The South Ruislip Planters are in. These have been organised by contributions from Lagan, who are the builders of the RAF Northolt runway who have funded the planters in the first year, the South Ruislip Councillors Ward Budget, the South Ruislip Chamber of commerce and yours truly the SRRA.
In total the SRRA are contributing £1,200 over three years to the planters, as voted on at the last SRRA public meeting So enjoy the planters and let’s all take pride in South Ruislip!
Plenty going on at Manor Farm this weekend over the Bank Holiday!
Sunday 5 May
All day Classic cars: A special vintage car show displaying a host of classic cars.
All day To and Fro exhibition: Methods of transport in Hillingdon during the 1930s.
All day Cart sheds: Skilled craftspeople will be making and selling handmade goods.
11am to 1pm Storytelling: Hear fascinating recounts of wartime tales and life on the home front.
11am to 1pm Start your victory garden: Plant tomato seeds, take them home to watch them grow.
10am to 3pm Duck Pond Market: 50+ stalls offering different foods.
Monday 6 May
All day To and Fro exhibition: Methods of transport in Hillingdon during the 1930s.
All day Cart sheds: Skilled craftspeople will be making and selling handmade goods.
All day Food Stalls: Linnets Kitchen & Funky Elephant plus Coffee!
10am to 3pm Storytelling: Hear fascinating recounts of wartime tales and life on the home front.
11am to 3pm Face Painting
12pm to 2pm Live Swing Music
11am to 4pm Evacuee Experience: What it was like living in the borough during this time.
11am to 4pm Start your victory garden: Plant tomato seeds and take them home to watch them grow.
2pm to 4pm Tea Dance: In the Great Barn, playing famous jazz hits, run by Terry’s Tea Dance.
Quarterly Meeting Held at St Marys Church Hall, South Ruislip Wednesday 24th April 2019 Annual General Meeting
Present: 11 committee members, 5 local Cllrs (Barnes, Lavery, Makwana, Tuckwell and Kauffman) and 69 residents
Apologies: Jenny Hunt, Cllr Hurhangee. {Post meeting just wanted to add that apologies were received from PC Solanki for not being able to make it… the team had been put onto 12 hour shifts and had been tasked to deal with a traveller eviction at the time of the meeting at short notice.}
1. Meeting opened at 20:00
Sid noted that this was the 80th Anniversary of the SRRA today – which started in 1939.
Opening AGM today.
Minutes of the last meeting – no issues raised.
2. Election of officers
The following officers were duly proposed and seconded and votes were held in favour of the following officers.
Secretary – Jeremy Wasden
Treasurer – Colin Hook
Chief Road Steward – Geoff Taylor
Vice Chair – Sid Jackson
3. Beautiful South Ruislip
This endeavour has been rolling on for a few years and with the SIL funds from ARLA the area has been improved. But keen to continue to improve and make the area a little greener.
So Cllr Kauffman, Sid Jackson, Lynne and representatives from the SR Chamber of Commerce have looked at the options with advice from Hillingdon officers.
Installing baskets to sit on barriers and railings the only option was at SR station and this was felt to reduce visibility and potentially be hazardous.
Hanging baskets – The lampposts in the area without existing signage is too much spread for these to make an impact
Three tier planter. Could work – looking at 7 in total. Going to sponsor the first year – from Lagan who are the builders of the RAF Northolt runway. This will be a three year project so after the first year this will be supported with Ward Budget and funds from the SRRA. Cost to the Resident Association after contribution from Lagan and Ward Budget will be £1200 to cover three years. Put to a vote and a significant number for and no against. So the motion to pay towards the planters was approved.
4. RAF Northolt
Runway
Runway work to improve and upgrade the runway at RAF Northolt has started, the purpose is to continue operations at RAF Northolt for the next 15 years.
Sarah Lo and Will from Lagan spoke on the impact of the work. Project scope – full resurface. Same position and to remove ponding and cracks. Update the arrester beds. Also upgrading to LED lights, cabling and drainage.
