August 2009 Archives

CAMPAINGERS fighting an on-going battle against the development of flats in their area are celebrating after another application was refused.

A total of 202 people signed six petitions and 25 people wrote to Hillingdon Council outlining their objections to plans to convert 16 and 18 Kingsend, Ruislip, into 11 flats.

This is the third application to convert the detached houses into flats and the latest application was almost identical to the last, therefore if was refused at the north planning committee yesterday (27).

There were five reasons for refusal, including that the development would fail to harmonise with the original buildings and it would be out of character with the area.

Trevor Brown, of Kingsend, has been campaigning against the development of flats in the road with his wife, Susan, since the first application was submitted back in September 2006.

Speaking at the meeting, he said: "It's really a repeat of the previous plan. As far as I can see the size of the buildings are exactly the same as what was previously dismissed by the council and the inspector.

"This development would virtually double the floor print of the existing house. It doesn't harmonise and it doesn't fit in.

"There's a great deal of support against this proposal. There's plenty of places around here where they are building flats so why put more here?"

Gerry Evans, who has lived in the house next to the proposed development for almost 30 years, said: "This development would mean the destruction of a very active wildlife habitat and I would be overlooked by people while in my rear garden."

He also pointed out that there would be a loss of sunlight, an increase risk of flooding caused by additional concrete and a loss of security to surrounding properties.

Councillor John 0swell, a member of the committee, said: "I totally agree with the petitioners. These sort of applications in these nice areas are just a pain in the neck."

THE GCSE results at Queensmead School have improved for the sixth year running.

An outstanding 86 per cent of students at the school in Queens Walk, South Ruislip, gaining five or more A*-C grades.

Rhona Johnston, deputy head, commended the excellent results to the determination and hard work of the students and the skill and persistence of the staff.

She particularly noted the 69 per cent of students who gained five or more A*-C grades including English and Maths.

She said: "We are pleased that students have achieved well because we want to give them the opportunity to progress further and that's what better qualifications do.

"We will be welcoming the majority of students back to our Sixth Form where we will begin the process again."

Seven students managed to achieve seven or more A* grades.

James Fox, Rhiannon Ives and Kaarithik Rajan got seven A*s, Krishan Patel, Vyoma Shukla and Divya Sharda got eight A*s and Sophie Hughan got nine nine A*s.

THE Help for Heroes Lido Lap fundraising event is almost upon us and more willing participants are still needed to take part.

Hillingdon Council has organised the charity event, which is to be held at Ruislip Lido, in Reservoir Road, Ruislip, alongside a fun day for the family on September 6.

Walkers and runners of all abilities are being encouraged to do at least one lap of the lido to raise money for soldiers injured in war.

Just over 100 people have signed up so far, including myself, families, a bomb disposal unit in full kit, Dogs Trust dogs and their walkers and people in fancy dress, including Super Mario and other heroes and a team called the wonderbirds.

The Civic Centre's very own security guards, Lewis Baker and Dan Preston, came up with the idea for the event and they will be continually completing laps of the lido for three hours.

Leader of the Council, Councillor Ray Puddifoot, said: "The men and women who serve in our military forces are there when this country needs them and now we must be there for them when they need us.

"We are pleased to be providing this event as one of a range of initiatives to support those who have served this country past and present. They're all heroes in my book."

The laps kick off at midday on September 6 and finish at 3pm and there will also be a fun day from midday until 6pm.

There will be a free bouncy castle, a fun run, a kangaroo boxing area, face painting and military displays.

Entry is £5 for the lido laps, which includes a Help for Heroes T-shirt.

Go to www.hillingdon.gov.uk/index.jsp?articleid=18101 to sign up or to find out more or call 01895 250 453. People can also register on the day before the laps start at midday.

To sponsor the security guards go to www.justgiving.com/Lewis-and-Dan/

A DRAMA school helped to raise £200 for the Mayor of Hillingdon's charities with a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

The Stars At Knight School of Drama put on the performance in the Great Barn, Bury Street, Ruislip, to help raise money for Help the Aged and Ear 4 U.

Judy Kelly is the principal of the school, which she founded 12 years ago, and it is based at the Compass Theatre, in Glebe Avenue, Ickenham, on Saturday mornings.

She said: "It was supposed to be an open air event but rain drove us into the Barn, which is a wonderful venue for such events."

The school also gives lessons during the week in Uxbridge, Pinner and South Ruislip.

They are now about to start preparing for a performance of Robin Hood for a fundraising event by Ruislip Lions.

It is to be performed at the Winston Churchill Hall, in Pinn Way, Ruislip, on December 12.
To take part in the performance call Mrs Kelly on 020 8841 8940.

A NIGHT of electrifying live music is coming to a Ruislip pub to help raise cash for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Sweeney's, in High Street, Ruislip, are putting on the charity gig on September 11 at 7pm.

The bands playing at the event will be John Drake and The Street Spirit, The Push, The Tuts and Ashley Dawes.

Jade Cannon, born and raised in Ruislip, has organised the event while working for Macmillan as an unpaid intern for the last three months on the project 'The World's Biggest Coffee Morning'.

Leaving her full time job to work for Macmillan, Jade has organised the event from scratch to try and raise as much as much money for people affected by cancer.

