News – Page 42 – Eastcote Residents' Association

Meeting about Surface Water Flooding – save the date!

21^st November in The Stables from 5.30pm-7pm

Meeting Update – Thank you to everyone who reported surface water flooding to Thames Water, as they will now be at this meeting. Please remember Thames Water will only interact with those directly affected they will not respond to a third party so you need to attend in person.

ERA asked for this meeting to discuss the serious situation regarding surface water flooding in the area between Bridle Road and North View including Eastcote Park Estate. The official local rainfall recorded was 38mm (28mm in 2016) but a local resident recorded 73mm (32mm in 2016) which fits with the many observations that there was much more water ‘running around’ than in 2016.

Consequently, a meeting has been organised by the council’s Flood and Water Management Officer.

Please encourage everyone affected to attend this meeting bringing with them as much detail as possible about this latest flooding event and any historical information they may have.

ERA also asked Thames Water to send a representative and they ‘will try’ but were told that their records show only a few reported cases of flooding in Eastcote and that as far as they are concerned there is very little historical evidence of flooding in Eastcote. So, if you, or anyone you know hasn’t yet reported local flooding please do so.

Heath Robinson Watercolours

A DELIGHTFUL NEW EXHIBITION AT THE HEATH ROBINSON MUSEUM UNTIL 24 NOVEMBER

A delightful exhibition of watercolours painted by the internationally known artist Heath Robinson has opened at the Heath Robinson Museum.

Heath Robinson trained as an artist at the Royal Academy Schools and always saw himself as an artist. He earned his living as an illustrator and cartoonist – he is still better known for his drawings of complicated machines for performing simple tasks – but he would spend much of the limited spare time he had either drawing or painting in watercolours. His children remembered him on holiday at the seaside, dressed in suit, collar and tie, setting up his easel on the beach or in a country lane to paint the scene before him.

When painting for pleasure he was able to indulge his love of landscape and seascape or simply experiment with light, colour and movement, adopting a much freer style, executing sensitive impressionistic watercolour sketches. Even so, although these pictures are mostly different from his commercial work, they are immediately recognisable as his.
These paintings were not exhibited during the artist’s lifetime, and this is the first exhibition devoted to them.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM

The Heath Robinson Museum, is a serious museum with a smile on its face. A permanent gallery allows visitors to explore Heath Robinson’s life and artistic development through the gallery timeline, original artworks and interactive exhibits. A further gallery holds special exhibitions which change every three months showcasing selections from the museum collection and other renowned artists and illustrators. An activity studio hosts workshops and has drop-in activities for children.

The museum, address Pinner Memorial Park, West End Lane, Pinner, HA5 1AE, is open Thursday – Sunday from 11am to 4pm and Bank Holiday Mondays. Entry to the galleries during the current exhibition is free for children up to the age of 18 and up to 25 for young people with a student card. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. Access to the Activity Studio only will remain at £2 for children and free for accompanying adults.

The Museum, which has recently been accredited by the Arts Council, is run by The West House & Heath Robinson Museum Trust, a charity.

For further information visit www.heathrobinsonmuseum.org

Heath Robinson Museum, Pinner Memorial Park, West End Lane, Pinner HA5 1AE

www.facebook.com/HeathRobinsonMuseum
twitter.com/hrobinsonmuseum

The West House and Heath Robinson Museum Trust.

Registered Charity Number 1086567
Cynthia Wells (Chairman) – phone: 020 8866 8699 or email: Cynthia@heathrobinsonmuseum.org

Recent Flooding in Eastcote

It is my personal opinion that the rainfall and flooding experienced last week in Eastcote was greater than that in 2016.

The total rainfall over the area as a whole has triggered the need for the council as Lead Local Flood Authority to compile a report on the areas which flooded, what happened, what can be done to improve the situation.

To make sure that any surface water flooding you experienced is included in this report then please email the council and copy us at ERA – click here to do this

If you wish to go one step further you can fill in the online forms by following the two links below which were provided by the council. These forms will ask questions about where the water came from, what it looked like and why you think it collected where it did. Photos welcomed. It is extremely helpful in obtaining useful outcomes and in some cases funding if you report flooding because, for example, Thames Water who are the second link below only log reports received directly from those affected.

Click here to report flooding to Hillingdon Council

Click here to report flooding to Thames water

Please contact me if you have any further questions or concerns

Alison Holtorp, Chairman of Eastcote Residents Association

The Figure shows historical press coverage beginning with several inter-war period report. Title Tuesday’s Floods (Joel St), Advertizer&Gazette 29th Nov1927. Title Snow and Flood (Joel St), Advertizer&Gazette 4th Jan 1928. Title Eastcote, Advertizer&Gazette 5th Feb1936. Title Freak Storms (Joel st Field End Rd), Advertizer&Gazette 8th Aug 1938. Title Torrential Rain Ends The Summer Drought (Field End Rd, Joel St), Advertizer&Gazette 7th Jul. 1949. Title Roads, Works Flooded During Storm (Joel St), Advertizer&Gazette 6th Aug 1962. Title Yellow Lorry in Water (Joel St, River Pinn Catchments), 15th Nov1977. Title Yellow Cars in Water (Joel St) 1984.

