Category Archives: Environment

Cabinet approves library proposals

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Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet agrees Uxbridge Library relocation plans Thursday 15 February, 2024: The recommendation to relocate Uxbridge Library to the borough’s Civic Centre was approved by Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet tonight (Thursday 15 February) subject to planning approval being granted. https://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/article/12365/Hillingdon-Councils-Cabinet-agrees-Uxbridge-Library-relocation-plans

Flood risk: Can you advise?

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From LBH

This is a reminder to all those interested that the Council’s Local Flood Risk Management strategy is out for public consultation.
The strategy is a key document in how the Council will work with residents, communities and partners (i.e. Thames Water and Environment Agency) to manage flood risk.
We are very keen to hear from residents on the current flood risk within communities, where has flooded before and where there are concerns. We are also keen to understand if the strategy is missing any information or advice. The Strategy will be a ‘living document’ and will be subject to an annual review but we would like to hear from you now so that we can shape the strategy to best suit our residents.

The strategy and consultation material can be found here:
https://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/article/12238/Local-Flood-Risk-Management-Strategy-consultation

There is a structured questionnaire which will help guide the kind of input we are seeking but if you would prefer to provide a free response, please do not hesitate to send that to me.

The consultation ends on Sunday 3 March.

If there are any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me in the first instance.
Best wishes
Ian Thynne
Head of Environmental Specialists
Planning, Regeneration and Environment
Corporate Resources
T 01895 55 8326
E ithynne@hillingdon.gov.uk

Lorry movement update

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FROM HS2
We are writing to inform you about changes to the delivery of tunnel segments for the HS2 tunnelling works in Hillingdon. We will need to deliver some segments to West Ruislip by road from Monday 5 February using our approved lorry routes.

The majority of tunnel segments will still be delivered overnight by rail; however, the need for a supplementary delivery method has arisen due to:

  • Ongoing rail strikes continuing to disrupt overnight segment deliveries needed to support tunnelling activities.
  • Network Rail capacity constraints limiting night-time tunnel segment deliveries to a maximum of five deliveries per week; and
  • The Tunnel Boring Machine tunnelling rates increasing from 15 to 22 metres a day which requires an increased daily supply of segments.

Tunnel segment deliveries will take place during core working hours (Monday-Friday 8am-6pm, Saturday 8am -1pm), however, the trial is to include six lorry movements per day outside of core hours (Monday-Friday 6pm-10pm, Saturdays 1pm-10pm).

For further information and a map of our approved lorry routes please see our works notification:

Click to access Tunnel-segment-delivery-by-road-February-2024-1.pdf

We would like to apologise for any disruption or inconvenience these deliveries may cause. Every effort is being taken to ensure that these works are carried out in the least impactful way. We will ensure that disruption is kept to a minimum.

More large lorries on their way

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TBM Segment Delivery by Lorry to West Ruislip 
LBH have received a request from HS2/SCS for up to 24 lorries per day (Mon to Sat) to bring Segments for the TBMs into the West Ruislip Portal by road during the hours of 8am to 10pm.
With both TBMs now once again tunnelling at full capacity they seem to be going at a much faster rate than previously thought (tunnelling up to 22 metres per day). When SCS calculated their requirements to keep the TBMs serviced with Segments last year they were working on the assumption that the TBMs would not tunnel more than 15 metres per day, so they would need approx. 700 Segments per week.
 
This was managed with the overnight Rail Deliveries of Segments into West Ruislip Portal, with 5 Trains per week each delivering 140 Segments (equalling the required 700 Segments per week).
 
With the increased speed of the tunnelling SCS now require additional Segments to keep the TBMs running, and as they cannot get any more than 5 Trains per week into West Ruislip due to limitations with capacity with Network Rail, the only solution is to bring in the additional Segments that are required by road. It has also been the case that with Rail Strikes more frequent over the last few months there have been a few occasions where SCS are only getting 3-4 deliveries by Rail per week.
 
The lorries would all use the existing Approved Lorry Route entering West Ruislip Portal (via Swakeleys Roundabout, Swakeleys Road, Ickenham Road) and return using the same route. The majority of these deliveries would be expected to be carried out during Core Working Hours (Mon to Fri 8am to 6pm & Sat 8am to 1pm) but there may be up to 6 lorry deliveries each day that fall outside the Core Hours and would be delivered up to 10pm.
 
LBH have agreed that SCS can trial these deliveries by road for 1 month during February, with SCS will carrying out Engagement with residents to advise of the additional lorries delivering the Segments.
 
LBH would then review the situation before committing to allow this to be extended until around August 2024 (which is the current requested date). LBH did question the viability of bringing the lorries in along Swakeleys Road, Ickenham Road into the West Ruislip Portal, but were advised that due to maintenance works due to take place on the internal Haul Roads it would not be feasible at the outset to route the lorries via either Harvil Rd Gate 2 or Breakspear Rd South (and along the Haul Roads to the Portal).
 
