Category: Democracy & Council

We are writing to formally update you on upcoming changes at Citizens Advice Hillingdon.  Following a recent tender exercise, we will no longer receive core or mental health funding from Hillingdon Council. The new contract for Information, Advice, Guidance, and Well-being support has been awarded to the Hillingdon Advice Partnership, led by Age UK Hillingdon.

We are working closely with the new provider to ensure a smooth transition, making sure no client is left without essential support. These changes will take effect from 2nd June 2025.

As you know, Citizens Advice Hillingdon has proudly served the borough for many years, providing impartial, confidential advice to thousands of residents. From 2nd June, we will continue to deliver our specialist advice projects in key areas, including:

• Employment Advice Services
• Macmillan Cancer Support Services
• Outreach services at Hillingdon Food Bank
• The Workwell Programme

Hillingdon Council is set to modernise its parking enforcement by purchasing a vehicle fitted with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) to help clamp down on unauthorised parking. 

The council’s Cabinet gave the green light for the vehicle to be purchased.  

The decision follows a successful 26-day trial of the technology in July 2024, which saw a vehicle deployed across three of the borough’s wards (Heathrow Villages, Uxbridge and Northwood Hills) to detect vehicles parking in the council’s parking management schemes without the correct permits or exemptions. During the trial, 602 different streets were visited, more than 7,500 checks were made and 62 PCNs issued. 

The new technology allows Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) to carry out more checks across a wider area in less time. The ANPR cameras, linked to the council’s parking permit database, highlight potential parking contraventions to the CEOs, who can then follow up with a manual verification and check for valid parking approvals, such as visitor permits and blue badges. Not all alerts result in a Penalty Charge Notice. 

The technology will also provide additional benefits by allowing CEOs to help with the enforcement of the council’s Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to stop taxis and private hire vehicles waiting in residential streets near Heathrow Airport (unless they are collecting or dropping off passengers in those streets or are based or live there) which came into force in February. 

As a result of the effectiveness of this technology and to create a more sustainable parking enforcement service by reducing fixed camera maintenance costs, the council’s Cabinet also agreed for some fixed School Keep Clear (SKC) cameras to be decommissioned. Instead, the ANPR cars will be deployed to monitor adherence at school sites across the borough and maintain road safety around schools and surrounding streets, with SKC cameras maintained in the 10 locations with the highest levels of detected non-compliance. 

Cllr Eddie Lavery, Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet Member for Community and Environment, said: “We’re committed to being a digital-enabled, modern council, which delivers value for money for residents.  

“We’re always looking for ways to reshape services, and following the ANPR trial last summer it clearly showed that this technology can be a more effective and efficient way to carry out parking enforcement activity, including SKC areas and our new PSPO.    

“The rollout will support our CEOs to cover larger areas and provide greater flexibility in their deployment to busy areas, ensuring parking remains accessible, fair and our roads are safe for all users.” 

For more information about parking in Hillingdon, visit www.hillingdon.gov.uk/parking.

ERA attended a Community Resilience Workshop held in March this year hosted by LB Hillingdon, in partnership with H4All and the Hillingdon Federation of Community Associations. Presentations were made by the London Fire Brigade and the Environment Agency.

The aim is to develop a Community Resilience Directory to support the local authority and emergency responders in identifying community assets and individuals who can assist during emergencies. If you or an organisation you are involved in have resources, for example storage space, useful equipment , space to house/feed displaced persons, please complete the Community Resilience Mapping Survey using the link:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=ebasqoHD-0izIPnVge6Uj6_UVAyBaYxOg_UYYpLTEdxURjFaOFNRUlBWOVFCWDFVQkhBWjVIR1JMVC4u

Whilst the survey is open until the 30^th September 2025 it would be helpful if you would complete it sooner rather than later. Please pass this information onto as many other organisations that you think may be able to help as you can.

Hillingdon Council are proposing a change to garden waste collection service to make it more sustainable.  The proposed change would see the introduction of a £70 charge for 2025/26 for the collection of a household’s garden waste. The charge would support the running costs of the service and ensure it’s paid for by those using it – rather than the cost being shared by all taxpayers, including those without gardens.

