Category Archives: Issues

Michael Sobell hospice: update

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We have received the following update from Terry Dean on behalf of those co-ordinating the campaign:

The petition will be delivered to a representative of the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust on the land just outside the gate 3 entrance of Mount Vernon Hospital on White Hill from 9 to 9:30am on Monday July 9th. I have cleared this with the police and invited them to join us.

I will be accompanied by Dr. Elaine Laycock MBE. Dr Laycock was one of the first doctors to work at the hospice soon after it opened. She used some of her time at MSH to help create the first Palliative Care Centre in Serbia which opened in 2013. She took staff from MSH to Serbia to teach them, and brought Serb doctors to MSH to learn. There are now two hospices in Serbia both based on the Michael Sobell model; it is ironic that there may soon not be one in Northwood unless we stand up for it. Dr. Laycock gained support from the Queen Mother who sent her a signed photograph (something almost unheard of) and also some cut-glass which raised a useful amount for the hospice when it was auctioned. Dr. Laycock also met the Duchess of Kent twice in her capacity at the hospice. Dr. Laycock instigated the original sponsored walk, the water garden at the entrance, and a butterfly cage which eventually became the aviary. Her son even designed the logo which is still in use.

Dr. Laycock and I will be meeting with Nick Hurd next week to discuss this campaign. I have in my possession a letter from Mr Hurd stating that he welcomes the Department of Health’s End of Life Care Strategy which encourages the development of specialist palliative care and hospice provision. If we are able to reach a target of 10,000 signatures we may be able to force a response from Westminster. At this stage we only need everyone who has signed so far to get one more signature! So please share this link if you have not already done so.

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-the-michael-sobell-hospice

Finally I have received a message of support from a relative of Michael Sobell.

To remind yourself what we are striving to save please paste the address below into your browser to watch a short video made last year by media students of West Herts College.

https://youtu.be/JxoOXs6i9gI

Thanks for standing up for compassion and the need for members of society to care for each other.

 

HS2 – Amersham Action Group

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This group recently linked to us. I’ve added it to our HS2 – The Basics web page and elevated the HS2 Basics link to the top of the ‘Background’ part of our main HS2 page (that’s the page that links to everything HS2).

If you don’t like navigating menus, you might prefer to use ‘Search this site’ (at the top right of each page) if you’re after something in particular.

HS2 vs LBH 3rd July 10am public hearing. Can you come?

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Can you get to a public hearing in the Civic Centre on July 3rd starting @ 10:00 to consider HS2’s Appeal against LBH for refusing to approve its wetland mitigation proposal?

HS2 is attempting to mitigate bulldozing 27ha wet woodland and chalk rivers, home to over 2400 species, by replacing it with a 0.85ha pond and basking bank set up for great crested newt and grass snake.

It claims NO NET LOSS to biodiversity. Hopefully the image below will help set the perspective.

Please come if you can and support the Council and everyone wanting to preserve this special area.

Thanks

HS2 despoilation

What a load of rubbish…

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We are indebted to David Porter for this report:

What a load of rubbish….

Yes, that’s right, rubbish, rubbish everywhere. Bottles, cans, sweetie papers, credit cards (credit cards? Yes even valid credit cards are discarded) cigarette butts, newspaper, glasses,  fag cartons, crisps packets, rope, the list is endless. Even car hubcaps are chucked over fences to lie in the undergrowth for years. Some of the above mentioned items were bagged up by litter picking volunteers who gave up their Saturday morning to make Ickenham High Road a tidier place.

So well done to (l to r) John, Erica, Jackie, Graham, Emma, Corinna, Simon, Nathan (champion litter picker on the day).  And not in picture Jake.

Such effort moves Ickenham towards being Britain’s first litter free neighbourhood. Now all we need is for all citizens to dispose of their rubbish responsibly either by taking it home with them or putting it in a bin.

 

Colne Valley Viaduct Design Survey

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Colne Valley Viaduct Design feedback – deadline extended to complete our surveys

Reposted from HS2 in Hillingdon

Following the recent engagement event, residents have been asked for their feedback on the emerging designs of the Colne Valley Viaduct.

The deadline for feedback has now been extended to Monday 16 April.

To complete the survey please visit Colne Valley Viaduct section by clicking here

Paper copies of the survey are also available in Harefield, Ickenham and Ruislip libraries.

This Thursday: influence Colne Valley viaduct plans

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March 22, 2pm to 8pm in ICKENHAM VILLAGE HALL

The Colne Valley is an important recreational area for local residents. It’s our ‘back garden’ The HS2 route runs through Ickenham, Harefield and then across the valley.

This Association with local groups, the London Borough of Hillingdon and local politicians campaigned for the ‘Ruislip’ tunnel to be extended to the Chiltern tunnel to save Ickenham, Harefield and the Colne Valley from both damaging construction activity and the environmental issues when the trains are running. The government refused.

A 3.9 km viaduct has to be built across the Colne Valley lakes and rivers. HS2 commissioned a design for this viaduct and ALIGN (a construction company) has been contracted to build the viaduct.

This event run by the ALIGN team is an opportunity for you to find out more about the emerging design of the Colne Valley Viaduct and landscapes at an early stage, as well as what it may mean for the local area.

We recommend go if you can; it’s an opportunity for local communities to input to the final designs.

The event will not cover HOAC plans or the construction plans for Ickenham and the Ruislip tunnel.  These will be covered at future events.

Anonymous letters

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We can’t respond to anonymous letters, for obvious reasons. Please don’t write them.

Suppose they had some good ideas in them? Suppose we’d like to enlist the active support of  the writer?

If you are the writer of the most recent one, please reveal yourself.

Thank you.

HS2 activists seek to learn how well-informed you are

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Ruislip Against HS2 (and others, including our own HS2 sub-committee) would be very interested in your views of various sources of information on developments, now and in the future. The survey also asks a couple of questions about your general awareness.

If you can spare a few moments to check a page of ten multiple boxes, it could help them frame a more effective approach to keeping our local communities informed.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/PVDMPSD

Thank you.