Fun day derailed

A MUCH-LOVED dog rehoming centre has had to cancel its popular annual fun day because HS2 Ltd compulsorily purchased the land it previously used for car parking.

Harefield Rehoming Centre in Hillingdon was forced to sell the field to HS2, which it requires to bring the high speed rail route through west London.

Harefield’s annual fun day, which had been planned for Sunday June 3, will no longer go ahead.

However the centre has promised to organise a smaller scale event this year, details of which will be published soon.

A spokesman for the centre said: “It is with a heavy heart we must let you know that Harefield’s Fun Day has been cancelled this year.

“This decision has not been taken lightly, as we know that it is a such a popular event; not just for those who visit, but also for our fantastic band of helpers, both volunteers and staff, who make it so special.

“Unfortunately, running such a large scale event in these disruptive circumstances is not feasible but, please rest assured, that the Fun Day will be back in 2019.

“We are sourcing suitable external venues and will keep you posted.

“In the meantime for 2018 we will be holding smaller local events to showcase our amazing rehoming centre and the lovely dogs in our care and will be in touch soon; so keep an eye within the centre and on our social media platforms.”

Construction has already begun along the Phase One route for HS2 which will run from London to the West Midlands and is due to be mostly completed by 2025. The first train services are expected to run on the line from 2026.

Enabling work has begun in many west London locations and contracts for civil engineering works including bridges, tunnels, viaducts and station designs have been awarded.

In addition, £70million of funding has begun to be distributed to those affected by the railway construction, with more funding available for communities and businesses.

An HS2 spokesman said: “We are working closely with the Dogs Trust and our contractors to reduce the impact of construction on their operations and the dogs in their care. This includes an offer to allow access to a field formerly owned by the trust, up until the start of construction in 2019.

“The arrival of HS2 at Old Oak Common will create one of the best connected destinations in the UK.