Fury Over CPZs For Grove Park

New consultation set to revive controversy

The divisive issue of controlled parking for Grove Park has been revived following a decision by Hounslow Council to consult residents on whether a temporary CPZ should now be expanded to cover a wider area.

Local councillors believe Hounslow Council has gone over their heads by starting a consultation instead of waiting to conclude research on the temporary CPZ and other traffic and parking issues, as they had requested.

Anti CPZ- campaigners are angry that the consultation for an expanded scheme is confined to seven streets and not the area of Grove Park as a whole.

The issue of a CPZ divided the community in Grove Park when a temporary CPZ was allowed by Cllr Ed Mayne (then lead member at LBH for parking) for Park Road and Staveley Road east two years ago. This followed the introduction of charges for parking in nearby Chiswick House and Gardens.

A review of that temporary CPZ was due last May but was delayed because four petitions were then lodged by a number of residents in surrounding streets in July saying they now needed a CPZ because of overspill parking into their neighbourhood.

LBH said that this indicated support for expanding the scheme and announced that a consultation of residents in those areas submitting petitions would be carried out. The deadline for replies this consultation is October 24. The petitions lodged with LBH in July came from Elmwood Road, West Staveley Road, Chatsworth Road and Eastbourne Road. You can read that story here

The map of a potentially expanded scheme can be seen on the LBH website here and includes Elmwood Road, Chesterfield Road (linking up with Park Road to the east), Eastbourne and Milnthorpe Roads, with the A4 bordering to the north. You can read the consultation questions here

Andy Murray Vice-Chair of the Grove Park Group called for the consultation to be cancelled pending a review of the Park / Staveley CPZ, as well as the reports requested by the CAF on financial viability of the existing CPZ scheme, the Chiswick House and Gardens Car Park Scheme, and the Micro CPZ scheme at the shops at the bottom of Park Road, so that a "calm, considered overview" of the parking situation in Grove Park can be undertaken. 

"It is deplorable that the Council’s Traffic Dept., knowing how complicated and sensitive this issue is, shoud have rushed out another consultation with no notice", he said.

Dan Murphy of the Grove Park Group said that the effect of a 7-road extension would have an "instantly dramatic effect" on the rest of Grove Park, especially north of the railway, around Fauconberg Village.

"Those streets will immediately be inundated by an enormous number of displaced cars. But is LBH asking residents in those roads what they think of the plan? No they are not. In fact, residents in those roads are not even being told that the extension is being proposed. LBH are quietly pushing this CPZ out from Park and Staveley, and avoiding any real public debate or consultation.

"This issue of CPZ affects the WHOLE of Grove Park, not just the individual roads where it is implemented. Therefore the whole of Grove Park should be consulted, but LBH is refusing to do this. They knew that if they asked everyone, they would find again that the overwhelming majority of residents are firmly against CPZ and so they have decided that it is easier not to ask them. This is nothing short of a disgraceful abuse of the democratic process."

Chiswick Councillors had asked LBH before the summer to "re-think" their proposals to consult just the existing CPZ streets and those that had petitioned for a CPZ. Councillors were unanimously in favour of a wider review of all residents on CPZ, taking account of known "issues" such as the construction of the new Brentford Stadium.

Cllr Sam Hearn , chair of the Chiswick Area Forum has said he was surprised the latest consultation had started prior to research being carried out as requested . You can read his comments on his blog.

It is now expected that a single issue meeting of the CAF will discuss the matter of controlled parking in Grove Park either in December or January.

We have asked LBH for comment. We have also asked those in favour of a CPZ for comment.

October 6, 2014