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Ickenham Marshes development proposal, August update

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Association representatives held a constructive meeting with ward councillors Cllrs Eddie Lavery and Jane Palmer on 30 July to discuss the recent Greater London Authority (GLA) proposal for development around Ickenham.  LBH’s position on the matter has been made clear in a recent press release:  Council challenges Mayor’s plan over significant threat to Hillingdon’s green belt | Hillingdon Council

We very much support the Council’s position and look forward to further engagement on the subject over the coming months. As with our stance on HS2, we remain opposed in principle, but should further development proposals come forward at the “east of Ickenham” or “west Ruislip” locations identified in the GLA’s emerging London Plan, we will engage positively in any formal or informal processes; seeking to maximise mitigation, public engagement and public benefit.

We have asked the Council to, as soon as possible, make available further information about development opportunities in the borough, through the Hillingdon local plan preparation process, so it is clear how much brownfield land is available for development locally.

We have also suggested that a public meeting be held in September, to allow local people to discuss the current situation and hear more about next steps, before the current London Plan consultation closes on 15 October. Further details will be made available soon. 

We will also make representations to the GLA, including requesting information on what background work has been carried out to understand the current nature and amenity value of the Marshes, and the flood risk and access challenges that would need to be overcome for any development to take place.

Details of the public footpaths in the area are shown on the Marshes map below. For more detailed information about the public rights of way on the Marshes,  which were established by LBH in 2019 following a formal request by the Association, visit https://pre.hillingdon.gov.uk/public-rights-way/definitive-map-statement

We intend to write to the relevant local land agents to request that permissive public access to the fields is maintained. This has, for decades, provided positive health and well-being benefits for local people and important natural surveillance to reduce antisocial behavior. 

Possible developments on Ickenham Marshes

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Development proposals on the Marshes

The Marshes are a patchwork of about 40 fields between Ickenham and Ruislip in the London Borough of Hillingdon. The Ickenham Marsh Local Nature Reserve      https://www.wildlondon.org.uk/nature-reserves/ickenham-marsh lies at the centre of the area.  The Stafford Road Open Space sits in the south east corner. Much of the area is privately owned, with several footpaths enabling the public to enjoy this treasured landscape.
 
 
The Marshes also form part of the Crane Valley; an important West London river catchment, with an excellent network of green corridor footpaths, which give public access from the Marshes to Harrow or all the way down to the Thames.
 
For many years, the Association has been working in partnership with land owners, manager and other groups to enhance the area, to protect and enhance the superb ecological and amenity value. More details on are available on the Marshes website: Ickenham Marshes   https://ickenhammarshes.wordpress.com/
 
The proximity of the Marshes to residential areas and local train stations is a key reason why the area it is so popular with visitors. This is also the reason why the Greater London Authority (GLA), in its Draft London Plan, has proposed that land “East of Ickenham” should be developed, to help meet the housing needs of Hillingdon and the wider area.  Further details are available here: Draft London Plan consultation | London City Hall
https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/planning/london-plan/next-london-plan/draft-london-plan-consultation
We are also aware that for several months now, ecological surveys have been underway, presumably commissioned by local landowners. 
 
Although the Marshes field boundaries have remained largely unchanged since the 1780 enclosures, this is not the first time that development has been proposed in the area. A key difference now, is that central government has changed the rules on green belt, and is proposing further changes relating to land close to train stations.
 
Under the proposals set out in the draft London Plan, Hillingdon has the largest increase in annual housing targets of any borough; more than doubling from 1,083 homes to 2,403. The draft also suggests that  over the next ten years 14,750 of these new homes should be built on greenfield sites.
 
This is in the context of what is widely described as a national housing crisis, which is being felt most acutely in the south east of England.  Although there is some debate about the extent that housebuilding levels impact on house prices, according to the Office for National Statistics, average house prices in Hillingdon have risen from £120,000 in 2000, to over £500,000 today. Average earnings have gone from £25k to £40k over the same period.
 
The Draft London Plan also sets out expectations on building heights, density levels, affordable housing levels and the amount of green space within development. It’s also worth noting that there are laws on ‘biodiversity net gain’, which mean that, after land it developed, it’s biodiversity value should increase. Given the extraordinary biodiversity of the Marshes, it will be fascinating to find out more about how these provisions are being considered by developers and authorities alike.
 
There is uncertainty about the evidence and assumptions underpinning what the GLA have set out in the draft London Plan. Boroughs and the public currently have the chance to respond to the consultation, and the London Plan will not come into force until it, and it’s supporting evidence base have been rigorously tested at a public examination by a panel of independent planning inspectors. 
We will continue to engage closely with the Council on this matter, including seeking a better understanding of the amount of brownfield land that is available in Hillingdon, noting that national planning policy still firmly expects a brownfield development first approach.
 
We will also be engaging with LBH on the emerging Hillingdon Local Plan, which will need to allocate land for housing and other development across the borough for the next ten years. More details are available here: Scoping consultation | Local Plan and Review | Hillingdon Council .
https://pre.hillingdon.gov.uk/planning-policy/local-plan-review/4
This local plan is long overdue; a consequence of which is that our area is already subject to more relaxed planning rules because of a lack of identified land for housing. 
 

Hillingdon petition scheme: proposed changes

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From HARA

PETITIONS
The Council has now Proposed Changes to Hillingdon’s Petition Scheme
https://modgov.hillingdon.gov.uk/documents/s66975/260709%20-%2006%20-%20Report%20of%20Head%20of%20Democratic%20Services.pdf

The Hillingdon Alliance of Residents’ Associations has launched a petition regarding proposed changes to the Council’s Residents’ Petition Scheme, which will be voted on by all Councillors at the full Council meeting on Thursday 9th July.

The proposals would increase local and planning petition thresholds from 20 signatures to 50, and borough wide petitions from 100 to 500. Automatic petition hearings would also be removed and replaced with either a written response or a site visit.

At last month’s Cabinet meeting, the Council spoke about increasing transparency, improving visibility and reinforcing accountability so that residents can have greater confidence in decision making. As the umbrella body representing residents’ associations across Hillingdon, we believe it is reasonable to ask whether significantly raising petition thresholds and removing automatic public hearings aligns with that commitment.

Petitions are one of the few formal mechanisms through which residents can collectively raise concerns and secure direct engagement with elected Members in a public forum.

We invite residents to review the petition and sign it – see https://www.change.org/hillingdon-petition-changes