As of 15th of April construction work is ongoing until the 15th of October. The peak of the work will be May to August. Impact will be to traffic. They are trying to reuse the material rather than sending material off-site – this will be 1500 movements. 8000m³ of soil that is going to be reused.
Stone, cement and bitumen will need to come in – circa 65 movements per day – will try to do these between 9.30am and 3pm outside peak hours and will use the White Gate and the A40 to M25.
Dust and noise – dust mitigation on-site – use water suppression. Lorries covered and vehicle washing. No heavy demolition – using noise monitoring. Currently undergoing the noisiest phase.
Asphalt plant – located centrally and the vapour will be water. They will monitor air quality.
Work is Monday to Friday – 7am to 6pm.
Air Space Change Proposal
Large countrywide consultation process for all airports started earlier in our area by Heathrow. Looking to modernise as designed route in 50’s and 60’s. Looking to move to a GPS system from a map based system.
Air Traffic control officer. Air space modernisation strategy – how it is modified to allow for greater capacity. CAP 16/60 process to conduct the design process. Will be carried out in conjunction with the other airports and this will be affected by the air changes.
Working on generic principles initially and finally noise related issues. Trying to get the design principles right. An example of a principle. Should it be one or two or four or more routes. Should the flights affect more or affect less people more.
Putting in the change and want the feedback so can take note of local residents feedback on movements. To come back by 12th of May.
[Please see separate website post with more detail]
Questions raised
Dudley Drive – Jet Engine running for some hours – why so? Needed for testing on changes or replacement of engines.
Can the planes land more steeply as come in very low? Do need to land but if you have feedback please contribute in the design process
Planes, do they dump fuel as they land? No – effect seen is caused by vortices as water comes off the plane.
SL Tenniswood asked for responses to the consultation from local residents. SRRA to publicise.
5. Reports from Treasurer
Current account £934 and Reserve £13,385. Outstanding £195 newsletters, Public liability insurance £159 and committee expense £8.50.
As the AGM the annual accounts were discussed and presented by Colin Hook.
6. Chief Road Steward
Happy to report a full complement of Road Stewards
7. ASDA
Trolley abandonment issue raised – ARLA developer to speak to ASDA
8. Civic Centre Hillingdon Traffic Meeting – Victoria Road
Going to measure traffic again.
Not willing to remove verges, remove trees. Free drop kerbs? Response was residents still park on the road. Disappointed. Not going to do anything.
Cllr Kauffman – understand the cost issues – but it will amount to hundreds of thousands.
If took out 40 trees would that be something we wanted. Want to look at limited residents parking – on Victoria Road between Brian Tree and ASDA.
Will Find out how many commuters park there.
9. Long Drive
Speed tables rejected on Long Drive as 85% comply with law – residents disappointed. 94% of residents in favour.
10. Tea Break
11. Constitution Updated
Updated constitution which the SRRA Executive Committee would like to formally adopt as distributed. Overwhelming support for the new document as previously publicised.
12. Allotments
Jeff advised that some plots available at Field End Road. So if interested contact the allotment man Bob Weeks. Contact info in the YouTube video Jeremy has made about the Field End road allotments, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM3iv36rq00
13. Councillors Corner
Allan Kauffman – The Boxing club opens on 4 June and two football pitches will follow at a cost of £250K
Fencing by Bonnell’s AK has spoken to a member of staff who will have a wall built this year.
Bridge at South Ruislip Council has half of the money and are Chasing TFL for their half.
Daffodil bulb planting will be extended along the Victoria Road in 2020. Rachel Felstead was the resident responsible for the idea.
ARLA problems with ASB – groups of children causing or problems.
Young person club not being used fully at present – Allan felt this was due to changing demands from younger people
Lidl 278 agreement and council want to look at sew.e.res/ culvert etc before the road is changed.
Teji Barnes – Street surgery coming up.
Ward budget available for scouts etc.
Have been undertaking speed checks on Field End Road with the police
Edward Lavery – Have been working on the Eastcote area improvements and planting to start.
Road now fully completed and better journeys should ensue.