She has seen her grandparents and friends develop the disease over the years, so it is a cause that plays close to her heart.

She said: "One in three of us will be told we have cancer at some point in our lives.

"Macmillan's ambition is to help every one of these people by providing them with the medical, emotional, practical and financial support they need."

All tickets can be bought at the pub for £3.

A CHARITY is appealing for old computers and IT equipment to send to schools on Africa.

Computers 4 Africa, a charity based in Kent, hold appeals throughout the country for old computers and any unused IT equipment to send to African schools.

On Tuesday (1) and Wednesday (2) the charity will be holding an appeal at the former Focus building, in Victoria Road, South Ruislip.

Anyone with unwanted PCs, laptops and any other working IT Equipment that are less than five years old and are in working condition are invited to drop in and donate them.

Until September 19, donors will also be given the opportunity to enter the Computers 4 Africa holiday draw.

The winner and one guest will be swept away to the sandy beaches of The Gambia in West Africa for a week.

To find out more on how to enter go to www.computers4africa.org.uk.

STUDENTS at Bishop Ramsey School did very well in their results with the top scoring student achieving 10 A*s and one A.

Rebecca Leszczynski, a pupil at the school in Hume Way, Ruislip, was surprised at how well she did.

She said: "I didn't expect these results. I thought I would get a mix of As and a few A*s.

"I'm going to stay in the Sixth Form now to do A-levels in chemistry, biology, maths and English literature.

"I'm not sure what I want to do as a career yet, but maybe something biology related.

"I'm going to go out with my friends to celebrate."

Rhys Lewis, 16, also did very well in his results with nine A*s and two As and is also planning on staying at Bishop Ramsey to do A-levels in physics, maths, history and English literature.

Charlie McGing, 16, got six A*s, four As and a B in his grades and he is also going to stay at the school to do A-levels in maths, biology, physics and economics.

THERE were huge tail backs on the A40 this morning after a van crashed into a milk float causing milk to spill onto the road.

The emergency services were called to the scene near RAF Northolt, in Ruislip, at 5.15am.

The commercial van involved in the crash, which was heading into London, overturned and the road was closed off until 6.05am, causing huge tailbacks past Swakeleys roundabout.

The London Ambulance Service sent two ambulance crews and an officer to the scene.

Two patients suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene. One was then taken to Hillingdon Hospital and the other was taken to Ealing Hospital.

The fire brigade was also called to the scene and they sent three fire engines and one fire rescue team with 17 firefighters.

Khalid Siddique-Daley, watch manager at Hillingdon Fire Station, said: "The incident was dealt with quite quickly from the fire brigade's point of view.

"We assisted with releasing one of the casualties and we mitigated the hazards. We were there for about an hour.

"As we were leaving the police were in the process of opening one of the lanes."

Did you see the crash or were you held up in the traffic? Have you got any photos? Email charlenemitchell@trinitysouth.co.uk

A FATHER and his five daughters are desperate to be reunited with their lost cat after finding out that someone else has got it.

Joel Spiro lost his seven-year-old cat Shadow in May last year and when it did not return, he just assumed a fox had killed it.

However, on August 15 an elderly couple showed up at his house in Northolt saying they had found her.

The 43-year-old said: "They said they found her earlier that day in the car park park by Ruislip Lido in Reservoir Road, but then they said they had lost her.

"They were very vague and they wouldn't tell me their names or where they lived, but they said they would meet up with me later that day in Reservoir Road to look for Shadow.

"When I got their they weren't there so I called them on the number they gave me and it went through to a guy in Southend who didn't know anything about it.

"I decided to knock on houses in Reservoir Road and I managed to find out that Shadow had been taken to a vets."

Mr Spiro called Arden House Vets, in Pembroke Road, Ruislip, and they confirmed that Shadow had been there.

He said: "They said they had scanned for the microchip to find out who the owner was and they were going to keep Shadow but the people who brought her in were adamant that they didn't want them to keep her, so they gave my address to these people.

"They should have kept Shadow and contacted me. They should never have given my address out."

Guidelines issued by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons say that if a client arrives at a vets with an animal that has a microchip registered in another person's name, both parties, with mutual consent, can be put in touch with each other.

If the client declines to consent the vet may pass these details to the Petlog Reunification Service, even if this necessitates a breach in client confidentiality.

Emma Scott, practice manager at Arden House Vets, said: "We spoke to the Veterinary Defence Society and they said that because Mr Spiro isn't our client we didn't break the Data Protection Act.

"The people who brought the cat in seemed like genuinely nice people so we assumed they would take her back to Mr Spiro.

"It's an unfortunate situation and we feel terrible for him but we did everything in the animal's interests.

"We have put posters up at the veterinary clinics in the area and contacted the RSCPA to try and get her back."

The couple who took the cat to the vets were in their late 60s/70s with grey hair and were smartly dressed.

Anyone with information about Shadow should call Mr Spiro on 07709 543 365.

A MAN has pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking and driving while disqualified and without insurance.

Paul Vines, 31, of Byron Close, Ruislip, was charged with taking a car without the owner's consent and crashing it into two cars, a lamppost and a garage door on August 9.

He was also charged with driving while disqualified and without insurance on Brickwall Lane, Ruislip, and failing to provide a specimen for analysis.

He pleaded guilty to all four charges and will be sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on September 18.