Dowding Park Management Plan 2018 – 2028 Year One Green Spaces Team 1 Contents 1. Introduction 3 2. Site Summary 3 Site Plans: 2.1 Map 1 - Location of Park 4 2.2 Map 2 - Aerial Photo 5 2.3 Map 3 - Access points 6 3. Present use 7 4. Facilities 7 5. Vision for Dowding Park 7 6. History 8 7. Ecology 10 8. Site Aims and Objectives 13 9. Project outlines 23 10. Appendices Appendix 1 - Introduction to Hillingdon 26 Appendix 2 - Team structure 28 Appendix 3 - Marketing 29 Appendix 4 - Miscellaneous 31 1. Introduction To 2 Dowding Park was adopted by Hillingdon Council in March 2018. It is situated on the site of the old RAF base and is surrounded by new homes, school and new business units as well as The Battle of Britain Bunker and Hillingdon House. With 40 acres to explore, the site incorporates a mix of country and recreational parkland with the River Pinn running through a copse of mature trees. The newly planted Jubilee wood, football pitches, a playground and trim trail are all accessible with newly laid paths meaning that there is something for everyone, accessible to all. 2. Site Summary Site Name Dowding Park Address St Andrew’s Road Postcode UB10 0XF Ownership Hillingdon Council Lead Officer contact details Jennifer Hedges Phone: 01895556000 Date site acquired 2018 London Parks typology designation Green Space Area (approx) 40 acres Access points 6 main access points / areas Leading to St Andrews Road, north east Leading to St Andrews Road, north west Leading to Hillingdon House Leading to The Bunker Leading to the new housing estate, east Leading to the new housing estate, south east Access – Public Transport Metropolitan Line and Picadilly Line on the underground 427, A10 N207, U1, U3, U4, U7 buses Key features Key habitats Mature trees River Pinn Attenuation ponds Grassy meadows Scrub Amenity grass Historic features Jubilee wood Time capsule Horticultural features Mature trees, River Pinn, Long grass, Sporting features Football pitches, Trim trail Playgrounds/other recreational Children’s playground features 3 Conservation Area No Tree preservation orders No 2.1. Location Dowding Park is located in Uxbridge, a suburban area of west London. It lies directly to the south east of Uxbridge town centre and is bounded by the A4020 on the west, beyond which is an area of residential properties. To the east of the site, land use is predominantly residential. Hillingdon Golf Course lies to the south east of the site along with further residential properties. A further small area of residential properties is located to the north of the site, and beyond this the tracks of the Metropolitan Line which, in this location, run over ground. Hillingdon House Farm lies to the north of the railway line and this includes Uxbridge College and large playing fields and sports facilities including an athletics track and Uxbridge Lido. By road, Dowding Park is approximately: ● 2 0 miles to the centre of London ● 4 miles to the M25 ● 7 miles to Heathrow 4 2.2. Aerial Photograph of Park 5 2.3 Park Features and access points. 6 3. Present use and facilities A number of facilities has been incorporated into the design for Dowding Park whilst maintaining its aesthetic charm. The River Pinn divides the park into two with the more rural side containing the Jubilee wood, woodland trail and fishing platform. Across the bridges just past the attenuation ponds, the children’s playground, trim trail and football pitches are located, close to the housing estate. 4. Management Arrangements: Dowding Park is managed by the London Borough of Hillingdon’s Green Spaces Team, (see Appendix 2 for Green Spaces Structure). Grounds maintenance is carried out by the borough’s grounds maintenance team (from January 2013, this function came back “in-house” after many years of using contractors). Typically, contractors are used for maintenance of the park’s infrastructure, although minor work may be done by local staff. Work is monitored by the council’s Green Spaces Area Officers and playground safety inspections are carried out every week by Park inspectors. An independent company inspects the playground and gym equipment annually and our term contractor inspects the playground and gym equipment quarterly. 5. Visions for Dowding Park Our vision is to provide long term management and maintenance to Dowding Park in line with Green Flag standards. We seek to enhance the infrastructure of the park in ways that are appealing to the public and ensure the site is accessible to everyone, whilst protecting, enhancing and utilizing the natural and built features and encourage community involvement, creating a sense of belonging. 