Lynne Kauffman added Eastcote car park is full of litter and suggest they cover the area on a litter pick scheme or encourage this to be done. Eddie agreed to follow this up
14. Any Other Business
Colin grateful thanks to John Davey for auditing the books and thanks to Jeremy for assistance and to Allan K for the printing of the accounts
Lynne and Colin when to a borough Police meeting on knife crime and youth engagement. Well attended by people south of the borough and we need more support from people in the North of the borough.
Many issues affecting the south of the borough are similar to those in the north. Criticism of Police dial 101 and increases in residential burglary. Aggravated burglary is now taking place in the north of the borough. So people from the north of the borough are needed to attend.
A major message was the need for youth engagement was clear.
Colin, Lynne is arranging a litter picking session once a month and more people can go on the third Saturday of every month.
Cllr Steve Tuckwell – raised a new initiative from youngsters aged 16 to 18 who would like to join the litter picking group but struggled to attend on a Saturday.
Some young people have expressed the need for a nice environment.
Francis – litter picking needed on Field End field playing fields and could young people be involved
Flower festival at St Marys Church 4th May 7.30pm. Welcome to attend
Colin Hook asked what is happening to the land by the pizza place in Great Central Avenue, Allan K to look into this.
Camera going in at right hand turn on Victoria road by Aldi into West Mead.
15. Meeting ended at 09:50 pm
The SRRA consider this to be an important update which will affect us locally for the long term so please follow this proposal and get involved to have your say!
Please see the statement below and the documents from the base
RAF Northolt Draft Design Principles Feedback
Power Point Presentation from RAF Northolt on Airspace Change Proposal
From Sqn Ldr James Tenniswood of RAF Northolt…
Royal Air Force Northolt is required to submit an Airspace Change Proposal under the Department for Transport’s Future Airspace Strategy Implementation (South) programme. All airports in the South East of the United Kingdom are taking part in this programme, which will not be implemented before 2024.
This Airspace Change Proposal will be implemented under the Civil Aviation Authority’s ‘CAP1616’ process, which directs an airport or airfield to engage with those geographical areas that may be affected by any proposed flightpath changes. We have identified that your area could be affected by Royal Air Force Northolt’s Airspace Change Proposal.
We want to ensure that you are aware of this Airspace Change Proposal, and seek the input of local residents before we start the initial airspace design process. Before we start to put any lines on maps, we would like to understand what is important to local residents and this information will influence the design principles that we use in designing the Airspace Change. This way we can ensure that local opinion is taken into account, where there are choices to be made in the airspace design process.
You can let your views be known by completing the attached design principles form and sending an electronic copy to the email address below, or by posting a hard copy to ‘Senior Air Traffic Controller, RAF Northolt, RUISLIP, HA4 6NG’. Please rank the design principles in it in order of preference for Tables Two and Three.
We stress that operations and usage at RAF Northolt will remain unchanged, just the airspace in which our aircraft operate will change. What we are looking to achieve at this stage is simply to understand which of the design principles are most important to residents. From there we can go about designing the airspace and share the proposals once complete. For electronic contact please use the following email address: NOR-Airspaceportal@mod.gov.uk
Met with Bob who organises the Field End Allotments today. As of today (19th April 2019), there are 4 plots available.
Bob’s contact details are in the video so you have to watch sorry!
The allotments are located behind Field End School and Mount Pleasant, Field End Road and the Yeading Brook. Was a lovely day to visit!
Thanks, Jeremy W, Honorary Secretary SRRA
Lynne Kauffman, our Newsletter Editor has asked me to post on the Friends Coffee Mornings held at the South Ruislip Library on a Monday, the local event is for people with dementia and their carers. The event is run by Hillingdon and is there to offer some support and activities.
The meetup looks like a good opportunity to get out and about and enjoy some good company.
Details on the flyer with the events calendar.
Lively meeting on Wednesday with updates from our local Police, a comprehensive presentation from HS2 representatives and Sqn Ldr Tenniswood from RAF Northolt.
