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From: HayesMiddlesex.com
Date: 3/4/03
Time: 12:56:58 PM
Remote Name: 195.92.67.70
PRESS RELEASE issued by Cllr Mike Heywood to HayesMiddlesex.com and the local press. See this week's Gazette for more coverage. CONTROLLED PARKING IN HILLINGDON We have a programme of future controlled parking schemes which was agreed following requests from residents and lobbying on residents’ behalf, by Ward Councillors. The programme is expanding as more residents normally on a street by street basis, are requesting some form of controlled parking. In addition to schemes prompted by residents, Council Officers have tried to anticipate future parking problems that may be caused by factors outside the Council’s control, such as the Mayor of London’s recently introduced Congestion Charge Scheme and the construction of Terminal 5 at Heathrow. This has given rise to a public consultation exercise in Hayes and Northwood Hills and I believe that it was right to consult on these schemes, equally I accept that for various reasons certain aspects of the consultation were flawed. To address the low response rate in Hayes, the Cabinet accepted the offer of Hayes Councillors knocking on doors of homes in the suggested scheme area. Having surveyed just over 50% of the area with the exception of two roads, there was a general consensus against the proposed scheme. Accordingly I will ask Cabinet to accept that the Hayes CPZ Scheme is abandoned and that further consultation takes place with the residents of the two roads in favour of controlled parking, to produce an acceptable scheme. The consultation in Northwood Hills has produced an unprecedented 52% of households responding and with the exception of five roads, the majority were against the proposed CPZ. As this scheme has not been referred to Cabinet and remains within my delegated responsibility, I have decided not to proceed further with the suggested CPZ, but to instruct officers to consult again with the residents of the five roads who favour some form of controlled parking, to determine an appropriate scheme. At Heathrow, formal consultation is just about to take place and I will adopt a similar approach of respecting the views of the residents. Parking schemes are a very emotive subject but it has always been my view and Conservative policy to respect the views of the residents. Those who state that consultation is only for show and that we will proceed irrespective of residents’ views are either ill informed or mistaken. At a recent meeting at Fairfield Hall, I made a promise to residents, that their views would be respected and that promise will be honoured. I have been asked by the Leader of the Council to investigate the possibility of issuing the first parking permits free of charge to all households in current or future controlled parking schemes and will repeat my findings to Cabinet in the near future. CLLR. MIKE HEYWOOD Cabinet Member for Planning and Transportation