Category: News

HS2 works update

Please see the works updates as follows:

Road safety students take on Hillingdon Council’s Dragons’ Den

Safety-conscious schoolchildren competed in a ‘Dragons’ Den’ style event hosted by Hillingdon Council for the chance to win their school funding for road safety and sustainable travel improvements.

Teams of pupils aged between 11 and 18 from Oak Wood School, in Uxbridge, Park Academy West London, also in Uxbridge, Queensmead School in Ruislip, Guru Nanak Sikh Academy, Hayes and Vyners School, Ickenham, took part in the Hillingdon Pioneers’ Challenge, on Wednesday 31 January in the lecture theatre of the Battle of Britain Bunker Exhibition and Visitor Centre in Uxbridge.

Each team of ‘Travel Pioneer Ambassadors’ pitched their road safety idea to a panel of ‘Dragons’ including members of Hillingdon Council’s school travel and road safety education team and representatives from Transport for London (TfL) and the transport industry, in efforts to bid for funding towards promoting school road safety and sustainable transport initiatives.

Around 50 students took part in the event, with ideas ranging from incentivised walking and cycling groups, to creating banners and holding coffee mornings to encourage their wider school community to travel more sustainably. The event was a great success with all schools achieving a share of the £3,356 funding for their proposed projects, along with actionable guidance from the Dragons to support their initiatives.

Following the event, Cllr Jonathan Bianco, Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet Member for Property, Highways and Transport, said: “It was brilliant to hear about the range of thoughtful pitches from the Travel Pioneer Ambassadors, who clearly share the council’s passion and commitment to creating safer roads that in turn help protect road-users.
“My congratulations to all five schools for putting forward some compelling suggestions that help address how we could reduce the dangers of air pollution from car journeys while promoting healthy, sustainable alternatives.”
The Dragons’ Den event complements TfL’s Pioneer Challenge programme that is being delivered to participating secondary schools in the borough and aims to equip students with skills and confidence to raise issues of traffic safety with peers and parents to try and bring about change.
The funding was provided by the council and TfL from money ring-fenced for education, training and publicity of road safety and sustainable travel.

A similar event for ‘Junior Travel Ambassadors’ – pupils aged eight to 11, will take place on Thursday 29 February at the same venue.
Secondary schools wishing to find out more about the Pioneer Challenge programme can email stars@hillingdon.gov.uk

Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet agrees Uxbridge Library relocation plans

The recommendation to relocate Uxbridge Library to the borough’s Civic Centre was approved by Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet on Thursday (15 February) evening, subject to planning approval being granted.

The report presented to Cabinet advised that the Borough Solicitor was of the opinion that the current building is not compliant with equalities or health and safety at work legislation. It is spaced across six floors and because there are no fire evacuation lifts it can be particularly difficult for people with disabilities to safely evacuate. It also notes that significant capital investment would be required to improve the energy efficiency of the building and bring it up to modern standards.

Hillingdon Council has an enviable record of library investment, and whilst many local authorities have closed their facilities the council is committed to retaining 16 sites across the borough, further investing in buildings and facilities to ensure they are of the highest quality, maximum efficiency and continue to meet residents’ requirements now and into the future.

The relocation would ensure the library continues to occupy a prominent position in Uxbridge (only 300 metres away from the existing site) and improve accessibility by sharing the Civic Centre’s main entrance, offering step-free access to a new one-floor library space. There is also a bus stop opposite making it convenient to get to by public transport.

The new facility would be within easy reach of other council services, such as Learn Hillingdon Adult Community Education and Uxbridge Family Hub, as well as the range of other services available on-site, ensuring all the services that matter most to residents are easily accessible in one building. Work is already underway on renovating the Civic Centre as part of plans to revitalise the town centre and southern end of the High Street.

The new enhanced Uxbridge Library would remain the borough’s largest library and offer facilities not currently provided in its existing building, such as study booths, dedicated laptop/device charging bars, hireable meeting room space and a dedicated space for the popular Tovertafel (interactive tabletop projection) facility.

The plans also include space for exhibitions and events, a learning centre, dedicated children’s  library, a large book collection and use of the wider Civic Centre space for events and activities.

The relocated library is expected to save the council £412,000 per year from business rates, utilities, cleaning and staffing costs, delivering better value for money to residents. It will also help to deliver the council’s climate change pledge as the new library would save 165 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year. The council has recently received government funding to decarbonise the Civic Centre whereas decarbonisation of the current library building, which also has a high carbon footprint, is estimated to cost a minimum of £1.6 million and may not even be viable as there isn’t the space to accommodate the size of air source heat pump it would require.

Cllr Eddie Lavery, Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, said: “We’re committed to creating safe and strong communities, thriving healthy households and a green and sustainable borough while continuing to ensure maximum efficiency in the use of council buildings and resources, delivering the very best value when using taxpayers’ money.

“The current Uxbridge Library building is no longer fit for purpose; if the proposal to relocate it had not been made now, one would have needed to be produced to protect the safety of all library users and to comply with the council’s legal obligations sometime in the near future. We will not shy away from making difficult decisions when they are in the best interests of all our communities.

“The new library will deliver a more modern, enhanced, accessible library, with a reduced environmental impact and running cost, housed alongside a wealth of other services to help us further build on our ambition to deliver more joined up public services to meet our residents’ needs.”

