Residents near Ravenscourt Park in West London say Enterprise rental vehicles are clogging local streets, forcing families to park far from their homes and even blocking a driveway for 36 hours. A petition against the company's use of public bays has gathered over 200 signatures and is due to run until October 18.
Residents report daily chaos and noise
Drew Palmer, who has lived on Ravenscourt Road with his family for six years, says the problem has worsened in the last year. He described the area as "like Piccadilly Circus" in the mornings due to the number of parked rental vehicles.
Palmer told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): "Some of [the vehicles] are not locked properly at night, the windows aren't shut, so you will have a car alarm going off at two or three in the morning. I have a dog it will drive absolutely mad. It will just echo up and down the street, because generally the street's quite a quiet street."
Schools and driveways affected
The size of the vehicles also creates problems for other drivers, with photos showing large vans occupying bays along Ravenscourt Road. Palmer noted that local schools, including John Betts School, Latymer Upper School, and Ravenscourt Park Prep School, are affected.
"So all these kids are dropped off in the mornings, and there's school clubs on Saturdays, and there's nowhere to park," he said. In one instance, an Enterprise van covered much of the entrance to his driveway for 36 hours over a weekend, preventing him from getting in until Monday morning.
Allegations of unlicensed trading
Resident Michael Rivers, who has been escalating concerns, claims Enterprise is trading on the street without the relevant licence. He said: "If they want to pretend that it's not trading then they must put that on record formally, and we will contest that. Because it is trading, and it requires a licence and we will move Hammersmith not to grant them a licence."
Palmer added: "What is I think the illegal point is they're actually trading. So the customers, the people who are hiring the cars, are encouraged to drop the vehicles here and also collect the vehicles from here. And there's lots of photos. There were people here this morning, Enterprise staff with their iPads checking the things, actually doing the commercial trade here. So the actual trading aspect is definitely illegal unless they have a particular licence for that, and that I gather…has been challenged."
Council response and petition progress
Rivers claimed the use of bays by Enterprise is a financial ploy, with costs far less than operating a depot. He said: "There are 62 or 63 parking spaces. Enterprise regularly occupy at least 18 to 20 of those parking spaces with marked vehicles and you know that there are unmarked vehicles as well. So they're sequestering a public asset for private profit because the cost of parking and the cost of tickets is far, far, far below what it would cost them to operate a yard. And those are the economics of it."
A petition urging Hammersmith and Fulham Council to stop Enterprise trading on Ravenscourt Road has received more than 200 signatures. If it reaches 250, it will be debated by Cabinet.
Enterprise said in a statement: "Enterprise is committed to being a good neighbour in the communities where we operate. We understand the concerns that have been raised about parking and traffic around this busy location and are actively working to address them. We have engaged with community leaders and secured additional overflow parking, which was placed into service this week to help ease congestion. We make every effort to ensure our vehicles are parked appropriately and in compliance with local regulations. We’ll continue to look for solutions to relieve congestion, and we apologise for any inconvenience experienced."
A Hammersmith and Fulham Council spokesperson said: "We heard from local residents that they were fed up with rental cars and vans taking up parking spaces near Ravenscourt Park. We recently spoke to Enterprise rental and they agreed to find a new solution. We are monitoring the situation closely and appreciate everyone working together to solve this problem."