Please note that there will be no additional lorries over the agreed 550 lorry movements per day around Swakeleys Roundabout with these additional Segment deliveries built into that daily limit. Over the last 3 months or so there has been a noticeable drop off in the amount of HS2 lorries delivering to the HS2 Sites in Hillingdon, so these deliveries should not cause any additional impact to our Road Network in the north of the borough.
 
In summary:
  SCS Requesting up to 24 Segment lorry deliveries each day during extended hours – 8am to 10pm Mon to Sat 24 lorries x 6 days = (144 lorries / 3 segments per lorry = 432 segments) In addition to up to 5 Train deliveries per week at Night (140 Segments per Train x 5 nights = 700) Total amount of Segments per week = 1132 Of the 24 lorries per day it would be likely that up to 6 lorries would be delivering outside Core Hours (between 6-10pm)  
TBM Segment Delivery to the Railway Siding at West Ruislip Portal
 
With the TBMs now fully operational, HS2/SCS need a regular supply of Tunnel Segments (the concrete ‘Rings’ required by the TBMs to construct the tunnel lining as they progress) to the West Ruislip Portal Site.
 
There is a Railway Siding that has now been constructed that will provide direct access from the Chiltern Line into the Segment Yard at West Ruislip so that Tunnel Segments can be directly delivered into Site by Rail rather than by road/lorry. HS2 now plan to run the train up to five nights each week.
 
The plan will be for one train to arrive at West Ruislip per night delivering 20 Rings, each comprising of 7 Segments. The locomotive will then divide the train into two parts and shunt them into the Siding. The locomotive will then shut down while the gantry crane unloads the Segments, and the locomotive will restart at around 6am and shunt the train back into one piece prior to departure at around 7am. The volume of rail traffic on the Chiltern Line through West Ruislip means that the train can only deliver Segments at night so the train should arrive at West Ruislip after 11pm.
 
As a contingency and only if required, HS2/SCS can also use existing Consents to help alleviate any shortfall of Segments by bringing in Lorries via road alongside the Railway deliveries to build up the stock of Segments should they fall low. The majority of these deliveries would be carried out during Core Hours during the day (Mon to Fri 8am to 6pm & Sat 8am to 1pm) but if required HS2/SCS have Consent to run lorries on extended hours until 10pm at night (outside of Core Hours).
 
 

Harvil Road delay explained

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From R Connors :@ LBH

As you may be aware Harvil Road in Ickenham has been closed since the 08/01/24 while HS2 completed the Realignment of the new section of Harvil Road from the new junction for Skip Lane to the Dogs Trust (with the new straight section of road travelling over a new Chiltern Railway Line Bridge and a new HS2 Railway Line Bridge).

The works to complete the new Road were due for completion on Sunday 28/01/24 with the new Road opening for public use by midnight Sunday.

LBH Highways Delivery Manager Isaac Kwakye and myself attended an Inspection of the works this afternoon with a view of signing off the required technical documents for LBH to accept that the new Road is safe to be opened for public use.

While we were carrying out the Inspection we were alerted that HS2 Construction Compliance Certificates have not been signed off in time by HS2, and without this documentation in place HS2 cannot allow the new Road to open.

This is most frustrating for all concerned but especially for local residents and users of Harvil Road who have had to put up with so much disruption over the last few years due to HS2 works that have closed this road on many occasions.

Harvil Road will have to remain closed until this process is signed off by HS2 but we are hopeful that everything will be ready for the new Road to open for public use in time for Friday morning 02/02/24.

LBH Officers will push HS2 for this documentation to be completed as early next week as possible, and if that is the case we will endeavour to get Harvil Road open to the public sooner than the 02/02/24. I will keep you informed of the situation as this evolves next week.

Final phase of Harvil Road closure

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From Ickenham Residents

  Phase 2 – Road Closure at Dogs Trust – Mon 15/01 to Sun 28/01
  Access for Skip Lane & Certas Oil Depot from Swakeleys Road/Harvil Rd end
Please note there will also be Temporary Traffic Lights on the section between Shorthill Cottage & Skip Lane during the Road Closure  

Civils Works Skip Lane
– Traffic Management re-arrangement
– Skip Lane sheetpiles cutting
– Road Drainage works / Tie-in works
– Earthworks – Backfill  

Civils Works Dogs Trust
– Hillingdon street lighting works (excavation, ducting, sleeves, pavement, post installation)
– Electrical installation
– Traffic island construction Surfacing /
– Road Construction
– Kerb and pavement works
– Road marking
– Safety barriers & Fencing installation  
 

Update as of Friday 19/01
 
The update from the Construction Manager on Harvil Road is that works are still progressing well with Street Lighting still being installed, new Traffic Islands being installed and tarmacking and white lining carried out in some sections this week. LBH are very much in the loop on what is happening with these works, our Street Lighting Team are carrying out the new Street Lighting installation and once the works are complete they require LBH Highways Technical sign off before the new realigned road can be open for public use.
 
The extremely cold weather this week has not delayed progress and the road is still expected to be ready for opening by late Sun 28/01 as planned. There is an Inspection of the new Road next Friday 26/01 where LBH Highways will be requested to sign-off on the new road layout being able to be opened for public use.