Forum Topic

How to register

I'm sorry if I'm missing an obvious piece of information, but, as a local resident, is there somewhere one needs to register one's car registration number in preparation for the forest of ANPR camera's which I gather is about to be inflicted on the Grove Park area? The arbitrary and piecemeal way in which unsightly barriers, confusing signage and unnecessary 20mph limits have been sprinkled around the area, with no direct consultation with the residents, has been appalling. It's particularly irritating because it's all instigated by a small clique of ideologues in a distant place called Hounslow which, I suspect, most people from Chiswick never visit from one year to the next.

Colin Jordan ● 2219d26 Comments

You can only register for the Hartington rd ANPR, but you need to live in one of the two CPZ nearby. Which CPZ are you in?https://www.hounslow.gov.uk/info/20053/transport/2181/south_chiswick_liveable_neighbourhood Info there but the sites not loading

Russell Pearson ● 2219d

Good old LBH - they really are the site that keeps on giving, aren't they. Thanks for responding, Russell - I'll keep trying the link. I'm on Sutton Court Road, south of the A4. I always think of it as Grove Park, but whether it fits in with LBH's Byzantine arrangements, I don't know.

Colin Jordan ● 2219d

Indeed. That means that like me, Hartington in, will shortly be verboten. Roughly speaking, only those between the 2 railway tracks can use it. We will soon down to a single track in and out - SCR / Burlington Lane where you won’t pass an ANPR.Welcome to Cell Block Grove Park.

Russell Pearson ● 2219d

That link was working last week when I looked at it though it does indeed now seem to be broken. I didn't register at the time as I have heard nothing officially about the need to do so. I assume (!!) that at some point well in advance of the Hartington Road measures going "live" Hounslow will have the courtesy to inform residents of the need to do so. Otherwise people could inadvertently find themselves receiving fines and we surely wouldn't want that would we?

Bruce Hammal ● 2219d

Watch out for the mobile camera units in Grove Park next week set to entrap around Park and Staveley Rd.  Despite poor signage.

Sean Wales ● 2219d

'people could inadvertently find themselves receiving fines and we surely wouldn't want that would we?'No, Bruce, we wouldn't but LBH would.

Colin Jordan ● 2219d

Colin - how could you suggest such a thing!Surely a good place to start would be to notify residents on the council tax list and the parking permit holders for the two allowed CPZs that they need to register. It's one thing being fined for doing something "wrong" (I use the word advisedly as I think  this whole south Chiswick scheme is awful) but quite another when you've not actually transgressed but been stitched up by administrative incompetence. I also fail to see why residents in other Grove Park /SOTG zones should have their freedom to drive on their local roads permanently restricted  in order to address supposed rat-running a couple of times a day.Meanwhile football and rugby supporters are being encouraged to drive to the new Brentford Stadium by allowing paid-for parking for up to 150 cars.This will be possible because while residents aren't permitted to drive through Thames Road, people using the school to park for the stadium can do so - again managed through use of ANPR cameras.This is a dumb scheme in every sense.

Bruce Hammal ● 2219d

I live just off Hartington Road but park my car on my drive so I don't currently have a parking permit for my CPZ. Will I need to purchase one once the Hartington Road turn left nonsense kicks in or do I just have to register online with my address and reg no?

Jim Brown ● 2219d

No Jim, you won't need to apply for a parking permit, the only requirement for free access to Hartington Rd in both directions is that you live in either controlled parking zone CS or RV. Since you say you live just off Hartington I would guess that's you but if you're not sure just look at a permit in a neighbour's car. I've just dug out the last communication I had about this from LBH. Dated 14 July it says: "a further update will be sent to local residents in late July with full details on how the scheme will work and how to register vehicles if eligible. The scheme is expected to be implemented in August."Let me just check today's date..... ah, October 3rd. So that's all going to plan then!

Bruce Hammal ● 2218d

That's great Bruce, thanks very much. Yes, I checked and I live in the CS CPZ.

Jim Brown ● 2218d

This expensive and elaborate scheme for only letting 'registered' local cars drive past the restriction signs seems to be a recipe for confusion, as other cars follow them through assuming it must be OK 'because I was just following the car in front'. Is it really so difficult for locals to drive round the block and come in from the other end, as a small price to pay for the improvements the road closure is supposed to bring? But maybe it's not a such good idea anyway.

Peter Evans ● 2218d

The aim is to reduce car use, save the planet. Offer applies to W4, and Grove Park only, (match days excepted, does not apply to A4/M4, no roads near where a Labour councillor lives included, Hounslow , Brentford, Isleworth exempt, Heathrow not included, Brompton bike one day a week allows full use of land rovers, all terms and conditions apply, limited time offer, but will soon be permanent, editor’s decision is final, not regulated by any service authority).

