Grove Park CPZ Consultation Results
Majority who responded want limited controlled parking in two streets
The results of a consultation on parking in an area of two streets in Grove Park have shown the majority of those who responded are in favour of introducing a limited CPZ.
The result is likely to be challenged by those opposed to the introduction of controlled parking who claim the response rate was only just over half the households consulted.
The figures published by Hounslow Council, and discussed at the Nov 20 meeting of the Chiswick Area Forum, show that the consultation was delivered to 246 households in Park Road and Staveley Road in September, as well as being available online. Only two streets were involved in the consultation.
The results show there were 139 (57%) responses with 99 households (71%) in favour of a limited CPZ, and 40 (29%) against. Two thirds (66%) of those in favour of preferred the hours of operation to be 10am – 12 noon, and 55% of those favoured Monday to Friday as the operational days.
The controversial consultation was ordered by the Council’s cabinet member for parking, Cllr Ed Mayne( Lab) who claimed he was responding to fears amongst residents that the introduction of parking charges for visitors to Chiswick House would lead to displacement parking on neighbouring residential streets of Park and Staveley Roads.
The matter has been the subject of local controversy as an overall consultation of 2,000 residents in Grove Park in 2011 was overwhelmingly against the introduction of any controlled parking in the area.
Some residents and councillors feel that the consultation was premature and that an evaluation of the result of charges for Chiswick House and Gardens car park should be taken before any consultation on a limited CPZ for neighbouring streets. The car parking charges are expected to come into operation next month in Chiswick House grounds.
Other residents fear that it may lead to “controlled parking by stealth” being introduced throughout the Grove Park area.
One resident opposed to the limited CPZ said despite the claims by some that everyone on those two streets was in favour or charges being introduced, the response was not 100%.
“It was a 57% response overall, in other words, out of 246 properties, 99 of them want a CPZ badly enough to fill a form in- hardly conclusive, at 40.24%,” he commented.
There was a 57% response overall, 58% in Park Road, and 52% in Staveley Road.
The Park Road and Staveley Road Association, which was set up to campaign for the introduction of a limited CPZ in their streets, has claimed their streets are already dangerous due to the volume of commuter parking and holiday parkers who then board the train at nearby Chiswick Station. The introduction of car park charges at Chiswick House is likely to exacerbate the problem, they say.
Chiswick councillors will be discussing responses to the consultation at tonight’s meeting of the Chiswick Area Forum.
The meeting will also discuss a traffic useage survey which showed that in Park Road, the average traffic speed is 27 mph. The average speed is 33 mph in Staveley Road. It is not used as a rat run and there have been only 2 non-serious accidents in 5 years .
The agenda for the meeting is available here
A view of Park Road near Chiswick House
Local councillors opposed to the consultation believe it is uncessary and a waste of public official's time and public funds. They claim it is “illogical“ to consult on the impact of the car-park charges until any new patterns of parking behaviour are established.
They also state that the decision to re-consult residents in two streets ignores the wishes of the majority of residents in the ward and these have been outlined in previous CPZ consultations and a petition. Furthermore, they say, the proposed consultation also ignores a recent unanimous decision of the CAC not to re-consult.
Cllr. Ed Mayne
The car-park charges agreed for Chiswick House car-park will apply between 8.00 am to 6.00 pm, Mondays to Sunday (including Bank Holidays) . It will cost £1 for up to two hours, £4 for up to four hours and £15 above six hours. A proposal to sell season tickets for the park was not adopted.
November 20, 2012