Answers sought to Perth Avenue parking conundrum

After petitions from residents, fearful of the effects of major construction work in a densely populated area, councillors deferred the matter to find out why the car park was not being used for the benefit of the residents.

John Robinson, who has lived in Perth Avenue for 41 years, said: "This area was our car park, up until 12 years ago, when due to poor drainage it was closed.

"We have traffic problems in the area, we can't understand why we can't have our car park back.
"The road is over populated and we do not need any more dwellings, I cannot imagine the devastation a year of construction work would cause."

Councillor Judith Cooper who represents Uxbridge South (Con), was sitting on the planning committee and backed the decision to defer the matter to find out answers.

She said: "We need to consider was the decision to develop the site reasonable because the site was out of use through no fault of the residents."

There are still legal matters to negotiate however, because the site has been out of use for so long, technically it could be classed as an 'abandoned' site.

Councillor David Allam, who represents Yeading (Lab), was applauded by the public gallery as he spoke up for the residents: "They were locked out of the car park, they did not abandon it.

"That car park was always for people living on that estate, it was taken away from them and it shouldn't have been."

The proposed flats themselves were for 12 units with 18 parking spaces, and were of modern design, even with charging points for electric cars, but rather than what was being built it was what would be taken away which concerned residents the most.

Terry Holmes, who has lived on Sydney Court, Yeading, for 39 years, said: "There are so many kids in the area, why not make the car park into a facility for sport, so they can play instead of roaming the street, a basketball or football court would be perfect."

He was backed by councillor Lynsay Bliss who petitioned against the flats, and is a governor of the nearby Brookside School, in Perth Avenue.

She said: "This is an estate with very little for youngsters to do, and over the past few years there has been a high rate of car crime.

"Cars park on the pavements and on street corners, and the school has already put in a request for traffic calming as it is so unsafe."