Agenda item
Petition - parking for the disabled in Harlesden
- Meeting of Highways Committee, Thursday 11 October 2012 7.00 pm (Item 6.)
- View the background to item 6.
This report informs the Committee of a petition seeking to keep parking spaces for disabled people in Harlesden Town Centre.
Decision:
(i) that the contents of the petition and the issues raised be noted;
(ii) that the course of action agreed at the Highways Committee on 20 March 2012 and the action taken by officers be noted and that additional dedicated disabled bays would be incorporated into the detailed design to be implemented in 2013/14.
Minutes:
The Committee considered a report that responded to a petition seeking to keep parking spaces for disabled people in Harlesden Town Centre in relation to the town centre re-development. The results of a public consultation on proposals to improve Harlesden Town Centre were presented to the Highways Committee on 20 March 2012. Paul Chandler, Head of Transportation noted that the Committee decided at its meeting in March 2012 to provide dedicated parking bays throughout the area and to include this in the detailed design of the scheme. He continued that an independent access consultant had been commissioned to look into all related disabled access issues, including disabled parking, and that the consultants had been briefed to engage with local associations in the detailed design of the scheme with a view to advising on accessibility requirements.
The Head of Transportation outlined the scheme and added that as parking would not be permitted along High Street, Harlesden, between Manor Park Road and Tavistock Road, the detailed design would ensure that dedicated disabled bays were in close proximity to these areas, to facilitate accessibility to shops on the High Street. In his view, the provision of dedicated disabled bays was an improvement to the current situation as it would ensure spaces closer to the town centre were available.
John Quinn, Chief Executive of Brent Community Transport (BCT) drew members’ attention to a Government Regulation that could permit parking by disabled persons in a pedestrianized area at the discretion of the local authority. He added that BCT vehicles required a 6metre clear space for disembarking passengers’ and requested officers to take that into account when providing spaces for disabled parking.
In the discussion that followed, the Chair assured the petitioner that the Council would give attention to the issues raised by BADP including their involvement. Councillor Beswick, in welcoming the report, echoed similar sentiments. Councillor Long welcomed the appointment of access consultants to look into the issues raised by BADP and added that although the decision was made in March 2012, there had been no contact with BADP since then to address concerns about disabled parking bays and accessibility. Councillor Moher noted that this issue had been discussed in previous committee meetings and had been addressed. Councillor Long also enquired about the terms of reference of the accessibility consultants. Councillor Powney commended officers for the systematic approach to resolving the parking problems of the Harlesden area.
Paul Chandler undertook to pass on the requirements of Brent Community Transport to the attention of the accessibility consultants. In respect of the consultant’s brief, he agreed to forward a copy of the brief to Councillor Long.
RESOLVED:
(i) that the contents of the petition and the issues raised be noted;
(ii) that the course of action agreed at the Highways Committee on 20 March 2012 and the action taken by officers be noted and it be agreed that additional dedicated disabled bays would be incorporated into the detailed design to be implemented in 2013/14.
Councillor Long asked that her dissent from the above decisions be recorded.
Supporting documents: