Ruislip Gardens

Ruislip Gardens area has set up its own Residents' Association, and although we, as a committee, were unaware this was going to happen, we wholeheartedly intend to represent and support our members in that area.

Over the last few years we have been helping Ruislip Gardens residents with many issues affecting their specific area. When the boundaries changed a few years ago and Ruislip Gardens became part of the South Ruislip Ward, we were asked by Ruislip Gardens residents if they could join the SRRA, and naturally we agreed. We have at present 42 members in Ruislip Gardens and hope to increase that number in the future.

Many hours of unpaid voluntary work has been done by Executive Members of the SRRA on behalf of our members in Ruislip Gardens and the following is a brief list of some of the issues handled over the last 5 years.

1. Antisocial behaviour (ASB) by local youths - many meetings with residents and follow up meetings with police and councillors. Issue taken to the top - to the Borough Commander.

2. Safer Neighbourhood Team (first in the North of the Borough) established in South Ruislip ward following pressure from our delegate on the Police Consultative Group.

3. Home in multiple occupation Lea Crescent, issue resolved by SRRA.

4. ASB by bikers who come into the area and use green belt land and make a nuisance in the local roads - many meetings with police, councillors and council officers - result fencing to be installed to block their path.

5. Ruislip Gardens School and Sidmouth Drive issue - the association was very careful NOT to support the Mayor of London at the Public Inquiry, he wanted the land at the rear of Ruislip Gardens School to be made available for the new secondary school.

6. Result of our efforts - over 40 members in Ruislip Gardens

7. Our Constitution was amended in April 2002 to allow our existing members in Ruislip Gardens to be full members when the electoral wards changed and the area of Ruislip Gardens was included in the 'South Ruislip Ward'. Therefore the association will continue to represent all validated members.

NEW MEMBERS ARE VERY WELCOME. FEEL FREE TO EMAIL US

26/03/2006

SRRA Policies

The committee has put together a number of policies that we believe reflects the wishes of the members of the SRRA. The policies will be reviewed annually and updated as required. There will be no change to the way issues are addressed. For example, we will only object to a planning application in support of our members. We would not lodge an objection just because it was against our policy.

The policies can be viewed by clicking here: SRRAPolicies.PDF

26/03/2006

PC Paul Himsworth

It was with great sadness that we heard of the death of PC Paul Himsworth, part of the safer neighbourhood team. Josiane Buchanan paid tribute to him and represented the SRRA at his funeral.

The following report is courtesy of The Gazette:-

Josiane Buchanan, who represents SRRA on the borough's Community and Police Consultative Group, came into contact with PC Himsworth on a regular basis and had a great respect for him.

She said "I liked Paul a great deal from the moment I met him, he was down to earth and he struck me as a very traditional bobby. His courage and methodical approach to police work and dealing with crime were testament to him. He had a warm personality which made it so easy to take to him and whenever there was a problem he took time to talk to you about it personally. There was not an issue he was not prepared to tackle".

We will hold a minute's silence at the next quarterly meeting where Paul has been a frequent speaker.

26/03/2006

Plans for Extensive Developments at Long Drive

Just over the Sainsbury traffic lights, Long Drive is the entry point for many into the Northern part of South Ruislip. London City Homes Ltd. have applied to erect 6 houses and 18 flats on land in Long Drive, this would result in the demolition of existing properties.

Residents are worried about the extra traffic it would create, the two junctions i.e. Longdrive/The Fairway and Victoria Road/Long Drive are notorious bottle necks already without this development. Many local residents and the SRRA objected to this development and the council subsequently refused it. The developer appealed against that decision and an Inquiry was due to take place in March, this was cancelled in favour of an exchange of written statements.

Please help us to stop this gross over development. For more information click here.

24/03/2006

Hosepipe Ban

As is the fashion at the moment, Three Valleys Water have announced a ban from 3rd April. There are more details on their website www.3valleys.co.uk/.

24/03/2006

Glebe Farm

A public inquiry will be reconvened on 25th April 2006 into the appeal by the owner against the Enforcement Notices served by London Borough Hillingdon. The owner is claiming continuous use of the site for the last ten years for open storage and that the metal fencing has been there for over 4 years.

