvre through a narrow gap or having to reverse due to loading outside the restaurant.  This section of DYLs should be designated no loading and be implemented as a matter of urgency to ensure free flow of traffic and access to emergency vehicles;

·                     many street signs in Harrow were obscured by foliage, which should be trimmed back.

Members of the Panel stated that:

·                     officers had informed a panel member that some signs had been reduced to reduce street clutter. There was a sign 100 yards along High Worple, off Alexandra Avenue, which referred to parking restrictions between 6.30-8.30 pm.  However, the Rayners Lane Controlled Parking Zone operated between 10.00-11.00 am. This was causing confusion amongst motorists.  Additionally, the cycle lanes in this area were clearly visible and the signs referring to these could be removed;

·                     there were a number of redundant signs on Petts Hill which caused confusion to motorists and should also be removed.

Officers undertook to look into the above issues.

RESOLVED:  That the comments be noted.