South Ruislip Residents’ Association (established in 1939)
Quarterly Meeting Held at St Mary’s Church On Wednesday 23rd January 2019.
AGENDA
NEXT QUARTERLY MEETING ON 23rdh January 2019 AT ST MARY’S CHURCH HALL THE FAIRWAY 8 PM
Vice Chairman Sid Jackson chaired and opened the meeting at 8pm. Sid welcomed everyone to the meeting.
In attendance were 54 residents and 10 committee members. Councillors present Cllrs Teji Barnes, Allan Kauffman & Cllr Steve Tuckwell & Eddie Lavery
Sid introduced the new constitution which was printed off and distributed with 50 copies for voting at the AGM.
Apologies were received from Lynne Kauffman
No comments on the minutes
Sid distributed copies of the updated constitution for members to read which includes a section on diversity and inclusion.
4.0 Police.
PC & PCSO Anne-Marie talked through the crime figures as attached. 226 crimes. Anne-Marie highlighted break-in of motor vehicles being high and preventable. Burglary higher at the moment – with thieves attracted by new goods from Christmas. Be secure – put on a radio in the day as well as timer lights.
Discussed the benefits of Smart Water in use of crime prevention.
Anne-Marie asked about OWL and was encouraging people to use the system as a strong form of Neighbourhood Watch. https://www.owl.co.uk/met/
5.0 Treasurers Report
Current account £451.90 and deposit £13,378.75. Income and expenditure will be published for 2018 at the AGM next meeting.
6.0 Chief Road Steward
Please with the number of RS’s and only one more RS sought.
7.0 HS2
Slide deck for South Ruislip RA meeting Jan 19
Presentation from Grant Blowers, engagement Graham Dean Power Supplies.
The engagement team are to engage with local councillors, residents associations, residents etc. They are getting more staff to deal with issues. They will hold drop-in clinics every week in the area (although not in S Ruislip). Recommended residents to sign up to www.hs2inhillingdon.commonplace.is There is also a help desk 08081 434 434.
Power for the TBM
Stan on the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM). The main issue is the electricity requirement which will come from a substation at North Harrow. Stan provided an update on the Power Supply route which needs to be dug to supply the electric. Needs a heavy power supply 33kv and 20MVA (1MVA powers 250 domestic properties). The cable will power the lighting and ventilation post build.
The route will go along residential streets as will minimise disruption vs main roads which they were considering.
They will dig a trench approx. 1.5m x 1.6m holding the cables. Roadworks in affected roads will last from 2 to 4 weeks.
Roads in Hillingdon affected are:
Rushdene Road, Deane Croft Road, Meadow Way, Hawthorne Avenue, Lime Grove, Myrtle Avenue, The Uplands, Westholme Gardens, Manor Way, Midcroft and Ickenham Road.
Work to start Q3 2019 and will last around a year on the cable route.
The drilling of the tunnels will start on West Ruislip and head to Old Oak Common.
SCS Works in South Ruislip
Matthew. Putting a team in place at the moment and turn HS2 scheme into a more detail focused piece of work and they will seek planning permission from the borough councils for the required permits and work. Talked through next stages such as earthworks (2020-2023), civil engineering projects (2019 to 2025) and the railway installation 2024 to 2026.
TBM set to launch around 2021 from West Ruislip.
Discussed the work and impact. There is an impact agreement to minimise disruption to traffic though they will close lanes etc. Discussed the vent shaft at South Ruislip.
Questions from the floor
Any air quality monitoring on the roads due to the lorry movements? Not from HS2 representatives. This is done by the local authority (Hillingdon). They will be using Euro 6 lorries to minimise environmental impact (this is a most recent vehicle requirement). Pressure from the meeting on the councils to monitor.
Noise from the vent shaft? Designed not to do that with fans to cool the tunnel and mitigate the noise.
What is the vent shaft diameter? They would confirm later.
Cllr Kauffman raised concern re the lorry movement along busy roads and the damage caused.
Further questions discussed.
We will invite people from HS2 again to speak later in the year. The update was appreciated.
