Agenda item
Petition requesting the implementation of zone "HY" Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) extension in the Harlesden area
- Meeting of Highways Committee, Tuesday 14 December 2010 7.00 pm (Item 7.)
- View the declarations of interest for item 7.
This petition submitted by Councillor Long on behalf of local residents requests that:-
“We want Brent Council to take action to resolve the traffic problems in Harlesden. We want the Council to; implement the extension of zone HY. The roads affected have been consulted several times and the parking problems will not get any better so there is no reason for further delays.”
A report regarding this petition appears under item 7 in the agenda.
Decision:
(i) That the contents of the petition and the issues raised be noted.
(ii) That the decision made at the Highways Committee with the effect that no further work be undertaken in relation to the proposals to extend controlled parking in HY zones until such time as a final decision on the possible introduction of a new regime of emission based residents permit charges was made be re-affirmed.
Minutes:
This report informed members of a petition received from residents requesting the Council to implement an extension of Controlled Parking Zone HY together with officer’s responses into the matter. In setting the background to the situation, Tim Jackson informed members that HY controlled parking zone (CPZ) which had been operational since December 2008 was extended in December 2009. In response to a number of complaints received regarding parking displacement into the surrounding streets which were not subject to controls, the Council consulted on extending the zone further. The outcome of the public consultation (February 2010) was inconclusive with an overall response rate of 21% and only 46% of the respondents supporting the introduction of CPZ. He added that by street analysis, the level of support was inconsistent.
Tim Jackson advised that when introducing or extending CPZs the Council took into account the likely effect of any displaced parking and the resources available to address that displaced parking. He continued that in February 2010 officers were unable to identify a discrete area of streets where a CPZ could be introduced with a consensus of support. Accordingly, in April 2010 he agreed to the principle of introducing controlled parking in seven roads (those where support for a CPZ had been identified) subject to further consultation with those roads where the consultation had indicated a lack of support. The roads to be re-consulted were shown in red on the map attached at appendix B to the report.
As the introduction of controlled parking into the seven roads only would inevitably cause displacement it was decided that residents in the surrounding roads should be given a further opportunity to express a view before any extension was progressed. That further consultation was undertaken in June/July 2010. The results, appended to the report (c), were reported to this Committee at its last meeting and were also inconclusive with an overall response rate of 16%. Residents from two streets only (Outgate Road and Redfern Road) supported the introduction of controlled parking whilst the majority of respondents in the other seven roads did not support the proposals. This confirmed that there was no consensus of support for the introduction of controlled parking in a discrete area that would make operational sense without causing displacement problems elsewhere. The results were reported in the context of the decision made by the Executive Committee on 11th August 2010 to introduce an emission based residents parking permit regime, with an associated charging structure, subject to the outcome of the necessary consultation.
At the 19th October meeting the Committee were advised that the responses to the HY extension consultation (and other consultations) would not have been informed by the Executive’s decision to introduce the new regime of charges (subject to the outcomes of the necessary consultation). Accordingly, Committee agreed “that no further work should be undertaken in relation to proposals the introduce controlled parking into HY CPZ extensions until such time as a final decision had been made on the introduction of emission based residents parking permits”.
Tim Jackson advised that it was the Council’s general policy to introduce controlled parking in roads where there was support for controls and in a way that would not cause significant problems elsewhere in the future. He added that when making the decision not to introduce controlled parking in a number of areas until a decision on the emission based regime and charges had been made, the Highways Committee were mindful of the situation in the HY CPZ extension area in which the petitioners resided.
In conclusion Tim Jackson expressed the view it would not be appropriate to progress the implementation of the HY extension until such time that a consensus of support across a discrete area that made operational sense had been identified. Furthermore, to progress implementation of the HY extension on the basis of consultation responses that were made in the absence of knowledge about the possible introduction of major changes to the charging regime and range of charges, would put the Council at significant risk of a (successful) legal challenge at the statutory (Traffic Order) stage. Accordingly, he recommended that no further work to extend HY CPZ should be undertaken at this time and that the most recent round of consultation be repeated in early 2011.
Councillor Gladbaum expressed a view that in order to relieve pressure on parking it would be helpful for the Committee to implement the extension to those roads where residents had expressed support for it, shown in green and attached as appendix B to the report.
In welcoming the report, members acknowledged the need for an action to be taken to address the situation subject to the advice given by the Head of Highways and Transportation including re-consulting with residents around January 2011.
(i) that the contents of the petition and the issues raised be noted;
(ii) that the decision made at the Highways Committee with the effect that no further work be undertaken in relation to the proposals to extend controlled parking in HY zones until such time as a final decision on the possible introduction of a new regime of emission based residents permit charges was made be re-affirmed;
(iii) that the main petitioner should be informed of the outcome of the Highways Committee decision in regard to this matter.