Croydon Council

For General Release

REPORT TO: COUNCIL 17 October 2011

AGENDA ITEM NO: 8

SUBJECT: RESPONSES TO PETITIONS PRESENTED BY COUNCILLORS

LEAD OFFICER: Julie Belvir, Director of Democratic and Legal Services

WARDS:

CORPORATE PRIORITY/POLICY CONTEXT: This report is prepared in keeping with paragraph 3.22 of the Council Procedure Rules at Part 4A of the Constitution.

1. RECOMMENDATIONS

The Council is asked to note the responses to petitions presented by Councillors at its last ordinary meeting as detailed in paragraph 4 of the report.

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

2.1 This report details Cabinet Member responses to petitions presented to Council on 18 July 2011. All Members have the opportunity to ask questions on the responses to the petitions.

3. BACKGROUND

3.1 Part 4A of the Constitution allows Councillors to present petitions to meetings of the Full Council.

3.2 The Constitution requires a response to each of those petitions to be presented at this meeting.

3.3 A period of up to ten minutes is permitted for questions on the responses to the petitions.

4. RESPONSES TO PETITIONS

4.1 Petitions presented to the Council meeting on 18 July 2011, and the relevant Cabinet Member responses, are as follows:

C20111017 AR08 1 a) Petition presented by Councillor Shafi Khan

“We, the Residents and communities of , petition Council urgently to install a 20mph zone in the area of NY6 bounded by Turle Road, Abingdon Road, Bishops Park Road, Roche Road, Fairview Road, and Oakhill Road. This is particularly needed since the Lambeth 20mph zone ends at the Croydon border. We fear for the safety of school children and other pedestrians”.

Response from Councillor Phil Thomas, Cabinet Member for Environment & Highways.

20mph speed limits are generally introduced as part of a ‘zone’ which requires a system of traffic calming for their enforcement. The Council has a policy not to introduce any new road humps in the borough and other forms of traffic calming are not considered to be effective in reducing traffic speeds below 30mph.

20mph speed limits, with signs alone, are unlikely to be obeyed by motorists and would place undue pressures upon the Metropolitan Police for its enforcement. The Council’s view is that the limited Police resources available for enforcement are better targeted at 30mph areas where speeding is a particular problem.

As an alternative, the Norbury Safer Neighbourhood Team can implement the “RoadWatch” initiative in this area, using speed monitoring equipment already provided to them by the Council. Given the concerns of local residents, I would hope that they will volunteer to assist in this speed monitoring, which will help demonstrate to motorists that speeding is not acceptable on the borough’s roads.

I have also instructed officers to keep this area under review and consider any further measures if necessary. b) Petition presented by Councillor Manju Shahul-Hameed

“We the residents, traders and shoppers call upon Croydon Council to provide 30 minutes' free on street parking in Road from West Croydon to Norbury. Traders, businesses and shoppers feel free 30 minute parking for shoppers will improve the local economy and halt the decline restrictive parking has caused”.

Response from Councillor Phil Thomas, Cabinet Member for Environment & Highways.

On 21 September the Traffic Management Cabinet Committee agreed to introduce 30 minutes free parking within the Pay & Display tariff for the parking bays between and Sumner Road. Additional parking bays are also proposed in the road to improve parking for the businesses and these will be subject to a report to the next meeting on 21 November.

C20111017 AR08 2 c) A petition presented by Councillor Chris Wright.

“We the undersigned, being residents of Marlpit Lane, , are very concerned about the speed of traffic and increasing numbers of accidents in our road. We request that remedial measures are considered to alleviate this serious problem and that a request is made to The Mayor of London to fund these measures as soon as possible”.

Response from Councillor Phil Thomas, Cabinet Member for Environment & Highways.

