20 January 2003
Traffic Services
4W/05
Environmental Services
London Borough of Hillingdon
Civic Centre
Uxbridge
Middlesex
UB10 1UW

Dear Sir/Madam

We are writing to strongly object to the above proposal.

This scheme is completely unnecessary in almost every road detailed on the outlined map and we suspect will not be necessary in any of these roads at all.

There is no evidence that parking will be a problem in the future and it isn’t now.

The timing of your vote is suspicious and is attempting to worry residents into thinking that a problem will exist. Before we suffer the daily inconvenience and financial cost of such a scheme we would like to see that a problem really exits. I have lived here for over six years and parking has never been a problem. I have not seen a rise in the numbers of cars parked during that time. Currently as I write this letter at 10am on a Monday morning, there are no more than 4 cars parked in the entire street.

Your argument stating that congestion charging will increase parking problems is not proven and is frankly not believed by the residents. The timetable you have given for returning our votes has been carefully chosen so that we will never know if a problem would have existed.

You state that you carried out parking surveys this summer but these surveys have not been made available and we cannot see how they can possibly prove a current problem and certainly not predict the future.
What is the number of logged incidents with emergency vehicles having difficulty accessing properties? Over what period of time? What specific roads are affected and how does this compare to any other road in the country?

You state that there were discussions with representatives of the community. Our views and those of our neighbours were certainly not sought therefore we do not consider ourselves to have been represented. We have not been shown the results of any surveys and I think we are the best to judge if there is a problem that needs to be solved. We do not recognise this survey.

Your proposal contains words such as and "could increase". This plan is based on conjecture and not fact. Hardly the basis for such an upheaval to this area. Winchester Road in particular is very quiet. Like many roads within the proposed boundary, we are not within casual walking distance of amenities and I have never seen anybody park here to walk to the High Street. There are simply no non-resident cars parked here during the day.

If such a scheme is required it should only be on very specific roads. These roads should either already be experiencing a problem or if a problem is suspected to occur, a survey carried out over time to prove the case. Either way, if the residents do not want it then the council should not enforce it. The council should be representative of residents views in this matter.

It is clear to us that this proposal is about revenue for the council. If this were not the case then residents would not be forced to pay the proposed costs. The minimum fee to cover administration is all that is necessary.

No fines should be given to residents at all. This proposal is supposed to help us and not penalise us.
If we let a permit lapse or forget to obtain a voucher and incur a fine during this time, then we should be able to pay the original voucher price in retrospect. We should not be treated the same as non-residents to whom after all, this scheme is directed.
Why should fees increase per car at each household? All members of the household are residents in their own right and each should be able to register their own car at the same cost. If not then this is a tax on the property, which is already covered by the Community Charge and is also discriminatory to one or the other within the household.

Why should we pay fines or fees for visitors? Why should we have to apply in writing for vouchers, which increases administration costs for you and inconvenience for us? We should be issued as with as many books of vouchers as we need for our friends and family to visit when they wish. If any costs at all should be paid for these this should only be for printing and delivery.

We know very well that once a decision has been made we will never have our roads back to normal again and that the council will be free to increase charges any time it feels fit.

The council are trying to make this look as if they have the residents views at heart but this is simply another tax and one that discriminates against the residents of this area.

Not a single fact regarding actual congestion and parking problems appears in the questionnaire’s supporting information. This does not allow for evidence based informed consent from residents. This approach could be construed as providing misinformation and leading the residents’ decisions.

We intend to continue our objection through all means possible both through the council and through the legal system.

Yours faithfully,