Russell Pearson ● 2218d

I'm totally lost with all this interest from LBH in Grove Park and it's supposed renaming to South Chiswick. I've lived here for the best part of 30 years now and it was hitherto a wonderful sleepy area of West London with no council rules and regulations. No CPZ, no cameras, we just got on with it and enjoyed our wonderful leafy suburb. Cyclists could cycle, cars could drive so why all the need for change and complication - the World may have moved on but Grove Park hasn't to be honest?

Jim Brown ● 2218d

This discussion has led me to wonder what exactly is the main objective of the Hartington Rd scheme? It's not for the benefit of pedestrians and I can't see any real benefit to cyclists except there will be less cars to contend with for a few minutes of their journey. Therefore I can only assume its primary objective is environmental. In which case surely there's room for some joined-up thinking here with an eye on the bigger picture. Why not keep the road open to W4 residents but also allow full access to out of area vehicles that meet the criteria for exemption from the Congestion Charge? This will have the immediate effect of reducing traffic while encouraging the switch to electric vehicles. This could be applied to similar schemes all over the country.The Committee on Climate Change has recommended that the market for EVs be 100% by 2035 so we need to get on with this. I know the true greenness of EVs is open to debate but at the moment that's the policy we're supposed to be following. This assumes of course that the road restrictions survive past the experimental stage......Sorry to have wandered off topic  (again).

Bruce Hammal ● 2218d

Occam’s Razor Bruce. The primary objective of a traffic reduction scheme is to reduce traffic. It’s very simple.

Paul Campbell ● 2218d

Paul I would categorise that as simplistic rather than simple. There actually does have to be a reason for reducing traffic! In essence this is my problem with so many government initiatives - all too often they fight against each other or they aren't what they pretend to be. A classic is policy on air travel. When air passenger duty was introduced it was with the stated aim of discouraging people from flying all over the place at the drop of a hat, air travel having become (because of its environmental effects)  far too cheap. You would think therefore that permitting airport expansion is the  last thing a government would be doing - encouraging and discouraging an activity at the same time. Of course APD has now just become another tax we pay without really thinking why - and the government is (was) happy to take the money. Anyway I was just musing aloud really - Jim already has the simple answer to his simple question!

Bruce Hammal ● 2218d

The aim of the Hartington Rd scheme is to force traffic coming over Chiswick Bridge to jam up Hogarth Roundabout rather than cutting through Grove Park to get to the A4.Of course this will overload the A316 from Burlington Rd to the roundabout but that will be dealt with next year!Also I think if the traffic problem migrates to the roundabout it ceases to be LBH's problem (so as far as LBH is concerned that is a solution!).To my amusement I have now discovered just how old this problem is.  This is a quote from a speech by the then Brentford & Chiswick MP in a  House of Commons debate in 1973!"The great fear in Chiswick is that the A316-Burlington Lane and the Great Chertsey Road—will virtually become a motorway as so-called improvements are carried out during the next few years to accommodate the flow of traffic to and from the M3...The increased traffic resulting from M3 will intensify the use of rat runs and traffic management measures, such as one-way streets, prohibitions and blocking off street ends, to control this unsuitable use of roads and streets, may have to be considered. "I am not sure if that proves that there is nothing new under the sun or LBH takes roughly 45 years from an idea being proposed to actually implementing it

Justin Stephenson ● 2218d

So I suppose that I with that record to live up to I shouldn't really complain that the update promised for late July hasn't arrived yet!  I'm fully expecting to find out the scheme (due for implementation in August) has gone live by reading about it here, but in the meantime if they can get the web page working again I suppose those of us  fortunate enough to be permitted to use Hartington Road in both directions should sign up asap.

Bruce Hammal ● 2218d

The simplest explanation is that Hounslow are anti car. Wonder if the Mogg will do anything about this “war against the motorist”https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2020/09/17/end-governments-war-on-the-uk-motorist-argues-government/

Russell Pearson ● 2218d

I live in CC near the High Road - anyone know when ANPR is going to be brought in for residents of this area?

Marlene Johnson ● 2218d

At the moment the only planned ANPR controlled roads will be Hartington Road (northbound) and Thames Road..

Bruce Hammal ● 2217d

There’s actually 5 cameras planned I believe, 2 at the school, 2 for Thames Rd and 1 for Hartington. £100k.

Russell Pearson ● 2217d

Sorry - I forgot about the school restrictions. It would be useful if we could be given some sort of revised schedule for implementation of these schemes. I'm wondering why things seem to have stalled. Could it be there are some second thoughts or has Grant stopped the cheque?

Bruce Hammal ● 2217d

I think Grant has is half behind it, half not, and I bet he realises he’s been passed a poisoned chalice and hopes for a reshuffle. With the Tory Party in disarray on so many other points, we could well see a flip-flop, so he’s probably biding his time.

Russell Pearson ● 2217d

Just to say the page for registering a vehicle currently appears to be working.https://www.hounslow.gov.uk/xfp/form/333

Bruce Hammal ● 2217d

Yes the system is working, I just registered our two cars.

Jim Brown ● 2216d