December 2008 Archives

ANTI-garden grabbing campaigners have won the battle against a plan to build a house at the back of a property in Ruislip.

The application to build a two storey, two-bedroom detached house behind 8 Kingsend was refused at Hillingdon Council's North Planning Committee last night (Tues).

Two petitions, with a total of 52 signatures, and 11 letters objecting to the plans were sent to the council.

As well as garden grabbing the petitioners believed the house would be over dominant, out of keeping with the area, and the proposed access to it would result in noise, fumes, pollution and light.

Speaking at the meeting, Councillor David Allam, said: "I have never seen anything like it before and have no problem refusing this application."

Clive Pigram, a Ruislip conservation area advisory member, said: "I don't think I could have designed anything as bad as this."

DEVELOPERS might finally steer clear of an area of Ruislip now that it is included in a conservation area.

Ruislip Village Conservation Area has been almost tripled in size after members of Hillingdon Council's Cabinet agreed to the extension at a meeting last Thursday (18).

Plans to extend the area were first brought up in May this year in order to give the council more control over development, demolition and works to trees.

A public consultation was carried out and most people supported the designation.

A vast area, including Kingsend, Church Avenue, Manor Road, King Edward's Road, parts of Sharps Lane, Ickenham Road, Wood Lane, and all of High Street have been added to the conservation area.

Previously only sections of Bury Street, High Street, and St Martin's Approach were included.

A RUISLIP post box has been closed due to health and safety reasons.

Royal Mail could not elaborate on the reasons but have said the post box outside the post office in High Street, Ruislip, will reopen on December 27.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: "We apologise to customers for any inconvenience caused.

"The nearest post boxes are Pembroke Road and Ruislip High Street."

CHURCHES across Ruislip are holding carol concerts to help celebrate Christmas.

The choir at Ruislip Manor Methodist Church, in Torrington Road, Ruislip Manor, will be performing outside Ruislip Manor tube station tonight (Thur) between 5pm and 7pm.

St Gregory the Great Church, in Victoria Road, South Ruislip, is holding a carol service on Sunday (21) at 3pm with mince pies afterwards.

Ruislip Baptist Church, in Manor Way, Ruislip, is holding two candlelight services on Sunday (21). The family service starts at 6pm with mince pies and refreshment afterwards and the Traditional Carols by Candlelight Service will start at 7.45pm.

St Paul's Church, in Thurlstone Road, Ruislip Manor, is holding a Christingle Service at 4pm on Wednesday (24).

St Martin's Church, in Eastcote Road, Ruislip, is holding a carol service on Sunday (21) at 6.30pm and on Wednesday (24) the church is holding a children's carol service at 4.30pm.

HUNDREDS of shoppers took advantage of crime prevention advice on offer in South Ruislip at the weekend.

Officers from South Ruislip Safer Neighbourhood Team gave advice to more than 200 shoppers outside Argos and Wickes, in Victoria Road, South Ruislip, on Saturday (13).

Hillingdon Police are holding the crime prevention days in every ward across the borough in the lead up to Christmas and Saturday was one of the busiest days they have had.

Shoppers were particularly pleased with the security lanyards being given out by the team.

PC Ian Scott said: "These lanyards are designed to attach to a bag or purse and then a shopping trolley or person.

"They are very effective against purse thefts and have proved very popular."

South Ruislip residents can contact the team for further advice on 020 8721 2011.

A CHARITY that provides a holiday for disabled children every year has received £300 thanks to supermarket shoppers.

Waitrose in Kingsend, Ruislip, gave ORCHYD the cheque for £300 as part of its store policy to raise funds for worthwhile causes in the area, under the title 'Waitrose Community Matters'.

Each month the store donates £1000 between three local good causes which have been nominated by their shoppers.

ORCHYD relies totally on raised funds and donations to provide an annual ten-day holiday for 20 children with disabilities.

The 4th Eastcote Scout Group also received a cheque for over £150.

A 'LOST' drain has been discovered as the source of a leak which has lead to a park being covered in sewage.

For the past six years one of the football pitches in Bessingby Park, Ruislip Manor, has been drowned by sewage every time there is heavy rain.

