Category Archives: Events

HS2 Planned Works

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Update on gas main diversion works in Harefield – Posted on Dec 13th 2019 by HS2 in Hillingdon

Work has been underway to move two gas pipelines in the Harefield area, to facilitate HS2’s construction and to continue to ensure a safe and reliable gas supply to the area.
Cadent has now successfully completed the diversion for the first of these pipelines, and has ceased work over winter.

Cadent will need to return to the northern site off Harvil Road next year to complete the second diversion.

We don’t yet have the details for when this work will be carried out, but we’ll make sure people are aware in advance.

In the meantime, you may see other work being carried out on behalf of HS2 around Harvil Road. For more information:
https://s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/commonplace-customer-assets/hs2inhillingdon/Update%20on%20Cadent%20Gas%20works%20in%20Harefield%20FINAL.pdf

HS2 Works Notification: Utility Surveys and Ground Investigations in the Colne Valley, January to July 2020 – Posted on Dec 13th 2019 by HS2 in Hillingdon

As part of the preparation works for the construction of the Colne Valley Viaduct we will be continuing to carry out some initial works in your area which will help us develop our plans for construction.

Ground Investigations
These works will be taking place on sites using existing access routes off Moorhall Road, Harvil Road and Dews Lane. Some locations in Korda Lake and in Savay Lake will be conducted from floating pontoons. We will be working extended hours on the lakes, Monday to Sunday 7am to 7pm.
To provide enough room for our equipment to access the areas where we will be working, we will have to carry out tree removal, clearance of shrubs and other low-lying vegetation in the vicinity of the works.

Utility Surveys next to Moorhall Road
We also need to conduct a survey of the utility services that run through this area. This will be done by hand-excavators to protect the services. We will be working next to Moorhall Road with protection barriers for the safety of our staff. There will be no road or lane closures.
For more information:
https://s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/commonplace-customer-assets/hs2inhillingdon/Align%20GI%20Survey%20January%20to%20July%2020%20Final.pdf

HS2 Works Notification: Utility Surveys and Ground Investigations in Ruislip area, January 2020 – Posted on Dec 13th 2019 by HS2 in Hillingdon

As part of the preparation works for the construction of HS2 we will be continuing to carry out some initial works in your area which will help us develop our plans for construction.

Ground Investigations

HS2 will be carrying out ground investigations work next to the railway line in Ruislip in three locations from early January 2020.

This involves drilling down to retrieve a small core of the ground. To do this we use drilling rigs which are small enough to be towed by an off-road vehicle.

The first site will be in Ruislip Rugby Club, from 6 January for up to four weeks.

The second site will be in Bridgewater Road Recreation Ground from 20 January for up to four weeks. This is a change of date from a previous notice.

The third site will be West Ruislip Car Park from 6 January for up to four weeks.

Further details can be found in the attached notifications:

Utility Surveys

We also need to conduct surveys of the utility services in the Ruislip area across five locations.

Scanning equipment will be used to create a map of the utility services below ground and they will be marked using biodegradable spray paint. We will use cameras to take site photos of the work completed.

The first site will be in Bridgewater Road, South Ruislip from 6 January.

The second site will be on Long Lane and station Approach from 6 January.

The third site will be on Ickenham Road from 6 January.

The forth site will be in the Great Central Avenue area from 6 January.

The fifth site will be in the West End Road area from 6 January.

All of these locations will last for a short period of time for short periods across a three month period.

Further details can be found in the attached notifications:

 

Burns Night fun

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Ickenham Festival – Burns Night  – Sat 25th January 2020

 The Ickenham Festival Team will be holding their ever-popular “Burns Night” at Douay Martyrs School, Long Lane, Ickenham on Saturday 25th January 2020.

There will be a live Ceilidh Band with a caller for dancing, a Piper, a haggis supper (other meal options available) , dancing, and Burns poetry reading.  A great night out is promised for all.

Full details of tickets and booking are on the Ickenham Festival website at www.IckenhamFestival.org.uk  http://www.IckenhamFestival.org.uk  or contact Doug Neilson on 07516 984514.  Tickets can be bought online, by post, or in person.

Also see Twitter.com/IckFest and  FB.com/IckenhamFestival

Colne Valley Viaduct – design consultation

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HS2, via its contractor ALIGN, has submitted a planning application for the design of the Colne Valley viaduct. The details are available to be viewed on the London Borough of Hillingdon website:

https://planning.hillingdon.gov.uk/OcellaWeb/planningDetails?reference=74320/APP/2019/3187&from=planningSearch

Because of the HS2 Act the council has limited powers but there is a public consultation which ends 6 December and the Council would like your comments, even a simple yes or no to the proposed design.

