No CPZ Permits For Teachers At Chiswick Schools

Hounslow Council says it is encouraging people not to drive to work

Hounslow Council is not likely to accede to requests that teachers who drive from homes outside Chiswick to work in local schools should be allowed to get parking permits.

This was made clear in response to a question posed at last week's Cabinet Question Time in Chiswick.

Local councillor Sam Hearn, who is a governor at Strand on the Green schools, pointed out recently that teachers had to carry heavy loads of books and materials and this made it difficult for them to take public transport.

He said recently: "Local schools are complaining that the small number of teachers who have to travel to work by car cannot afford to purchase a so-called business parking permit. I have been raising this issue with officers and the relevant Hounslow cabinet member but so far to no avail.

"Other boroughs can provide sensibly priced permits for teachers so why can’t Hounslow? This is not just a Chiswick problem. Do we actively wish to discourage good teachers from working in the borough?"

The issuing of permits appears to vary between boroughs. A search on the internet shows that Merton Council allows a teacher's parking permit for a shared use bay costing £188 per annum, though anyone with diesel vehicles pays a surcharge. Teachers/carers/clergy permits can also be purchased from Richmond on Thames council.

Ealing Council does not appear to issue permits for teachers. A business permit in the borough costs £800.

Cllr Tom Bruce, cabinet education spokesman and who is himself a teacher, said that Hounslow Council could not make exceptions.

The new Hounslow House, headquarters for Hounslow Council deliberately did not have a car park and the thousands of employees were therefore encouraged to either cycle or take public transport to work. They could not have different rules for other places of work.

Cabinet Lead member on transport, Cllr Hanif Khan, said Hounslow borough was one of the first to propose to introduce a workplace levy for parking. This would mean that big companies, s such as Sky, would have to pay a levy for allowing employees to park at work.

These measures are all aimed at reducing air pollution by encouraging people to make their way to work taking alternative methods such as public transport.

The Grove Park area was recently granted controlled parking status because locals had complained of 'parking creep, particularly from commuters, due to the proximity of their streets with Chiswick Rail station. The CPZ across the area , which contains two primary schools, operates between Monday-Friday from 10 am to 12 noon.

It was said that school teachers were allowed to apply for business parking permits but it was thought this would be too expensive. In Hounslow commercial permits cost £500 a year while private permits cost £750.

October 18, 2019

October 19, 2019