Where will they all go?
CONCERN AT PLANS FOR BOROUGH TO ACCOMMODATE 8,000 NEW HOMES
A STAGGERING 8,385 new homes need to be built across Hillingdon by 2026 and you may find yourself asking where are they all going to go?
It’s a good question and you may be concerned that some new houses might have to be built right near where you live.
Hillingdon Council’s Local Plan, which is currently being examined by a Government inspector, earmarks a series of sites for the homes (see the maps and list below) which stretch right across the borough from north to south.
And while there seems to be agreement that we are in desperate need of affordable housing, you would not be alone in being concerned about where some of these homes are going to be squeezed in.
Neither would you be alone in worrying if there are enough schools, hospitals, doctors surgeries and decent roads to support such a boost in the population.
Shadow Chancellor and Hayes and Harlington MP John McDonnell says too much housing is going to be built in his constituency without the necessary infrastructure to support it.
Echoing longheld concerns from residents that Hillingdon Council is ‘dumping’ housing in the south of the borough, Mr McDonnell took time out of his summer holiday to speak on the opening day of the examination of part 2 of the Hillingdon Council’s Local Plan.
The plan sets out the key sites where the council believes its target 8,385 homes and key employment sites need to be built up to 2026.
But Mr McDonnell said services like education and health in the area are at “saturation point” and won’t take more housing.
He said: “There’s been almost a doubling of the number of the homes proposed for the Hayes housing zone since the plan was originally put forward.
“There is a mismatch between the amount of development planned for the area and the infrastructure that will be required to meet it.
“In particular there is a lack of educational planning and more planning for additional school capacity will need to be undertaken.
“It’s difficult to see how educational needs can be satisfied without a radical strategy for education.”
He said there needs to be much more investment in health facilities, roads and transport to keep up with the expanding population and warned the council needs to be careful not to give over too many employment sites for housing.
He said 40% of jobs in Hayes are at risk from the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ (digital technology) and there is a need to give priority to high skilled and often small businesses to provide jobs.
David Brough, from Hayes Town Partnership, echoed the concern there has been a “headlong rush” for development because of the upcoming completion of Crossrail which is hugely increasing demand for homes.
He said the key is to maintain a balance between housing and employment sites in the town and that a masterplan for the centre of Hayes is needed to show that balance between housing, employment, and recreation.
He said: “The fear a lot of us have is that people need houses but they also need somewhere to work and if we’re building houses willy nilly we’re not achieving a balanced economy for Hayes.
“The nature of many of the jobs in Hayes is industrial. There’s a lot of small units that do provide a lot of local jobs for local people and we’re concerned they will be swept away.”
Conversely he said some of the former industrial units along the canalside areas should be made available for mixed housing and employment uses to help regenerate the canalside area and the town centre.
The council’s head of planning and regeneration, James Rodger, said the sites that have been identified for housing have been based on careful detailed housing studies and infrastructure assessments.
He also said the plan makes commitments for bringing forward small scale employment units as part of the overall development of the area.
Council officers said they feel the local plan does identify a clear mix between employment and housing and is keen to bring these uses forward wherever possible.
The hearing finished last week and planning inspector Jameson Bridgwater will now prepare a report.
He is likely to recommend a series of modifications that he council must make but could in extreme circumstances reject the plan and order the council to begin again.
How many homes and where?
Hillingdon’s target set by the Government and the London Plan is to build 8,385 dwellings by 2026 or a target of 559 each year.