I appreciate local resident’s concerns regarding speeding on Marlpit Lane, and the Council has introduced a permanent ‘SpeedVisor’ sign on this road, which is designed to inform motorists of their speed and encourage them to slow down. Whilst these signs have no enforcement powers, our experience shows that they can be effective in reducing traffic speeds and the information collected from this sign is regularly presented to the Metropolitan Police as part of the intelligence they use to target further speed enforcement action. Given the concerns of local residents, I have asked that a second SpeedVisor sign be located on Marlpit Lane, to expand the coverage on this road.

However, these signs can only encourage compliance with the speed limit, and where speeding continues to take place, the most appropriate course of action will be of an enforcement nature. Marlpit Lane is subject to a 30mph speed limit and local residents should direct their concerns to the Metropolitan Police Service with the request that speed enforcement be carried out in their road. For my part I will direct officers to contact the Metropolitan Police to see what further action they can take in respect of this issue.

In addition to this, the Coulsdon East Safer Neighbourhood Team could look to set up the “RoadWatch” initiative on Marlpit Lane using the speed monitoring equipment provided to them by the Council. Given the concerns of local residents, I would hope that they will volunteer to assist in this speed monitoring, which will help demonstrate to motorists that speeding is not acceptable on the borough’s roads. d) Petition presented by Councillor Maggie Mansell.

“The David Lean Cinema was a successful and popular independent cinema. Its closure has dismayed large numbers of Croydon residents. Some ‘re- branded’ film screenings within the would represent a very poor substitute. We call upon Croydon Council to engage with any constructive proposals that could make it possible to re-open the cinema in its existing location”.

Response from Councillor Sara Bashford, Cabinet Member for Culture and Sport.

The Council is not in a position to reconsider the decision to close the David Lean Cinema.

Earlier this year, the Council made the decision to significantly reduce its Arts & Heritage Service to meet its challenging budget reduction target. The David Lean C20111017 AR08 3 Cinema and Clocktower Arts Centre were closed as part of this budget reduction exercise. The cinema represented a direct cost to the Council of £160,000 a year. Its budget should be seen in the wider context of the overall Clocktower budget and operations. Reduction of these operations has achieved significant savings for the Council, at a time when its budget from central government has reduced considerably.

While the Cinema can be accessed separately from the rest of the Clocktower, its operation depends on shared services (wheelchair access, fire evacuation points, toilet facilities, etc.), which means it cannot be considered as a stand-alone service independent of the rest of the building.

The Council has made the projection equipment from the Cinema available to Fairfield Halls, enhancing the venue’s current equipment base, to retain independent cinema screening opportunities in central Croydon and to support Fairfield Halls as Croydon’s cultural flagship. e) Petition presented by Councillor John Wentworth

“We the undersigned call on Croydon Council to take urgent action about the continued incidence of crime and anti-social behaviour in the Green Lane and neighbouring areas. As a first step, we call on the council to include our roads in the early stages of the Street Lighting Improvement Programme”.

Response from Councillor Phil Thomas, Cabinet Member for Environment and Highways

The council has entered into a contract with Skanska Laing to maintain the Street lighting stock across the borough, as part of the contract in the first five years Skanska Laing will be renewing the majority of the lights across the borough. A programme has been developed and it is anticipated the Norbury area will be started in year two 2012/13 so in the early stages of the programme. Whilst crime is an important part of developing the programme of works we are severely restricted by the current street lighting cable which is a dedicated power supply network owned by UK power networks. The intention is to abandon this network but unfortunately due to the architecture it requires us to disconnect it limb by limb and work from the outside of the borough inwards. f) Petition presented by Councillor Yvette Hopley.

“We, the undersigned, request that Croydon Council reconsiders its decision not to extend the double yellow lines at the bend at the western end of the Lime Meadow Avenue, . Due to parking close to the junction and the camber of the road, which forces eastbound cars right out into the westbound carriageway, there have been a number of near misses and we believe it is only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured there.”

