Following discussions with local community groups, the police and HS2, the Council have proposed the permanent closure (“Stopping Up”) of the “Spooky Tunnel” because of safety concerns. The picture below was taken in June 2020, just before the current temporary HS2 closure came into force.

The council’s 10 page presentation on the subject, discussed with residents’ groups in July, can be viewed below. And further below is a Council map showing the surrounding footpath network, including proposals for new paths.

We normally seek to improve and expand the local footpath network, so the loss of the path through this “kinked” tunnel, which also carries the Canal Feeder, would be a great shame. But given the alternative (see slides 5-8) our view is that the Stopping Up is, unfortunately, the least worst option.

Dear Representative,

I am writing to you in your capacity as a representative of a local organisation within the London Borough of Hillingdon to let you know that each local authority in the country is required to carry out a review of the location of its Polling Stations, on a regular five-yearly cycle. Consultation on the latest such review in the London Borough of Hillingdon has just commenced and will run until the end of October 2024.

As Returning Officer for the Borough, I am seeking feedback from all interested parties on any aspect of the current polling arrangements and am inviting representation and comments from interested persons such as yourself, residents, local political parties and councillors etc.

Should you wish to make comment, details of the existing arrangements for Polling Stations are available on the Council’s web site at: http://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/haveyoursay

Representations can be made via the website or in writing to Electoral Services, London Borough of Hillingdon, Civic Centre, High Street, Uxbridge, UB8 1UW or by email at electoralservices@hillingdon.gov.uk  

When considering a response, it might be helpful to note the following guidelines:

We aim to locate all of our Polling Places a convenient distance from the majority of elector’s homes, easy to find, and easily accessible to all. Our main guidelines are:

• The review is based on the number of electors on the current register of electors. Each polling district should serve approximately equal numbers of electors.
• Where possible ‘natural’ boundaries should be used, e.g. railways, major roads, waterways; and all of a minor road, or estate should, where possible, be in one polling district.
• Polling locations should be ‘logical’ i.e. electors should not have to travel past another polling place to get to their own: and, ideally, none should be shared by different wards.
• Turnout at recent elections and numbers of registered postal voters in a ward are also taken into account.
• This exercise does not allow the movement of ward boundaries. Any issues relating to this would be dealt with as a different exercise. This is merely to determine whether the electors in each ward are best served by the current polling arrangements.

I look forward to hearing from you and should you require further information please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

Lloyd White

Head of Democratic Services