Issue - meetings

To consider any petitions for which notice has been received, in accordance with Standing Order 66.

Members are asked to note that the following petition is due to be presented at the meeting:

(a)        Action to clean up and address anti-social behaviour in the service road located to the rear of Kingsbury Road (between Valley Drive & Fryent Way).

Cabinet NOTED the comments made by Mr John Bunn (as a local resident and representative of the Valley Drive Residents Association) in support of a petition containing 249 signatures seeking Council support for action to clean up and address issues of anti-social behaviour in the service road between Valley Drive and Fryent Way, to the rear of Kingsbury Road.

In thanking the Leader of the Council for the opportunity to present the petition, Mr Bunn acknowledged the efforts being made by the Council, highlighting that residents did not underestimate the current challenges faced by the Council.  Whilst recognising the need to balance priorities, he advised that the petitioners were keen to ensure that the less publicised, smaller, more hidden and complex issues that impacted on and blighted the daily lives of residents did not get missed, particular those impacting on harder to reach communities.  As one such example, Mr Bunn advised that the petition was seeking to highlight a number of concerns relating to the neglect of the service roads to the rear of Kingsbury Road, which he pointed out had been the subject of persistent complaints by residents and businesses.  Although acknowledging the complexity relating to ownership and management responsibility for the land, the lack of clarity was felt to have created frustration and uncertainty amongst residents and directly contributed to the deteriorating environment in the areas affected.

As a result, the petitioners had raised specific concerns in relation to a number of issues.  These included waste and fly tipping in the road which was felt to be unhealthy and hazardous to the nearby shops and buildings, increasing the risk of unwanted pests and vermin.  In addition, the uncontrolled management of the waste containers and where they were placed had also been highlighted given concerns relating to access for emergency vehicles and in relation to fire escape routes for residents living in flats above the retail premises.  This lack of clarity had also led to waste not being collected with clear signage required to ensure emergency escape routes were not obstructed and where parking and waste containers were permitted and should be located.  In addition, he highlighted a lack of knowledge and also compliance relating to the deposit and storage of household waste.

Other concerns raised included the overflow from building downpipes, which were leaking dirty water from height and stagnating in pools on the roadway or in potholes creating an unhealthy and hazardous environment.  This was compounded by the irregular cleaning by private landlords and the Council, of the road surfaces and drainage channels they were responsible for maintaining, causing the build-up of dirt, blockage of drainage channels and obscuring of road markings, including yellow lines making enforcement difficult.  In addition, concerns were highlighted relating to the lack of signage on the service road to indicate who was responsible for managing which area, along with the lack of clear boundary markers and adequate street lighting creating health and safety risks  ...  view the full decision text for item 5.