Please find below a list of links for further information. Council Flooding – Flooding – Hillingdon Council. This has lots of links about responsibilities, what to do to prepare yourself and your property, as well as who to contact during a flood event. Surface water flood risk map (change drop down list to Flood Risk from Surface Water – Extent of flooding) long-term-flood-risk The sewer flooding questionnaire from Thames Water should be filled in to record every event. sewer-flooding-questionnaire.pdf

As the weather becomes ever more random many parts of London are solving issues. standard.co.uk reports that london-flooding-emergency-measures-to-be-deployed-if-more-rain-hits-london. The Figure shows Eastcote Main Parade Rain Gardens in 2020 and the previous service road raised planation scheme up until 2018. Eastcote-wins-ice-peoples-choice . Project Centre’s Eastcote Town Centre Improvement project has won the Institution of Civil Engineers London Civil Engineering People’s Choice Award! In line with what we are all about at Project Centre, this award recognises the civil engineering projects transforming the lives of Londoners. harrowonline.org eastcote-rain-gardens-win-national-award . A ground layer that was installed now accommodates up to 30mm of rainwater, increasing the area’s flood resilience. hillingdon.gov.uk Eastcote-Rain-Gardens-win-national-award . Cllr Douglas Mills, Cabinet Member for Community, Commerce and Regeneration, said: “This is fantastic news! Thanks to the innovative joint work between the council, the designers Project Centre and contractors O’Hara Bros, the project has not only significantly reduced the risk of flooding, but it has also revitalised the area with new plants and public space – making it a more pleasant and vibrant place to live and work

For Eastcote Wherever I may Find Her. Copyright Goggle 20021. Click on the centre of the earth to Zoom via Atlantic Ocean, the Continent, the British Isles, the South East, to Eastcote Middx

Development on Greenbelt land

The London Green Belt Council is a grouping of more than 100 organisations with a concern for the Green Belt around London.

They have asked us to encourage you to sign a petition asking Government to cease all new developments on Greenbelt and Greenfield sites across the country:

Government housing policy is forcing councils to meet aggressive house building targets. This directly causes new developments on Greenbelt & Greenfield. Many councils believe the targets are unrealistic. According to CPRE 460,000 homes are currently planned for greenbelt & greenfield sites.

Loss of greenbelt & greenfield sites for housing negatively affects the environment, releasing carbon from the land & losing that land’s ability to capture new carbon. Wildlife and plant life already under stress, are displaced & loss of green spaces has a negative effect on communities.

The petition is here

London Green Belt Council

ERA is a member of LGBC and one of our committee members kindly attends meetings on behalf of local residents.

The latest newsletter can be seen here: LGBC NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2019

HS2 latest information

We have received updated information from HS2 about works in our area:

HS2 QandA V3

HS2 Affected roads (V2)

If you would like to find out more about the HS2 project or have questions about it, the HS2 Community Engagement Manager along with engagement staff from the contractors will be available for you to drop-in and speak to.

Thursday 3 October, Committee Room at St Lawrence Church, Eastcote, 4pm to 7pm
Monday 14 October, Cannon Lane Methodist Church, Pinner, 2pm to 5pm
Friday 25 October, Harefield Library, 2pm to 5pm
Thursday 31 October, Committee Room at St Lawrence Church, Eastcote, 2pm to 5pm

Heathrow Expansion – feedback deadline

The deadline for providing feedback on the proposed Heathrow Expansion is 13th September.

You can view the consultation leaflet (and instructions as how to provide feedback) here: Heathrow Consultation Leaflet

Breakspear Road South Closure Update

Update: Breakspear Road South closed to motorists from 6am Saturday 31 August until 8pm on Saturday 14 September

As planned there will be a further full road closure for 15 days, starting Saturday 31 August at 6am to Saturday 14 September 2019 at 8pm.

For more details contact the HS2 Helpdesk on 08081 434 434

There is also a dedicated Breakspear Road South Closure page on the HS2 at Hillingdon website, which also has the HS2 Breakspear Road South closure Question & Answer document.

Changes to Uxbridge local history opening hours

The Local Studies Department at Uxbridge Library has changed its opening hours from 12 August.

It is now open:
Wednesday 1pm – 5pm
Saturday 10am – 12noon and 1pm – 5pm.

On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday it is open by appointment only (giving three days’ notice). To make an appointment phone 01895 250702 or email archives@hillingdon.gov.uk.

Breakspear Road South Closure Update

Update: Breakspear Road South reopens to motorists from 8pm Friday 16 August until 6am on Saturday 31 August

The first phase of the works at Breakspear Road South has been completed as planned. The road will be open to traffic from 8pm on Friday 16 August until 6am on Saturday 31 August. There will still be a lane closure, with traffic flowing in both directions controlled by temporary traffic lights.

A map of the lane closure is below.

As planned following this lane closure there will be a further full road closure for 15 days, starting Saturday 31 August at 6am to Saturday 14 September 2019 at 8pm.

For more details contact the HS2 Helpdesk on 08081 434 434

There is also a dedicated Breakspear Road South Closure page on the HS2 at Hillingdon website, which also has the HS2 Breakspear Road South closure Question & Answer document.