In an attempt to stop the leak Thames Water, who own the drains beneath the park, relined the main sewer but the problem continued and people began to stop using the park.

Ruislip Manor councillor, Mike Cox, decided to approach the company to request urgent action and after a site visit they discovered a drain that was not on their plans.

This drain had been put in to accommodate the Elliot Avenue estate when it was built on the site of the former Southbourne School.

A spokesperson from Thames Water said: "The discovery of this connection, which runs under the park, will enable us to further investigate the problem.

"We will be carrying out a full CCTV survey before Christmas to see if there are any problems that may have attributed to the flooding and we will also be clarifying ownership.

"Once we have discovered who is responsible and what state the pipeline is in, we can progress with ensuring it is maintained and looked after."

Mr Cox said: "I have to congratulate Thames Water for coming out to meet us and getting to the bottom of the problem.

"Without this inspection the Elliot Avenue drains would have remained 'lost' for years and the problems would have continued.

"I am delighted that after all this time some positive action has been achieved."

ENTHUSIASTIC children who want to further their education can now do just that a a new learning centre.

Explore Learning opened the centre in Park Way, Ruislip Manor, to help children with skills needed in English and maths.

Liz Wilson, director of the centre, said: "We use the National Curriculum but it's ability rather than age specific, so if a child is doing well we can get them on to harder things. It's focused on individual needs.

"What we are trying to do is help children achieve their potential and enjoy learning. We want them to feel more confident at whatever level that may be.

"In the areas we open our centres parents are really aspirational for their children to do well.

"We already have 60 children signed up at Ruislip Manor, but we are hoping to get about 300 members."

Parents can pay a monthly fee of £98 and come in whenever it is convenient for them, but there is also a scholarship scheme offered for people on a low income, discount for siblings, and a 25 per cent discount until February next year.

The sessions are about an hour and a half two days a week.

The centre is open to four to 14-year-olds and also offers free trial sessions.

For more information go to www.explorelearning.co.uk, email ruislip@explorelearning.co.uk or call 01895 636 378.

A SCUBA diving club has won second place in an annual award ceremony.

The Ruislip and Northwood branch of the British Sub Aqua Club, based at Highgrove Pool in Hume Way, Ruislip, was awarded second place in the annual Branch of the Year award, out of a total of 900 branches in the UK.

At the awards each club was looked at against a set of criteria, including how many members had joined the branch and the total dives it had done over the year.

Mel Armitage, the chairman and membership secretary of the club, said: "We managed to attract 33 new members this year. We did some promotion, but a lot of the diving thing is done through word of mouth.

"There are 102 of us and between us we did 1,072 dives this year, 75 per cent of those were in the UK and 25 per cent were done abroad."

First place went to a club at Dublin University which did about 1,300 dives over the year.

Five computers that provide vital information to a diver while they are under the water were given to the club as a prize for coming second place.

In the future the club is planning on offering different types of diving by working with other organisations.

A new course in archeological diving is about to start in association with the Nautical Archeological Society and there are plans to work with the Marine Conservation Society in the coming year.

For more information about the club go to www.rnbsac.co.uk.

A LIFE-long blood donor has been honoured for helping to save lives by giving over 75 donations.

Jennifer Morris, 59, was honoured by the National Blood Service at a Donor Awards Ceremony for donating blood at least 75 times.

Mrs Morris, of Edwards Avenue, South Ruislip, has donated blood 81 times in the last 40 years.

She said: "The first time I gave blood was during my first term at university. The blood donor unit came to one of the buildings and I just thought it was something I could do to benefit other people. It had been in my mind and the opportunity arose.

"I decided to go back because I thought I could continue to help people in this way.

"There are not enough blood donors, but if people realised how much potential benefit there is they might do it. It could be a member of their own family who needs blood."

The awards ceremony was held to honour long-serving donors from London and the South East. In total 129 donors were awarded with a crystal plate, including 21 who have donated blood at least 100 times.

For more information about giving blood go to www.blood.co.uk or call 0845 7711 711.

The next donation session in this area is being held at Christ Church (Watts Hall), in Redford Way, Uxbridge, on Christmas Eve from 9.30am to 2.30pm.