A recent meeting convened at the GAA Irish club, attended by Sarah Bagshaw (LBH Appeals Officer), Councilors, members of SRRA and other residents produced great local knowledge to help support the council.

14/03/2006

We need your help!

Please see the Can You Help? section of the website. We are in need of Road Stewards and committee members.

21/01/2006

Local Development Framework - Odyssey Business Park

The SRRA has responded to London Borough of Hillingdon’s Local Development Framework which replaces the old area plans, the UDF. A copy of our reply is just here.

One surprising site allocation is the statement that Odyssey Business park is very suitable for housing (providing residents keep their heads down). The SRRA is objecting to this particular proposal.

19/12/2005

The Black Bull

At the request of members the SRRA, and a number of residents themselves have made representations to LBH against the Black Bull’s request for extended hours. Their request will now go before a licensing Sub-Committee for a decision on whether they can open longer hours or not.

UPDATE. Despite the petition, letters and arguments from the SRRA and Cllr Steve Carey, at the meeting, we were disappointed the application was accepted by the licensing Sub-committee, albeit with a couple of small amendments. When these amendments have been actioned the pub will be able to open later. A text scanned copy of the notice from the legal representative to the council and the Sub-Committee reasons can be viewed here.

18/11/2005 (Updated 19/12/2005)

Telephone Preference Service (TPS)

If you are fed up with unsolicitored phone calls you can do something about it. Under the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003, it is unlawful to make unsolicited direct marketing calls to individuals who have indicated that they do not want to receive such calls.

You can either do this by contacting the 'offending' company directly and asking them not to call you or you can register with a central register - the TPS.

Registering with the TPS can be done online or you can call their registration line on 0845 070 0707.

01/09/2005

Talk by Nick Hurd to the South Ruislip Residents Association

At the invitation of the SRRA committee, as current MP, Nick Hurd (Conservative) MP for the Ruislip and Northwood constituency addressed the quarterly meeting of the residents association on 27th July 2005.

Nick Hurd(NH) started by saying that with the threatened move of South Ruislip, the Manor and Cavendish into the Uxbridge constituency, whatever the boundary commission decided he was keen to serve our interests fully as our MP. NH urged us to write to him with issues that he might help with - especially where we as private citizens felt that we had hit the end of the road with government bodies.

Sidmouth Drive Secondary School / Ruislip High

NH stated that he came rather late to this situation as a candidate for the seat. He had listened to the arguments against the school and felt they deserved a response. He had encouraged Ray Puddifoot, as the leader of the council to engage in a dialogue, which was offered but not on terms to the satisfaction of SRRA. NH said the reality was that it is extremely likely the school would be built; with only a minister of state in a position to stop it.

Given that that the school will be built, it would be wrong as a local MP not to support the school and the School governors. NH noted that the school would expand choice in the area, which he was all for as long as other schools are not disadvantaged. He also believed that support for the school should not be underestimated , particularly among parents in the Ruislip Gardens area. He was particularly keen to make sure that resident concerns about traffic management and parking were heard.

Others present at the meeting including Cllr Oliver Curley and Donald Ticehurst, took NH to task over the school, saying that his position had moved from being against to being in favour. They voiced arguments against the school such as costs, flooding and the destruction of the green belt.

Law and order

Nick said that under the Safer Neighbourhood Team crime in South Ruislip had fallen 21% since the schemes introduction. He added that we should also begin seeing the benefits of a doubling of the budget for graffiti removal by the council. Nick said that he would welcome any communication from residents on these issues.

Planning

Nick Hurd expressed general concern that increasingly planning decisions are being taken away from the community to bodies not accountable at the local level.

Nick Hurd set out his stall saying he would only get involved in planning issues where the community has a single view.

Local Hospitals

The plan original, NH said, was to move Harefield facilities to Paddington. However the plan fell on it’s face, following a public inquiry and a loss to the tax payer of some £14M on consultants fees. The threat hangs over Harefield, where too next? Mount Vernon has a new threat for a move of the cancer centre to a new site in Hatfield. A prior public consultation had resulted in an agreement to maintain a walk in radio therapy facility. However it now looks, Nick said, if promises will be broken on this as well.

