Councillors Call for Chiswick's Parking Spaces To Be Restored
Argue 'redundant' social distancing measures should be scrapped
Parking bays removed to aid social distancing on Turnham Green Terrace
Local councillors in Chiswick are urging Hounslow Council to reinstate suspended parking spaces in the town centre and remove what they describe as redundant social distancing measures.
They want parking bays on Turnham Green Terrace, Devonshire Road and the car park in the centre of Chiswick restored and the 30 minute stop and shop bays reintroduced. In addition, they have asked that 30-minute stop-and-shop parking be added in the car park on the south side of Chiswick High Road between Devonshire Road and Linden Gardens.
They argue that with bars, cafes, shops, gyms and spas set to reopen from Monday 12 April it is vital that measures introduced, across the borough, at the start of the first lockdown are adjusted and removed where they are either ineffective or no longer needed. It is also claimed that lack of access to parking is resulting in Chiswick residents driving shopping centres in Kew, Richmond and Ealing to make their purchases to the detriment of W4 businesses.
The conversion of some bays back to general use rather than specifically for the disabled is advocated on the basis that the spaces are currently seldom used.
The Hounslow Conservative Councillors Group have extended an invitation to the newly appointed Assistant Director of Traffic Parking and Environment to visit Chiswick to consider their suggestions which would see 22 parking spaces return on Turnham Green Terrace, 15 on Devonshire Road and 45 on Chiswick High Road. Combined with the reintroduction of Stop and Shop, it is claimed this would provide a significant boost to local retail.
Councillor Sam Hearn, the Group's spokesman on Traffic and Transport, said that, "Urgent action is required. As we move out of lockdown our focus as a council must be on encouraging the recovery of local retail businesses across the borough. We cannot allow measures introduced with the best of intentions at the time of the first lockdown to strangle the economic recovery and force businesses to close.
“The highly successful roll-out of the vaccines is bringing the virus under control. We are moving out of lockdown and it is time to recognise the new reality. If we want Chiswick to return to being an attractive place to live and shop we must reinstate parking so that our retailers can compete on a level footing”.
Wands have been installed to prevent parking on Turnham Green Terrace
Founder of the Chiswick Shops Task Force, Cllr Joanna Biddolph said, “It’s clear from emails and comments from residents, and from retailers, that parking is crucial to Chiswick’s retail recovery. Currently, people are driving to Ealing, Richmond and Kew to shop. We need them to spend their money in Chiswick supporting our retailers and rebuilding the local economy.”
The detailed changes the Conservative Group has asked for are:
Devonshire Road
• Eastern side down to Ingress Street: Retain loading arrangements on Ingress Street; retain one loading bay in the centre of this stretch of road; retain one space for disabled parking; all other spaces to be returned to customer parking with free 30-minute stop-and-shop parking.
• Western side: The first space to be retained for loading for the moment (while business levels are assessed; this loading bay might be better in another part of the road when typical business levels have emerged); the three other spaces to be returned to customer parking with free 30-minute stop-and-shop parking.
• Glebe Street signage: Cars have been seen turning left out of Glebe Street and driving the wrong way down Devonshire Road to Chiswick High Road; signage must be reconsidered, perhaps with arrows painted on the road indicating a right turn only, to stop this dangerous practice.
Turnham Green Terrace
• Eastern side: Loading is currently allowed along the entirety of this side reflecting the fact that the businesses that need loading on and off throughout the day are on this side of the road (principally Macken Bros, the butcher, with its frequent deliveries to commercial and domestic customers).
• Western side: Loading is not needed this side of the road. Traders here are adamant that, a queue of more than two or three people only forms outside one shop for a few hours on Saturdays. From Monday customers will be allowed to shop indoors. There is enough space on the pavement to enable social distancing and allow people to walk along the pavement beside queues. At Covent Garden Fishmonger; there is a well-established routine. Customers queue outside the shop front and then stand parallel to the shop on the other side of the pavement.
• Therefore, with the exception of two bays for disabled people, and one adjustment, parking along the entire stretch needs to revert to customer parking with free 30-minute stop-and-shop parking throughout. The large number of bays for disabled people have not been used; they can be reduced to two which should be spaced out so as not to disadvantage one block of shops. YouMe Sushi would like more space for motorbike delivery drivers; the loading bay adjacent to its shop should be converted to double yellow lines to enable more bikes to park while collecting deliveries.
Chiswick High Road
• South side from Devonshire Road to Linden Gardens including outside the police station: Shops here are limited in scope and range; queues are not part of life here. People park here to shop in the High Road as well as on Devonshire Road and Turnham Green Terrace.
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April 11, 2021