Garden waste collection service would continue to offer residents:
• better value for money than neighbouring boroughs through a cheaper rate per collection
• weekly collections in spring, summer and autumn
• greater capacity of collected garden waste than other boroughs.
Residents without a subscription would still be able to take their garden waste to civic amenity sites for free.
Have your say  https://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/garden-waste-consultation
The consultation is open until Monday 31 March, and a decision will be made in the spring.
If you or anyone you know would like a paper copy of this form, email customerengagement@hillingdon.gov.uk or call 01895 277038

Please find the current consultations at:
Additions to the local list of buildings of architectural and historic importance – Hillingdon Council

Anti-social behaviour policy consultation – Hillingdon Council

Uxbridge town centre vision – Hillingdon Council

Landlord housing strategy consultation – Hillingdon Council

Public Spaces Protection Order 2025 consultation – Hillingdon Council

Adult social care charging policy consultation – Hillingdon Council

regards
Customer Engagement Team
Directorate of Home and Communities
London Borough of Hillingdon
Tel: 01895 277038
www.hillingdon.gov.uk

Hillingdon Council wants to hear your views on its proposed budget for  2025/26.

The 2025/26 budget proposals commit to maintaining and investing in services for residents, including free weekly waste and recycling collections, enhanced parks and leisure facilities, road and pavement resurfacing, town centre improvements and additional homes and school places. Be sure to have your say before Sunday 26 January at www.hillingdon.gov.uk/budget-consultation

Two additional buildings to be added to the local list of buildings of architectural and historic importance. The consultation closes on Thursday 13 February 2025.

https://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/listed-buildings-consultation

As originally announced in Hillingdon People magazine in November please note the current fortnightly collections of garden waste:
Winter garden waste collections
In Hillingdon, the amount of household garden waste our council collects halves during the winter.

During December, January and February, garden waste is now collected fortnightly. This will help reduce our carbon footprint, by reducing lorry journeys and emissions, whilst ensuring we continue to deliver an efficient and cost-effective service. All other collection arrangements will stay the same.

During the rest of the year (March to November), garden waste will continue to be collected weekly.

Throughout the year, residents can also dispose of garden waste via our waste and recycling centres.

Use our online collection day lookup function to check your next garden waste collection day.
For those who had a collection on Monday 6th January the next is Monday 20th January.

If you are a young person with SEND then Hillingdon Council would like to hear from you:  https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=ebasqoHD-0izIPnVge6Uj0reBsCVY0dDppsTD8gegyVUME0wUFVGQlpDNzMyRkwyS1hMTjM4QkRMQi4u&route=shorturl

Hillingdon Council is continuing to offer light displays, free parking for residents to support shopping locally and a range of festive events and activities.

Once again, the council is supporting 28 council-led and four community-led Christmas lights schemes, which will illuminate areas across Hillingdon’s 21 wards, including the display at the Civic Centre forecourt on Friday 15 November which will be switched on by the Mayor of Hillingdon, Cllr Colleen Sullivan. Residents are invited to come along from 5.45pm and enjoy free mulled wine, mince pies, tea and coffee while listening to festive tunes from a brass band and carol performances by local schools and choirs.

Residents are also being encouraged to shop locally to support the borough’s high streets and independent businesses. The council is once again providing free parking to HillingdonFirst cardholders on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15, and Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 December. This offer is available in council-owned car parks and on-street parking bays. Residents using PayByPhone must register their HillingdonFirst card on the app. For more information, visit www.hillingdon.gov.uk/festive-parking.

Many local businesses offer residents with HillindgonFirst cards discounts on their products and services. For a list of participating businesses, visit www.hillingdon.gov.uk/businessdirectory.

From Monday 2 December, the council’s Rural Activities Garden Centre on West Drayton Road, Hillingdon will be selling real Nordmann non-drop premium real Christmas trees. Priced competitively between £40 to £60, depending on height, these high-quality trees are perfect for adding a festive touch to your home. A variety of potted trees grown at the centre, alongside a collection of handcrafted Christmas wreaths, festive gifts and decorations will also be available.

Hillingdon theatres will be putting on performances of The Santa Show and Snow White starting from Thursday 5 December at the Compass Theatre in Ickenham. For the full listings and to book, visit discover.hillingdon.gov.uk/theatres.

Libraries across Hillingdon will be hosting festive children’s storytime sessions, light-up Christmas card, advent calendar and snow globe making workshops, and Christmas-themed coffee mornings with carol singing from local schools for older residents. Free mini wreath making sessions will be hosted at Cranford Park on Saturday 30 November, Sunday 1 and Saturday 14 December from midday to 2pm. And The Battle of Britain Bunker will have Mess Hall crafts and trails around the museum on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 December from 11am to 3.30pm.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Ian Edwards, said: “We are continuing to invest in our communities and put up Christmas lights, offer free parking over two weekends and host a range of festive events and activities in our libraries and heritage sites.

“These events are a wonderful opportunity for families to come together, and I also encourage everyone to shop local and support our independent businesses as we celebrate the season of giving.”

For more information on Christmas events and to book spaces (where necessary), visit www.hillingdon.gov.uk/events.