8.0 RAF Northolt
Sq Ldr James Tenniswood.
Runway resurfacing.
It needs resurfacing, last done in 1977. Needs to be repaired to continue as a military airport. The runway will close between April and October. It will be dug out completely and will be drained properly and improve the arrester beds. Work delayed as the previous contractor was Carrillian who went into receivership.
The runway will remain the same size but at pains to point out it might look slightly longer due to the increased size of the arrester bed.
How will the closure affect the air traffic at the site? They will operate operation Bolthole. Flights Rotary will come in. Fixed wing will move to RAF Benson who will be flown to there via helicopter. Commercial flights will move elsewhere but will resume post build.
Heathrow consultation.
Dept of Transport mandated requirement to get improved use from the air space. Use old technology at the moment and will use GPS to make faster routes. RAF Northolt will be doing the same exercise later in the year.
RAF Northolt won’t be affected by Heathrow’s proposed plan.
Drones.
Phone in sightings. Follow the drone code.
9.0 Pedestrian Crossing
Sid wrote to the council. There is a lack of people stopping and a couple of complaints locally. Anything we can do to improve matters. Got an email back from the Traffic Team with a photo on a clear day and no buses present and how to use the zebra crossing is used. Sid was disappointed.
The culvert at Lidl site on Victoria Road is being improved.
Keen to make the crossings more visible.
Concern raised re the length of time waiting for crossings to change when initially pressed.
10.0 Victoria Road
A number of consultations have taken place and have put in another from Victoria Road to the Black Bull to keep the traffic moving. Purely traffic management only.
Meeting Closed at 9:55pm.
Minutes can be found here!
Quarterly Meeting Held at St Mary 24 10 2018
There was plenty going on with the police and updates from the ward councillors.
We are grateful to Chris Playll for this update on HS2 in South Ruislip.
On 29th October I visited an HS2 engagement event at Ruislip Golf Club. There were a number of information boards on display and representatives of the HS2 project were present to answer questions about them. The information boards can be seen on the HS2 website at:
The HS2 railway will run underground throughout South Ruislip. The only permanent feature affecting our area will be the ventilation shaft located behind the B&M and ASDA stores in Victoria Road. This is not just a shaft but contains ventilation plant and a staircase to enable emergency personnel to access the railway tunnel. The 4th chart on the website shows the shaft in detail.
The 3rd chart shows the route that will be used to remove the soil dug from the shaft during construction and the number of expected lorry movements. These will be outside peak hours. The other work that will affect us is the utilities programme planned to protect some sewers that the rail tunnels will run underneath. This work will be staggered as shown on the chart, but there is no start date.
HS2 will run in a tunnel all the way from West Ruislip to Euston station, except for a station in North Acton called “Old Oak Common” which will have a connection with Crossrail and the Great Western line from Paddington. Long railway tunnels require regular ventilation and emergency access so, in addition to the shaft in our area, there will also be shafts just east of Northolt station, east of Greenford station, and west of Hangar Lane. Two tunnel boring machines will start digging the two railway tunnels in West Ruislip and head east under South Ruislip. At the same time another two tunnel boring machines will start digging two tunnels at Old Oak Common and head west. The tunnel boring machines will meet each other at the Greenford shaft.
Soil dug out of the tunnels under South Ruislip will be taken out via the tunnel entrance in West Ruislip. This soil will be loaded on to railway wagons for removal.
Chris Playll
Images copyright SCS.
A successful service of remembrance was conducted yesterday at the Polish War Memorial in South Ruislip on the 11th of November 2018 at 11am, on hundred years after the end of WW I.
The attendance of our residents is a testimony to the strength and diversity of the local community.
The service was made unique by being led by our local vicar Fr Eric, readers of prayers and poems across the age range from ‘Stars at Knight’ drama students to our library service, the Bourne Choir with their rendition of the National Anthem in both English and Polish and the Last Post and Reveille played by our Hillingdon Music Service. We would also like to thank the Hillingdon Events for preparing the Polish War Memorial for the service and the GAA club for hosting refreshments.