7 6. History Historic maps shows that there has always been parkland here. In 1717 Hillingdon House was built as a hunting lodge for the Third Duke of Schomberg who died there two years later. The original house burnt down and was then rebuilt in 1844. In 1915 Hillingdon House was purchased by the British Government and became a convalescent home for Canadian Soldiers. In 1917 the Royal Air Force station RAF Uxbridge was established within the grounds. The 1793 engraving shows Hillingdon House in its form prior to being re-built by Richard Cox in 1844. Whilst it is not confirmed that the drawing upon which it is based dates from precisely 1793, it does represent a parkland that would have been quite typical of the period. A pastoral scene of grazing cows is noted on the western banks of the lake. 8 Hillingdon House was used as a headquarters, housing the office of Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park during the Battle of Britain in 1940. (Park devised the strategy used by the RAF in the defence of the UK against the German air force). His strategy was put into action in the underground operations room now known as The Battle of Britain Bunker, just down the road from Hillingdon House, situated next to Dowding Park and today open to the public. The Battle Of Britain Bunker was built in 1939 and played a key role throughout the war but most notably during the Battle of Britain and on D-Day, controlling aircraft fighter operations. In 1918 the RAF, No.1 RAF Depot opened on the site. It became a key training centre for new recruits. Thus, generations of young entrants to the RAF were trained to use firearms on these ranges. In 1990 the Queen’s Colour Squadron of the RAF Regiment, formerly a ceremonial drill unit, became an active field squadron and were expected to be combat ready. For the next 20 years they would regularly use these rifle ranges, until RAF Uxbridge closed in 2010. Other buildings of note included a cinema, officers’ mess and quarters, a sports ground, a parade ground and barracks and residential quarters. An avenue of mature Horse Chestnut trees were planted around the perimeter of the parade ground and these now form a visual separation between the barracks and the central open space. The sites military function ceased with the closure of RAF Uxbridge in 2010 as part of a rationalisation of Ministry of Defence facilities in Greater London. Plans begun on its redevelopment which included a new housing estate, business units and Dowding Park. Before Hillingdon Council took ownership of Dowding Park, the area of land had previously been an open space within the RAF base. It was enhanced and improved by the developer and named Dowding Park by the council to acknowledge Air Chief Marshal Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding. 9 Air Chief Marshal Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding. (Born 24 April 1882-15 February 1970), served as a fighter pilot and then as commanding officer of No. 16 Squadron during the First World War. He was Air Officer commanding RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain and is generally credited with playing a crucial role in Britain's defence, and hence, the defeat of Adolf Hitler's plan to invade Britain. A wood commemorating the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II was planted within the site in May 2012. A ground-breaking ceremony was held on 2nd July 2013 on the site, attended by the Mayor of Hillingdon and cabinet members of Hillingdon Council. The site was officially opened to the public on the 17th March 2018. 7. Ecology Dowding Park is a relatively large expanse of land in a suburban area and will be used for both its nature conservation and informal recreation. Approximately 16.2ha (40 acres) in size, this site is dominated by amenity grassland including football pitches, punctuated by woodland, scrub and scattered trees. The wetlands (River Pinn, ponds and swells) also perform an important function as linear habitats. The parkland is largely designated as Green Belt and it is home to many different species. As part of a study within Dowding Park, the following key design parameters have been identified: ● Environmental improvements to the River Pinn flood corridor. ● Habitat and biodiversity improvements and enhancement and protection of areas of ecological value and habitat. ● Retention of trees, including groups, lines and individual trees. ● Sympathetic treatment of the historic landscape around the listed building Hillingdon House (Grade II) and protection of that around the bunker. ● Provision of a river/nature walk in proximity to the river. ● Panoramic views towards and from Hillingdon House. The following principal habitats can be recognised within the site, as follows: 1. Amenity grassland 2. Secondary woodland and scrub 3. Scattered trees 4. Semi-improved neutral grassland 5. Wetlands including ponds, river and swells 10 Vast areas of amenity grassland are present as the site keeps a mainly formal setting due to the use as sports pitches.