News from your council July/August 2021 £1 million boost for communities Park restoration gathers pace New adult learning courses for 2021 New homes for local people COULD YOU FOSTER? FREE CHILDCARE SIGN UP TO RECYCLE advertisements people Contents July/August 2021 ▸ Cover stories ▸ 10 Free childcare for eligible families Dear resident There are several government schemes available to help with the costs. s we move into summer, I’m pleased that Hillingdon's vaccination programme continues to move at pace ▸ 12 £1 million funding boost for local projects Since September 2011, wards have benefited from Aand that a return to normality is on the horizon. more than £1.1 million. As we edge cautiously towards a brighter future, I'd like to remind residents that the fight again COVID-19 isn't over and I ▸ 13 New food waste collection process launched In May, we introduced a new fleet of trucks to collect encourage you to continue to follow the guidelines and take the food waste separately from garden waste. vaccine if you haven’t already to protect yourself and others. In this edition of Hillingdon People you can read about a ▸ 14 Cranford Country Park restoration variety of our current schemes to support residents, and I was Works to restore Cranford Park and transform it into pleased to be able to visit a range of sites in recent months a thriving visitor attraction continue. to see first-hand the excellent work being carried out. ▸ 18 Building high-quality new homes First up is housing on page 18, where we’re delivering Several housing schemes have completed this summer hundreds of new homes across the borough for local people. delivering hundreds of new homes for local people. Helping all our residents to get the best from online services is also a priority. Post-pandemic, businesses and ▸ 24 Further your education with new courses Our adult learning courses for 2021/22 offer residents require the best possible network connections opportunities to develop new skills. to thrive, and the council is working with Openreach to enhance the borough’s digital connectivity. We also launched Regulars a new MyAccount service on the council’s website to allow residents to easily contact us online and view the 4 Hillingdon News 9 Older people status of reports and requests in one place (page 6). 31 Volunteers 35 Contacts A variety of refurbishment works to improve and create new facilities for our residents are taking place across Hillingdon, COVER PHOTO: REHAN KHAN, AGED 12, TAKES HILLINGDON PEOPLE including our ongoing £3 million library improvement ON A TOUR OF HIS NEW HOME. programme (page 5), the modernisation of Yiewsley and West Drayton Community Centre (page 7), and a project to deliver a facility for young people at our Civic Centre (page 4). Climate change and the environment is another key area, and as you’ll read on pages 13 and 16, we’re encouraging residents to recycle more by participating in our new food waste collection process, greening the borough by planting more 16 20 trees and installing pollution screens at schools, and reviewing your responses from our recent climate change consultation to help us shape our plans and deliver a greener future. I hope you all continue to stay safe and have a great summer. 27 29 Advertising deadline for next edition: Friday 6 August 2021 Cllr Ian Edwards Editorial and advertising enquiries LEADER OF THE COUNCIL 01895 556903 [email protected] www.hillingdon.gov.uk/hillingdonpeople After reading, please recycle this magazine Published by London Borough of Hillingdon © 2021 Hillingdon People, 3S/05 Civic Centre, High Street, Uxbridge, UB8 1UW. Design Corporate Communications Printed by Paragon Service Point Products and services advertised in this magazine are not necessarily endorsed by the council. For a copy in large print or as an audio version call 01895 556903 18 2 July/August 2021 July/August 2021 3 news news REFURB Cllr Jane Palmer and Leader of the Council, Cllr Ian Edwards review the plans Making Hillingdon safer at night New councillor elected for Charville ward The death of Sarah Everard Cllr Jane Palmer, Cllr Darran Davies The election of the Hillingdon constituency, has shone a spotlight on Cabinet Member for has been elected to Mayor of London and and one vote for a London- women’s safety and feelings Health and Social Care, represent Charville ward 25 London Assembly wide assembly member. of safety on London’s said: “For the majority of following a by-election members took place on Sadiq Khan was re-elected streets and public spaces. residents, the reopening on Thursday 6 May. the same day. In Hillingdon, as Mayor of London, The council is listening, of Hillingdon’s night-time Cllr Davies, of the voters were able to cast while Onkar Singh Sahota New facility for families to recognising and responding