You can enter your comments on the website using the link above.

As the proposed 3.4 Km viaduct crosses into South Bucks a similar exercise is taking place there.

The Colne Valley’s environment is important to us all; it is a source of drinking water and provides a major recreational area for all our communities. The viaduct with its 52 piers will be highly visible and crosses the Mid Colne Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Local Wildlife Sites, Broadwater Lake Nature Reserve, River Colne, Long Lake, Korda Lake, Savay Lake, the Grand Union Canal, Harefield No. 2 Lake and a Local Nature Reserve and ancient woodland to the north.

The HS2 Select Committee, during our petitioning at parliament, stated that … the Colne Valley viaduct will be the most significant visible engineering feature of the HS2 Phase One route… It will have international significance and its design should reflect that…

There is an immense amount of detail in the application but many aspects of construction and mitigation will be subject to later applications. The computer-generated images provide highly idealised views but it is very difficult to visualise its overall impact; such structures also deteriorate with weather and vandalism. The questions you may wish to consider are:

  • Do the plans give a good visual representation of how the viaduct will fit in with the local landscape of the Colne Valley?
  • Does the concrete design achieve the aim of having have international significance (i.e. looking architecturally good and aesthetic)?
  • What will the impact be on walkers and other users of the park?
  • How well do you think the design will stand up to the ravages of time?
  • How well will the design resist graffiti and vandalism?

Thank you in advance and please feel free to forward a link to this page:

https://ickenhamresidents.co.uk/2019/11/14/colne-valley-viaduct-design-consultation/

The more objections the better.

 

Give your opinions on RAF Northolt airspace planning

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From the station commander:

ROYAL AIR FORCE NORTHOLT AIRSPACE CHANGE PROPOSAL

INVITATION TO STAGE 2 DROP-IN SESSION

Royal Air Force Northolt is currently undertaking an Airspace Change Proposal that it is required to draw up as part of the Department for Transport and Civil Aviation Authority’s Airspace Modernisation Strategy (CAP1711). The proposal is being conducted in accordance with the Civil Aviation Authority’s ‘CAP 1616’, which sets out the regulatory process for changing airspace design.

I am pleased to inform you that RAF Northolt successfully completed Stage 1 of the CAP 1616 process in July 2019, whereby the Civil Aviation Authority approved the design principles that will be used to guide the Airspace Change Proposal. RAF Northolt is now at Stage 2 of the process, where it will develop all of the possible design options for its airspace and appraise each option to understand the impact, both positive and negative.

As part of Stage 2, we will continue our engagement with those stakeholders who may be affected by any proposed flightpath changes. I would therefore like to invite you or a representative to attend one of our ‘drop in’ sessions at RAF Northolt. The sessions will be held on Tuesday 19 November 2019 from 1500-2000 and Monday 25 November 2019 from 0900-1400.

During the drop-in session, we will explain the work that has been conducted to date as part of Stage 2A: Options Development and seek feedback on the methodology we have used to develop our design options. At this stage I must stress that we have not produced potential flight paths or identified preferred routes. We have purely drawn up all the possible design options that align with our Statement of Need and design principles, that will be appraised as part of Stage 2B: Options Appraisal.

I look forward to seeing you at one of our drop-in sessions.

This gives the location:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5588281,-0.4098322,17z

There is very little parking at the venue. it would be preferable to take the Central Line to Ruislip Gardens and walk down.

If you do drive, please note there is a one way system (signposted).

More HS2 works and events

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from HS2

Handover to main works contractor
We wrote to you in September regarding the closure of West Ruislip golf course. We are currently in the process of handover to our main works contractor, Skanska Costain STRABAG joint venture (SCSJV). Initially there will be very little change in the activity that you will see, however, as we move further into the autumn and then winter months there will be a change in the focus of activity, and an expansion of the works area, which in turn will lead to a change and growth in the hoarding line. We appreciate that all the footpaths and rights of way are important to you and we will endeavour to keep as many footpaths open as we can. Some will need to be diverted to ensure both the safety of the public and to ensure the integrity of the working area. We will inform you of any of the specific footpath closures. These changes will be made very clear on the footpaths and users will be made aware prior to changes being made.

