Topic: | Re:CPZ meeting 26/01/11 | |
Posted by: | Julia Watkiss | |
Date/Time: | 27/01/11 11:50:00 |
I have tremendous sympathy with the impact that a CPZ might have on roads adjacent to the CPZ area, but I do not feel it fair that Elmwood Road (and other proponents in the proposed clusters) should act as a parking buffer to alleviate problems elsewhere. I also feel that each road and area experience a particular and unique set of circumstances which will either lead them to support or oppose a parking scheme, and therefore each should have the last word on whether they want the scheme or not. The alternative (where everyone has a say on everybody else’s roads) is problematic as it is difficult to know how to limit this. Should the whole of Hounslow (or even Greater London) have a say? This would create an even greater “majority” against it but would be equally meaningless. It is also difficult for ‘dog walkers’ and those who have undertaken ‘daily spot checks’ (as cited in the meeting) to accurately reflect the real situation and real frustration experienced by residents who have to live with it. Being at home a lot with small children is that (sadly and possibly slightly sinisterly) you get to know whose car is whose. You watch the commuters and holiday-makers trotting off merrily down the road with their briefcases and bags. You see cars sitting unmoved for weeks on end. In Elmwood Road we are daily victims to these totally legal parkers using our road as a car park, thus preventing residents (many with small children) from parking (or even offloading) anywhere near their homes or even in the street. I accept that parking is not always easy in the evenings, often associated with activities at the church (which I support) but there are numerous long-stay cars which a 2 hour restriction would remove. Satnam Sahota confirmed after the meeting that Elmwood Road would lose approx. 7 spaces as result of CPZ implementation, not the 20% cited at the meeting. None of us want to neither lose any spaces nor introduce increased controls but at the same time we need a practical solution to address our problems: a restricted (2 hour) parking zone limited to those roads which are in favour. Alternatively, I would support the removal of parking restrictions on some of the roads north of the A4. As the latter I fear is impossible, we are unfortunately left with the first course of action |