Category: General News

The Hillingdon Cleaner Greener Festival
Save money – save the planet

• Can I save with home renewables?
• Which bird falls asleep as it flies?*
• What’s the range of a small electric car?

All these questions were answered at the Hillingdon Cleaner Greener Festival on
Saturday 20th September. The event was officially opened by The Worshipful the Mayor of Hillingdon, Cllr Philip Corthorne, of Ruislip.

‘The stalls are amazing’, said one visitor, ‘Do it more
frequently,’ said another. ‘A fantastic event,’ said MP Danny Beales. Eastcote residents Hardip and Jess, who are members of Hillingdon Friends of the Earth, were amongst the people who rolled up their sleeves to make this happen.

In a first for Hillingdon, traders in home renewables sat alongside conservation and
climate campaigners. There was a series of expert talks and plenty of fun and
games for all ages. Mayor Cllr Philip Corthorne opened the festival, which took place at
St Margaret’s Church in the heart of Uxbridge. Its goal? A healthier sustainable future for
everyone in the borough.

Energy-saving and renewables experts covered everything from affordable DIY projects
to installation of solar panels, heat pumps and insulation. Residents could join
Hillingdon nature groups and sign up to Friends of the Earth actions, while children took
up the challenge of a treasure hunt around the stalls.

Flight Free UK had great tips on holidaying by train in Europe. Hillingdon London Wildlife
Trust celebrated our natural hotspots and recruited volunteers. Recycle-A-Bike showed
affordable reconditioned bikes for sale. Ruislip Woods Management Trust made insect
hotels from old logs to boost bio-diversity. Recycling is high up the order list for
Hillingdon Council, who were promoting their kitchen waste service.
Planet Over Profit, which campaigns for businesses to budget for ethical supply chains,
was promoted by Hillingdon Friends of the Earth. HFOE also ran a Restart stall with
examples of how fettlers fix broken household appliances for free. The kids even got the
chance to assemble and take home a toy solar car!
Other children’s activities included an art workshop for little ones and wooden table-top
games for older children.

* It’s the swift that falls asleep as it flies – Hillingdon London Wildlife Trust

EXHIBITORS AND TALKS
**Clean Energy Traders
Octopus Energy – Energy supplier and installer of low carbon solutions,
Infinity Energy and Daikin Heat Pumps – renewable energy surveyors and fitters
Solarbility – solar panels and battery storage
NRG Consultants – renewable energy surveyors and coordinators
EcoTiffin – expert eco builders and retrofitters
Rebel Design Studio – crafting energy efficient buildings
Unity Lime – natural insulation for homeowners and builders
Leap – free advice to stay warm and save on bills at home
Wallrock – cheap insulation to save heat and £££
Recycle-a-bike – Affordable reconditioned bikes and fixes (Fassnidge Park, Uxbridge)
Flight Free UK – take a year flight-free year and discover great new ways to travel
Hillingdon London Wildlife Trust – conserving one of London’s greenest boroughs
Hillingdon Friends of the Earth – Campaigning for Planet over Profit, Clean water in the
Colne, Restart repairs, No Third Runway, Drink tap water

The Talks
Heat Pumps – a £7500 free lunch?
Hack You Bills – quick money savers
Electric Cars – time to switch?
Waste and Recycling – in Hillingdon
Nature Gardening – for bio-diversity across London
Flight Free Holidays – looking at Europe
Solar – what to know

The Battle of Britain bunker will be hosting a series of events to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, please click the poster for more information

Please see the attached NORA Newsletter and Chief Planner’s Newsletter  NORA Jun 2025
Chief_Planners_Newsletter_June_2025

2025 is well underway.   We hope the year has started well for you.  Eastcote Residents’ Association extends best wishes to all for a happy and healthy new year ahead and one in which we can continue to work together in seeking to Continue reading “Happy New Year”

NORA NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2024

ALL Ward Residents and The local Aviation Enthusiast Community is encouraged to report anything unusual, specifically drone activity, to their local RAF Station or Police.

THE DRONE CODE:
Don’t fly near airports or airfields
Remember to stay below 400ft (120m)
Observe your drone at all times – stay 150ft (50m) away from people and property
Never fly near aircraft
Enjoy responsibility

IF YOU SEE A DRONE PICK UP THE PHONE, DIAL 999

A very moving service was conducted at the Eastcote War memorial with many people attending along with the wreath bearers.

Many thanks to all who attended the open forum; we hope you found it useful and enjoyed meeting your neighbors.  Please email us with any questions or thoughts arising from the meeting

Trafalgar Theatres has U-turned during last-ditch negotiations with Hillingdon Council which aimed to secure a deal for residents for the ongoing management of the Beck Theatre.
Until last night (Thursday 10 October), the council had been seeking to negotiate terms with Trafalgar for a three-year contract to continue the Beck Theatre operation without the council making an annual payment to them. These negotiations had continued despite Trafalgar’s unexpected announcement on 15 September to terminate their management arrangement on 13 January 2025.

Since that announcement, the council has sought to work closely with Trafalgar to find terms which would enable them to reconsider their position. Whilst Trafalgar publicly accepted the ending of the annual payment, they also sought compensatory terms beyond the council’s offer of the lease of the Beck on a peppercorn rent with the council continuing to be responsible for essential repairs and maintenance.

Last Friday, terms were discussed that seemed mutually agreeable that would ensure the continuation of the Beck’s operation for a further three-and-a-half years, whilst also discussing longer term investment aspirations for a new theatre in the future. However, late on Tuesday evening (8 October), Trafalgar changed their demands and the deal has subsequently fallen through.

In addition to the rent-free use of the Beck which had already been agreed, Trafalgar were now also asking for a considerable subsidy. They were also seeking the ability to walk away from a three-year deal, with rolling break clauses, despite originally wanting more certainty of continued operation. Fundamentally, this would not have ensured any long-term stability for the running of the facility which is the council’s main priority.

Cllr Ian Edwards, Leader of Hillingdon Council, said: “It was with both surprise and regret that we learned that Trafalgar had again reneged on their position at the last-minute and our agreed terms had fallen through.
“Whilst we know this will be hugely disappointing for the residents and supporters of our Beck Theatre to learn, the council cannot be held to a position which continually moves further away from the demands Trafalgar originally negotiated and which would not secure the longer-term future of the Beck.
“I can assure residents that council officers and elected councillors worked tirelessly to reach an agreement with Trafalgar to secure their continued operation, doing everything reasonably possible to keep the theatre operating and open.
“It was immensely frustrating to hear Trafalgar’s demands changed for a second time and as such, the council can no longer move forward while a commercial entity continues to hold taxpayers to ransom, exploiting public funds when essential services for our residents have to take precedence.”

The council will continue to seek an alternative provider to run the council-owned facility to secure its future and the continued enrichment of our community.

LBH Network Operations Manager has advised that Affinity Water have had to close Breakspear Rd South this afternoon near Grays Cottages (area shown in Red on Map) due to a burst Water Main.

There is no timescale for this work to be completed but LBH are expecting the works to be expedited as quickly as possible.

This should not affect HS2 lorries using the Approved Lorry Route on Breakspear Rd South as the Road Closure is further north than the HS2 Site (with the Approved Route only going as far north as the HS2 Site). There will however be increased traffic around the Ruislip and Ickenham areas as displaced traffic moves around the LBH Road Network.