Council to Review All Controlled Parking Schemes

Area Committee Charged With Task of Prioritising Review Programme

A comprehensive review of all the controlled parking schemes (CPZs) in the borough was given the green light by Hounslow’s Executive on Tuesday 9 January.

With the newest CPZ in the Stile Hall Road area less than three months old, the reviews, which will take place on an area basis, will begin with Chiswick, where eight of the borough’s 22 CPZs are located.

The Area Committee will be given the task of prioritising the review programme.

Cllr Barbara Reid, Hounslow’s Executive Member for Environment and Planning, said “While CPZs were introduced in consultation with local residents, and are beneficial to the local area by giving preference to residents and removing commuter and other long-term non-residential parking, there have been no formal reviews of the borough’s CPZs even though there has been a commitment from the council to review a CPZ after implementation.

“A lot may have changed since a CPZ was introduced, such as late opening of shops and restaurants, which could have led to increased demand for spaces, and they need to be re-examined to make sure they meet the needs of the local area.”

The Review will include a questionnaire to each household and business in the CPZ, considering:

• CPZ operational times, including requests for the extension of operational times to reflect increased demand;
• size of zone/redefinition of zone boundaries, including the incorporation of zones or local shopping area schemes;
• re-allocation of parking, including requests from businesses for increase in parking provision for business permit holders;
• signs and lines, including views on the use and amount of yellow lines, and fewer and clearer signage;
• enforcement - reassessing parking attendant patrols throughout the period of operation of CPZs; and
• whether the CPZ is still necessary or could be removed.

However, the borough-wide review, which is expected to be completed by the end of next year, does not appear to include plans to standardise parking charges across the borough.

Cllr Reid added “The new administration in Hounslow made a commitment to review the borough’s parking schemes and make sure they were fit for purpose. We intend to keep that promise.”

January 11, 2007