economy is a chance to Conservative Party, received two votes for the Mayor was chosen to remain as to those concerns and socialise and reconnect 2,098 votes during the (expressing a first and assembly member for open this summer has launched its evening with friends and family. poll, which saw 46.71 per second choice), one Ealing and Hillingdon. and night-time economy “We want to ensure that cent of eligible voters turn vote for the assembly See the full results at www. The council has invested waiting area, conference strategy, Operation women and men who out to have their say. member for the Ealing and hillingdon.gov.uk/elections. more than £700,000 in facilities, and a variety SafeNight, to make work, visit or live in the the refurbishment of a of contact rooms. Hillingdon a safer place borough have positive large office space at its The reception area will to live, work and visit. experiences and feel safe Review for Master Brewer site Civic Centre in Uxbridge, offer an inviting space for Key elements of the when they visit our bars, On Monday 10 May, the by the Secretary of State offering a new facility families to engage with strategy include supporting pubs and restaurants. council asked the High in December 2020. The for children and young social workers and council businesses to have robust “That’s why we are Court for a Judicial Review Mayor also failed to act people in the borough. staff, and other facilities policies in place to improve working alongside the Safer of the Mayor of London's in accordance with the The hub will offer a range include treatment rooms, safety at night; encouraging Hillingdon Partnership decision to approve strict requirements of the of activities and services to a life-skills kitchen for residents to report abuse and local businesses and plans for 514 new homes London Plan, which now children and their families, supervised learning, toilets, directly to the venue and/ venues to ensure that they on the former Master contains a clear policy against including child counselling and a baby changing area. or the police; ensuring that are better equipped to Brewer site in Ickenham. tall buildings in areas that and therapy, youth sexual Services from the businesses have the right help tackle any instances The council originally councils deem inappropriate health and support following Abacus Centre in West training in place to respond of abuse and violence.” refused the planning and emphasises the substance misuse. Drayton will be relocated effectively to challenging For more information application from Inland key role of boroughs in Building works include to the new facility to situations and identifying on how we can all play Homes in March 2020 determining where tall the installation of new accommodate a new problem areas and putting our part in keeping due to concerns about buildings should be located. partitions, ceilings, sports and leisure centre. in place strategies to Hillingdon safe, visit www. the inappropriate scale of Leader of the Council, ENHANCED upgraded air-conditioning, Services at Fountains Mill help make them safer. hillingdon.gov.uk/safety. the development, which Cllr Ian Edwards, said: Cllr Ian Edwards, Leader of the Council and Cllr Susan O'Brien visit Manor Farm Library LED lighting, heating Young People's Centre in includes buildings up to “The Master Brewer site, and ventilation, flooring Uxbridge will also move to 12 storeys, and its impact which is characterised and redecoration. the new hub, followed by on the surrounding area. by low-rise suburban Libraries upgrade continues The existing office area the council’s Youth Justice However, the Mayor buildings and green belt Our West Drayton and There are also new study measures approximately Service later in the year. of London, Sadiq Khan, land, is simply not suitable Eastcote branches reopened areas with plug-in points 1,000 square metres and The refurbishment project exercised his right to call in for excessively high tower in May and June, following for visitors to use their will be transformed into a will take around 12 weeks the planning application blocks. The London Plan extensive refurbishments own devices and space for multi-functional space with to complete and is due to and determine it himself. only permits new high-rise that are part of the council’s other items, such as books. a modern reception and open at the end of July. During a virtual hearing buildings in areas that the £3 million investment While the desktop PCs in September 2020, he council has identified as programme, which will have been equipped with conditionally approved suitable and Hillingdon see many of Hillingdon’s new screens, keyboards Summer Reading Challenge returns with nature theme the plans, pending legal Circus is not one of those libraries renovated.