This page will carry details of campaigns in the Hayes & Harlington constituency, including Heathrow Villages and West Drayton.

I am particularly active in the Charville ward, where I lived for some time and where I have stood in Council elections.

Road resurfacing petition update – Goshawk Gardens & Adelphi Crescent – January 2018

I have received the following emails earlier today regarding the petition put in to resurface the Circle –   Emergency repairs were carried out previously based on reports and photo’s my team put in to the council maintenance officers

Sub standard council housing in Hayes Town

A number of instances of damaged and sub standard housing have been reported to me by residents in the Townfield ward of Hayes. Some of these residences were supposedly upgraded a few years ago but those repairs appear to have either failed or made the situation worse and in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster it should be a priority for Hillingdon Council to make sure that high rise buildings in the area are both safe and secure.

There is a fund in place from the GLA (Greater London Authority) that allows Councils in London to apply for additional support when refurbishing and upgrading council properties – surely Hillingdon would have put in a bid for such funds? With this in mind, I submitted a Freedom of Information request to find out how much had been received and got the following reply –

FOI6190635

Dear Mr Dixon

I am writing in response to your request for information below.

Can you please advise if Hillingdon Council have ever bid for funding from the GLA Decent Homes Programme fund?

No.  I can advise that the London Borough of Hillingdon completed all its decent homes programme and did not need to apply to the GLA Fund.

Data Protection &

Freedom of Information Officer
Legal Services (3E 04)
London Borough of Hillingdon
Civic Centre
High Street
Uxbridge
UB8 1UW

With site surveys finding that insulation on certain properties is sub standard and that some windows that have been fitted may not be totally safe, I find the council’s reluctance to apply for funding that is available to them staggering.

My investigations have also uncovered some alarming potential safety breaches which are being looked in  to further by contacts of mine in both the political and media sphere and I will report back again with further news in the New Year

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Flytipping on the Charville Lane Estate

I have received the following email from Hillingdon Council democratic services following two petitions on the Charville Lane Estate to sort out the persistent flytipping around, Hoppner, Romney and Raeburn Roads

Dear Mr Dixon

Having liaised with colleagues in Residents Services, I understand that the proposal for a fencing and gating scheme for Hoppner Road has been agreed in principle and that financial approval is now being sought and consultation for the proposed works will be carried out with the residents.

As officers have addressed the issues that you have raised, unless I hear from you by 26 October 2017, no further action will be taken by Democratic Services in relation to your petition.

Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely

Nikki O’Halloran
Democratic Services Manager

With local council elections next year, I feel sure that the councillors representing the Charville Ward will want to get on board and make sure that this initiative is followed through on with the funding it deserves – after all, the council spend over £100k each year on their ‘Hillingdon people’ self promotion magazine and over £80k last year on the pretty flower baskets that now adorn the visible routes through the area.

Response to Petition for Traffic Calming in Langdale Drive

I have had the below response from Hillingdon Council regarding the follow up petition

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Petition for Road resurfacing in Goshawk Gardens and Adelphi Crescent

I have now had a response from the Council which is reproduced below –

16 December 2016

Dear Mr Dixon

Re:      Carriageway Surface Condition – Goshawk Gardens and Adelphi Crescent

I refer to your petition dated 6 August 2016 regarding the carriageway condition in Goshawk Gardens and Adelphi Crescent, Hayes, and wish to thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention.

In Hillingdon, and in common with other highway authorities in the UK, there is a substantial waiting list of roads, particularly residential and local roads, in need of major resurfacing. Unfortunately, this list greatly exceeds the amount of funding usually available, which means that we have to prioritise accordingly.

Roads for inclusion on the Council’s carriageway resurfacing programmes are usually identified from two sources.  Firstly, each year the Council carries out visual surveys on all roads to establish their structural condition, in accordance with the national standard, the UKPMS [United Kingdom Pavement Management System].  The results are used to calculate Best Value Performance Indicators and also produce priority lists from which roads for treatment are selected.

Secondly, officers maintain a separate list that is based on the condition of the surface of the road. These normally do not appear on the list for structural condition that measures such defects as fine cracks, unevenness etc., but on defects such as potholes and the wear and loss of surface material.  These defects are more visually apparent and are usually identified from the results of highways inspectors routine safety inspections or from service requests or defect reports from ward councillors or members of the public.  From the two lists, officers prepare their recommendations for inclusion in highways maintenance capital programmes based on the amount of funding available. Surfacing these roads will achieve two objectives, firstly to improve performance indicators and secondly to reduce on-going maintenance costs such as patching. Roads that do not make the recommended list are placed on a reserve list for consideration in future programmes, as and when funding is made available.

I confirm that both Goshawk Gardens and Adelphi Crescent are on the list for consideration of roads requiring treatment for inclusion in a future programme of works, the timing of which will be subject to available funding and other priorities.

In the meantime, officers will identify the concrete slabs that are broken and issue works orders for the repairs and will continue to monitor the carriageway condition and carry out isolated repairs as and when major defects are identified as a result of routine safety inspections, or reported to us by the Council’s Contact Centre.

I hope this information is helpful.

Yours sincerely

Gurmeet Matharu MIHT

Principal Engineer

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Charville ward update – 13th December 2016

On the ward rounds, flytipping has again unfortunately been all too evident

Once again, the tippers have been dropping in front of the ‘no dumping’ sign in Chesil Way.

Chesil Way is a part of the Kingshill Avenue Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) and as such the local Police are aware of anti social issues in the vicinity.