Response from Councillor Phil Thomas, Cabinet Member for Environment and Highways

On 21 September the Traffic Management Cabinet Committee agreed that the existing double yellow lines in Lime Meadow Avenue be extended by 10 metres to reduce potential conflict with vehicles on the right angled bend by the entrance to the road.

C20111017 AR08 4 g) Petition presented by Councillor Stuart Collins

“Existing public conveniences in the London Borough of Croydon should be opened during normal working hours and all daylight hours. Existing public conveniences in the London Borough of Croydon should be maintained to acceptable health and safety standards. Existing public conveniences in the London Borough of Croydon should be monitored by council staff at least hourly to ensure their continued provision. Where public conveniences are not available negotiations should be made with local businesses to allow public access to their existing toilet facilities. The petitioners therefore request that the Councillors of the London Borough of Croydon take whatever action is necessary to implement the above requirements.”

Response from Councillor Phil Thomas, Cabinet Member for Environment and Highways

Croydon Council is responsible for thirteen toilets that are available to the general public.

J C Decaux toilets

There are nine of these toilets under a contract managed by J C Decaux.

LOCATIONS OPENING COMMENTS AVERAGE HOURS USAGE BY MONTH Near station, London 24 365 Road, Norbury. Fell Road, Croydon X 2 24 601 Lower Road Controlled by Limited because of junction with Morland timer open from problems with drug 152 Road, Croydon. 5am to 10pm abuse Lower Addiscombe 24 199 Road, Croydon. Brighton Road junction with South End, 24 172 Croydon. Central Parade junction with Parkway, New 24 290 Addington. Outside public library, 24 73 Wickham Road, Shirley. Next to swimming pool, 24 315 High Street, Purley

Theses toilets are unisex, coin operated and are cleaned and consumables replenished approximately 7am each day.

C20111017 AR08 5 There have been no complaints received with regard to the cleanliness of the toilets and of the three problems experienced in the last year, two related to toilets being blocked one was due to a water leak.

Brighton Road, Coulsdon toilet

This toilet is cleaned by Interserve and maintained by JMG Toilet Solutions Limited.

LOCATION OPENING COMMENTS AVERAGE HOURS USAGE BY MONTH On site of old toilet block, Controlled by Was open 24 hours Brighton Road, Coulsdon timer open from but vandalism over 285 7am to 7pm night required timer

The toilet was opened on 10 September 2009.

Grange Park, Old Coulsdon

This toilet is cleaned and maintained by Healthmatic Limited

LOCATION OPENING COMMENTS AVERAGE HOURS USAGE BY MONTH In Grange Park at Controlled by Previous junction of Canon’s Hill timer from 7am experience dictated 523 and Coulsdon Road to 7pm this opening time h) Petition presented by Councillor Sherwan Chowdhury.

Inadequate provision for Waste Storage at No 1 Cragnish Avenue flats: “We the undersigned are very concerned about the constant accumulation of exposed waste on and around the public footpath at the above address. It is unsightly, smelly, encourages vermin and is potentially hazardous. We petition Croydon Council to ensure that the owner provides appropriate enclosed storage for waste matter and recycling, with adequate separation from the public footpath, preferably by a brick wall. The existing planning condition relating to landscaping the remainder of the frontage should be enforced.”

Response from Councillor Phil Thomas, Cabinet Member for Environment and Highways

The issue is caused by residents abusing the bin chamber area. Parking presents a challenge to the refuse contractor as there is often an inability to access the bins as vehicles park on the driveway. The area is monitored and rubbish is thereafter cleared. Officers have been liaising with the owner of the building to create an area that is large enough to allow the refuse crew to gain access and to ensure that all rubbish is housed in the bins provided. The Managing Agents of the building have also recruited one of the residents to act as a caretaker manager to ensure there is no

C20111017 AR08 6 rubbish left outside the bin area. Since this has taken place problems and complaints have lessened.

CONTACT OFFICER: Solomon Agutu, Head of Democratic Services and Scrutiny, x62920.

BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS: None.

C20111017 AR08 7