For more information and updates on the relocation of the library, visit www.hillingdon.gov.uk/uxbridge-library-relocation.

Hillingdon A&E under extreme pressure

The Trust is currently facing significant pressure on services, and unprecedented attendances at our Emergency Department (A&E) at Hillingdon Hospital leading to extended wait times for patients seeking assessment and treatment.

The safety of our patients and our staff is always our top priority and we are working through who needs our help as quickly and as safely as we can. We must prioritise treatment for patients with life threatening conditions and injuries.

The Emergency Department is not always the first place to come when you require medical attention, and the alternatives can get people seen quicker and in a more appropriate place. If your condition is not life threatening, visit NHS 111 online in the first instance, contact your GP, contact a local pharmacy for advice, or visit an Urgent Treatment Centre.

If you are directed to alternative care facilities, please accept the advice of our teams, as this will be in your best interest, and they are prioritising patients who are in desperate need of medical attention.

If your condition is not life-threatening, please help the NHS by:

  • Visiting 111.nhs.uk or call 111 if you need urgent medical help and are not sure what to do. You can also ring 111 to get straight through to mental health advice.
  • Being ready to collect your family or loved ones from hospital as soon as they are medically well enough to leave. Hospital is not the best place to be once someone is ready for discharge.
  • Not coming to the Emergency Department with minor injuries, as you will be signposted elsewhere.
  • Using your local pharmacy if you can – they can help with a range of minor health issues including colds, skin problems and earaches. Every area has a late opening pharmacy and most have consulting rooms where you can ask for advice in private. Go to the NHS website to find your nearest open pharmacist.
  • Contacting your GP practice or visit their website to get help. GP practices can arrange for you to speak to or see a GP or another healthcare professional. If you need help outside of normal hours, check your practice website for extended or enhanced access.

Remember, only call 999 in the event of a serious or life-threatening emergency.
See more advice about which service is most appropriate for your needs.

Hillingdon Community Health Charter

Hillingdon Health and Care Partnership (HHCP) has committed to developing a Community Health Charter.  The intention of this document is to set the standard for how HHCP will involve residents and Hillingdon’s community in the design and development of its work.

The NHS North West London Involvement Charter can be found within NHS North West London’s Involvement Strategy.

HHCP want to involve residents, and our voluntary and community sector in Hillingdon, to ensure that the standards set out in the charter reflect the views and experiences of those living in the borough.  To get involved in the creation of the Community Health Charter, please share your views by completing this survey.   Alternatively, if you would prefer to share your views by other means, or would like to access the survey in another language, please contact: james.connell@nhs.net.

Local Flood Risk Management Strategy consultation

Hillingdon’s updated Local Flood Risk Management Strategy outlines how the Council will manage and reduce flooding risk. They welcome residents’ input, information and participation to ensure they fully understand where there are existing flood problems and that the approach best reflects the needs of Hillingdon’s communities.  Find out more at https://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/flood-strategy-consultation

Waste weekend events raise £50,000 for Harlington Hospice

Hillingdon residents have raised £50,000 for Harlington Hospice by giving unwanted household items a new lease of life.  Since January 2020, the Council’s waste weekend events have provided residents with the opportunity to donate and re-use items left by others if they make a charitable donation. The funds raised support the hospice to provide invaluable care for people and their families living with serious or terminal illness .

Operated by Powerday on behalf of the council, the waste weekends create a pop-up civic amenity site in West Drayton, which is a free facility for residents to use every weekend, 9am to 4pm, to dispose of household rubbish and recycling.

The Mayor of Hillingdon, Cllr Shehryar Ahmad-Wallana, Cllr Eddie Lavery, Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, and Powerday staff, presented representatives of Harlington Hospice with a cheque at a special celebration event on Saturday 20 January.

Wendy Whyte, Community Fundraiser at Harlington Hospice, said: “The incredible support we’ve received from the waste weekend charity shop over the last four years means so much to our hospice.
“At Harlington Hospice, we’re here to support people living with serious or terminal illness in Hillingdon and the surrounding areas. We believe that everybody living in our community should be able to access the care and support they need to be able to live each of their days in their own way, to the fullest.
“Through the generosity of our community, we’re able to provide this support through our inpatient unit at Michael Sobell House, Hospice at Home, Wellbeing, Psychological and Emotional Support (including our Child and Adolescent Bereavement Service), Harlington Care and education and information services.
“On behalf of the whole team at Harlington Hospice, we are so grateful to everyone who has donated and purchased items from the shop over the last four years, and a big thank you to the waste weekend team for choosing to support our charity.”

Cllr Lavery, said: “This is a fantastic achievement by our residents and shows an ongoing commitment to reduce waste, recycle and re-use items. I’d like to thank them for their efforts, every single donation makes a huge difference to the lives of other residents in need of additional care and support.  “Our waste weekends provide residents with the opportunity to recycle items they no longer need while making a positive contribution to a local charity. This helps to reduce the environmental impact and supports our commitment to create a green and more sustainable borough for future generations.”

To find out more about the council’s waste and recycling centres, including the waste weekends, visit www.hillingdon.gov.uk/waste-and-recycling-centres

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