Council seeks views to curb nuisance airport taxi parking
Friday 20 September 2024: Hillingdon Council is inviting residents to share their concerns and experiences of anti-social behaviour (ASB) caused by taxis or private hire vehicles waiting to collect passengers from Heathrow Airport in residential streets.
Residents have reported that some drivers of these vehicles behave inappropriately including, inconsiderate parking and restricting resident access, abusive behaviour, urination and defecation in public.
Currently, the council deploys considerable resources to enforce the parking management schemes and ASB controls in place near the airport. However, there have been significant challenges relating to enforcement due to current legislation and residents have continued to be negatively impacted by taxis and private hire vehicles. It is therefore believed that stronger powers are required.
In the last year, 475 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) were issued to drivers in the area and more than 90 complaints have been submitted to the Heathrow Airport Nuisance Parking Portal since it was launched in April.
The proposed enforcement measures would be introduced through a new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) which can be used to ban certain behaviours that cause a negative impact in the community.
Breaching the order can lead to a FPN or prosecution for repeat offenders and those that fail to pay when a fine is issued. The PSPO, if introduced, would cover three wards surrounding the airport; Heathrow Villages, Pinkwell and West Drayton.
Unlike parking restrictions which require an in-person observation time to be applied before a penalty can be issued, the PSPO would be enforceable using fixed and mobile cameras.
Cllr Eddie Lavery, Hillingdon Council's Cabinet Member for Residents' Services said:
"We know that taxis and private hire vehicles using residential streets near the airport to wait for passengers have been a longstanding nuisance for our residents.
"The drivers of these vehicles are already provided with official designated areas within the airport perimeter, but many continue to disregard this and cause disruption in our borough.
"The new PSPO would help us find a solution to improve the lives of our residents and ensure they live in safe and strong communities. I urge residents to participate in the consultation as your views and experiences will help ensure that we introduce a robust PSPO with effective enforcement action."
The consultation will run until Friday 1 November. To view the draft PSPO and respond, visit www.hillingdon.gov.uk/heathrow-pspo-consultation.
The feedback will help to shape the final document which will be considered by the council's Cabinet later this year.