What works will be happening
Over the next three months we will begin to create an internal “haul road” which will allow us to use lorries to move materials east-to-west, north of the Chiltern line in order to reduce the number of larger vehicles on your local roads. To assist us in the creation of the haul road we will build a temporary bridge over the River Pinn. We will remove any top soil from our work areas and store it on the golf course. We will treat and test it, and all soil that can be reused will be used in the new golf course redesign once works are concluded. We will be building a small number of offices within the works area from which a small team of engineers and designers will be supervising all the works activity that will be taking place.

If you have a question about HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Help desk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

Duration of works

From now until spring 2020 Working hours: Mondays to Fridays, 8am to 6pm and Saturdays, 8am to 1pm (if required) We may be on site for an hour before the start and/or end of each shift.

What to expect

These works are not expected to be noisy, however we will use noise reducing barriers when required to reduce disruption. Staff and vehicles will be accessing the worksites during the above times. They will be reminded to be mindful of residents at all times

What we will do

Provide timely updates and let you know if these dates change at hs2inhillingdon.co.uk

Other upcoming works in your area
During autumn and winter 2019, SCSJV will also be carrying out further utility surveys along the HS2 route. These surveys will inform the detailed design for the new railway. We will provide further information to residents in areas that will be affected by these surveys. Further information will also be made available at www.hs2inhillingdon.co.uk

From now until late winter there will be no increase to the hoarded area.

HS2 drop-in dates
We know that you may well have questions about the SCSJV works to be undertaken in your area. Please pop along to any of our drop-in that we hold regularly in your community, the dates of which are below:

•Monday 14 October, Cannon Lane Methodist Church, Pinner, 2pm to 5pm

•Friday 25 October, Harefield Library, 2pm to 5pm

•Thursday 31 October, Committee Room at St Lawrence Church, Eastcote, 2pm to 5pm

•Monday 14 November, Ickenham Library, 2pm to 5pm

•Friday 22 November, Harefield Library, 2pm to 5pm

•Thursday 28 November, Committee Room at St Lawrence Church, Eastcote, 2pm to 5pm

•Monday 9 December, Cannon Lane Methodist Church, Pinner, 2pm to 5pm

•Thursday 12 December, Ickenham Library, 4pm to 7pm

for more info:
https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/commonplace-customer-files/hs2inhillingdon/Update%20notice%20of%20Ruislip%20Golf%20Course.pdf

HS2 and its (lack of) information

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An intrepid team member visited the HS2 event on September 22. Its pre-event billing promised this: See visualisations of the portal structure.

Somewhat underwhelmed, our colleague got a copy of the display boards (download the pdf – 1MB)

Anyone who was expecting to learn details, among other things, of construction noise, operational noise, how the two tunnels will be bored, how construction segments will be brought to site and where they will be stored, how the spoil will be removed, the conveyor belts, the design and visual impact of the entrance, would have been disappointed.

Furthermore, most people’s idea of a visualisation of a tunnel portal would be similar to these….

…. which came as a surprise to HS2 staff.

A footnote from me:

Looking at the main document, I was surprised to see trees in bloom in January:

Even if you use the American date format (why would you?) the picture is still misleading.

Prayer vigil 6pm this evening Hillingdon Station

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Following the tragic events of Tuesday and the murder that took place on Hillingdon Station, Rev Reg Craig of Hillingdon Park Baptist Church has agreed with the Station Customer Service Manager to have a prayer vigil tomorrow evening (Thursday) at 6pm.  This will happen outside the main entrance.  The purpose of this event is for us to show solidarity as a community of all faiths and none and to stand together against the violence on our streets.  It is not political.

You are invited to attend.

URC Late Summer forecourt sale – September 7th

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Keep that holiday feeling going at the URC!

Yes, even when the holidays are over and most people are back at work or school there’s the Late Summer Forecourt Sale at the URC to look forward to! It’s on Saturday 7th September from 10am to 12 Noon, admission is free and there will be a range of stalls including plants, bric-a-brac, boxed games, DVDs/CDs etc and our full range of books priced from 50p to £5.

As a break from browsing and buying there will be coffee, tea and lovely homemade cakes as well. Please get there if you can, and if you have items to donate bring them to the church between 3pm and 7pm on Friday 6th or ring Richard Piper on 01895 634348 for collection.

Should the sun stop shining most things will be inside, but it has been shining on us in another sense as we are currently running over £500 ahead of where we were at this time last year, so many thanks from us and “our” good causes for all the support.

Last but not least, make sure that you note the date of 5th October for our Autumn jumble sale. The one earlier in the year raised a four figure sum and represented a new record for us and it would be nice to do it again!

Richard Piper