RAF Northolt

NH voiced a warning that RAF Northolt’s future is linked firmly with the future of Heathrow’s 3rd runway, saying that previous advice from Guild of Air Traffic Controllers was that flying from Northolt was incompatible with a third runway.

NB: SRRA: these are notes taken - not a verbatim record.

04/08/2005

The Licensing Act 2003

This law makes the council responsible for alcohol, entertainment and late night refreshment licences. As this article explains, the deadline for pubs and other licensed venues to apply for a renewal is not far away, 6th August.

Outline details of current applications can be seen at LB Hillingdon’s website. The South Ruislip Residents Association will monitor all applications on behalf of members living near the pubs/clubs and appeal if required.

28/07/2005

U1 Bus Route

There is an update of sorts here from the Hillingdon Times. The Residents Association is keen for a bus link to be set up between South Ruislip and Hillingdon Hospital but we do not want buses travelling through our residential streets. The bus should keep to main roads.

22/07/2005

Lowering of Road Under South Ruislip Railway Bridge

London Borough of Hillingdon are proposing to lower the road under South Ruislip railway bridge. This will allow heavy goods vehicles to reach industrial areas of South Ruislip via a shorter route than they take at the moment.

The SRRA are objecting on many grounds including flooding, noise and the impact of extra traffic along Station Approach. We all too familiar with the nightmare delays we face at the two junctions either end of the road.

Our objection has been sent but that shouldn't stop you objecting too. Email transportstrategy@hillingdon.gov.uk and please copy us at srra12@hotmail.com. The consultation closes on 8th August.

The consultation is part of LBH's Local Implementation Plan, consultation draft June-August, which details how LBH plans to meet the Mayor's Transport strategy. There are more details here. Warning the executive summary alone is a massive 11 MB.

The work at the bridge appears to be the most significant proposal.

19/07/2005

Council warns would be buyers of Ruislip house plots

Hillingdon Council is warning people interested in buying 'house plots' on a field in Ruislip, currently being offered for sale on the internet, that they are most unlikely to get planning permission because the site is green belt agricultural land. The plots are located at the junction of Fine Bush Lane and Breakspear Road North (near the crematorium).

The full release can be found at this link on LBH's website and there is an article about it at this link from Hillingdon Times.

12/07/2005

Ikea Store at Hillingdon Station

Ikea have just submitted a planning application for a large development close to us at Hillingdon Station and very close to the A40.

There is more on Ikea's plans at the Hillingdon Times article here, one from the Guardian and from the BBC news website.

The SRRA will discuss and formulate a response and as always we welcome resident's points of view. What with Tesco's application and now Ikea, Ickenham Residents’ Association are asking for assistance.

10/07/2005 (Updated 22/07/2005)

Sidmouth Drive Proposed New School

At the planning meeting of 21/06/05, councillors agreed to pass the outstanding planning issues regarding the school. Discussion on the need for the school, which the SRRA objected too, was banned by the planning officer.

The SRRA and the SDCC (Sidmouth Drive Campaign Committee) object to the school for a number of reasons. Briefly:

1. The new school will create a large over capacity in the North Secondary Area and may result in the closure of a school or introduce spare capacity which in turn will hit schools funding which is pupil-led.

2. If we don't need the school why waste £21 Million of our money on it

3. The school is to be built on Green chain land where alternatives could be found in the borough, if the school was really needed

More information can be found in the latest edition of the SRRA Newsletter, distributed to SRRA members.

03/07/2005

Bulbs in Stonefield Park

Some of the many bulbs planted by SRRA members and other local residents at Stonefield park. Donated by BAA Heathrow in conjunction with Groundwork-thames valley

09/05/2005

Government Green Paper on Planning

Plans to alter the planning process to speed it up. Potential situation where local residents may not have a chance to comment upon or challenge new regional bodies’ power on giving planning permission for large projects, eg. Terminal 5.

Mount Vernon Centre for Cancer Treatment, and Harefield Hospital

Plans to move cancer care facilities from Mount Vernon, threaten not only to such care facilities but also to other services if this goes ahead. An update soon on Mount Vernon Cancer Centre - A public consultation is due out soon with latest proposals. Due after 19th July 2005.

Updated 03/07/2005

BFPO at RAF Northolt

Plans to move the British Forces Post Office to RAF Northolt in 2007. Main access still to be decided.