Historic pool site is the best

I WELCOME the report in the Uxbridge Gazette (January 10) stating the council intends to build a new swimming pool in Yiewsley.

We collected over 760 signatures on a paper petition and over 840 signatures on an online petition asking Hillingdon council to build a new swimming pool at the site of the former Yiewsley swimming pool.

The former Yiewsley pool site is the best site for a new pool because:

1. It is close to West Drayton station, bus routes and the main High Street of Yiewsley. The bus routes close by are U1, U3, U5, 222 and 350.

2. Car parking space at the Fairfield Road car park has over 150 spaces and space for 11 disabled vehicles. This car park is adjacent to the site.

3. Parents can go shopping at Morrisons, Aldi, Tesco, Iceland, Wilkinson’s and a range of smaller shops whilst children swim.

4. The site has been derelict since 2010.

5. It is an easy walk for five local schools. This will reduce pollution in the area.

6. It is the traditional site of the pool. Hundreds of people who signed the petition asked for the pool to be built there.

7. The site is ready to develop.

8. It is the most prudent use of council tax payers’ resources and would not cost the £30 million the council has allocated.

No other site in West Drayton can match this location. The pool needs to fit in with people’s busy lifestyles, which includes doing the shopping and using public transport to get to the pool.

The more bus routes the pool is close to the better, as in Yiewsley 28.5% of households do not have a car, in West Drayton 26.4% and in Uxbridge South 33.8%, according to the latest census figures.

You can follow what is happening with the campaign by looking at www.yiewsley.org and the Swimming Pool for Yiewsley Facebook page.

Please ask your local councillors to make sure the former Yiewsley pool site is developed as it is the best site for the local community.

Francesca Stephens Lead petitioner, Yiewsley swimming pool campaign The police station in Uxbridge is marked for closure to save cash

keeping Londoners safe is his priority. Uxbridge Police Station is going to be closed.

This means that the only Police Station within the London Borough of Hillingdon with 24 hour access will be based in Hayes. Uxbridge has excellent transport links, Hayes does not.

Why close Uxbridge? I understand that the plan put forward by MOPAC is to have only one Station with 24 hour cover within each London Borough. One doesn’t have to be a genius to see the size of Hillingdon compared with, for instance, Hammersmith.

The London Borough of Hillingdon also has within its boundary, the second busiest airport in the world!

It just does not make any sense at all to close Uxbridge Police Station.

I shall try and remember when reading about people being victims of crime now, that Mr Khan’s priority is keeping me safe. I would feel safer knowing that Uxbridge Police Station is going to remain open. Joan Edwards

Via email