Hopefully, with the recent announcement of additional officers for the borough we will see extra patrols that will deter this.

In the meantime, we reported the tipping and were advised that it will be dealt with on reference 5542402

The Charville Lane estate has also seen instances of dumping, this time in the garage and green area on alleyway H3 between Romney Road and Raeburn Road.

This was brought to our attention by a Romney Road resident and has been reported for clearance, ref no 5555656

Thankfully, the other alleyway (H2) seems to be fairly clear after the last clean up that we arranged.

Our thanks as always to the Council Maintenance team for their prompt response.

The cascade flower box on Kingshill Avenue that was vandalised on our last rounds has now been repaired with the top two tiers replaced and re-planted. Hopefully, it will stay that way and not cost more time and taxpayers money to maintain.

Cliff Dixon

Do you have an issue that you have been unable to resolve through normal channels? Please feel free to contact us on 07939 223659 or via email cliff.dixon@englishpatriot.co.uk 

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Charville Ward Update – 18th November 2016

We have had a reply regarding the traffic calming petition for Langdale Drive which is reproduced below. It would appear that traffic approaching from Charville Lane is running at an excessive speed and whilst the Council claim that speeds are appropriate on Langdale Drive itself it does not take in to account the two bends which will obviously affect the average speed. We will be following up…..

Dear Mr Dixon,

London Borough of Hillingdon – Road Safety Programme

Thank you very much for your petition to the Council concerning vehicle speeds in Langdale Drive, Hayes.

The independent 24 hour / 7 day speed survey has been completed at five locations. Three on Langdale Drive, one on Lanbsury Drive and one on Charville Lane.  Please find attached the location plan. The data has been analysed and the results have been discussed with the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transportation and Recycling.

The results show the majority of vehicles were travelling between 20 and 30 mph. The 85%ile speeds in Langdale Drive are below 30mph. The following charts show the 85%ile speeds for the five locations. The 85^th percentile speed is the speed at or below 85% of all vehicles are observed to travel. This is a nationally recognised method of assessing traffic speeds as it effectively refers to the majority of traffic movements.

At present, the speed results show drivers are driving at an appropriate speed for the road. These results unfortunately do not give the Council sufficient evidence to justify further investigations into physical traffic calming measures in Langdale Drive at this time.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

Caroline Haywood

Technical Assistant, Transport & Projects

c.c.: File 1/08970

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Parking Issues at Hayes & Harlington train station – Tuesday 15th November 2016

We have been contacted by a number of residents who have received parking tickets whilst dropping off at our local train station.

The branch raised this with UKIP London Assembly member David Kurten (Pictured above – left )who sits on the Transport Committee – he subsequently contacted the Mayor’s Office.

This was the reply he received –

Parking Charge Notices

Question No: 2016/2911

David Kurten

There have been reports of many motorists being charged PCNs in Station Approach at Hayes and Harlington station for simply dropping people off or picking people up outside the station. Apparently the road is private, but motorists have no reason to believe this or consider this as it looks like a normal road, but are told after they receive a PCN that they should know as there is a sign by the station stating as such. What will the Mayor do to ensure that motorists do not continue to be stung by what they may justifiably consider to be a ‘shakedown’?

Written response from the Mayor

As you know, Station Approach in Hayes does not form part of Transport for London’s Road Network. Therefore, I can confirm no Penalty Charge Notices have been issued to members of the public by either TfL or the MPS on that road.

However, I have asked TfL to raise your concerns directly with Great Western who manage the station and the surrounding area.

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Botwell & Townfield Ward message – Sunday 23rd October 2016

Posted by Cliff Dixon

Sir / Madam ,
My name is Guru G Singh , I am 71 .

I run a small charity in Hayes
In 2018. we will be celebrating our 25th anniversary – for that, we will be launching some wonderful work in the community
It is imperative that we respond to the plight of families and the over 60’s
that are going through a rough time in FOOD POVERTY .

6 years ago I was stopped from serving the community by 2 Labour councillors and the RT. Hon John McDonnell MP did nothing to help us in continuing our help to
the poor members of the community . (Press article below)

This situation is getting worse where children are suffering due to food poverty .
I have NO CHOICE but to help the community . ( Please note- this time
I will NOT stop helping people even if it means going to prison )

I invite you to join us on 26 October at Orchard Practice , Station Road , Hayes for the launch of our 60 PLUS Winter project and distribution of packs of Hats , gloves, socks and other items  to Old Age Pensioners , the blind and disabled .

After the Diwali Celebration on Monday 31st October we will be giving out FREE cooked food and other help to families with children , over 60’s , the homeless and other
poor members of the community .
If you require further information or clarification please contact me by
e mail or ring the help line

Guru , G, Singh
Jai Kali Sevadars

jaikalisevadars@yahoo.com

07990 770619

nb – This message is from an independent community activist in Hayes and no link is implied or actual with UKIP Hillingdon

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Hillingdon Council – style over substance – 11th October 2016

Posted by Cliff Dixon

I was pleasantly surprised on my most recent walk around Charville Ward in Hayes End to see communication from one of our local ward councillors on the doormats of the residents. This is the first time I have seen this outside of election times – obviously the Conservative polls are telling them that they might have a problem from UKIP at the next local elections as we are visible and helping people!

But let us have a look at what they are actually communicating –

Road safety improvements for schools

The leaflet trumpets that the Council are spending £1.7 million installing cameras outside schools to keep yellow lines clear. We are all for anything that improves safety for schoolchildren but if they are so worried then why have they rejected out of hand residents petitions for traffic calming near the school in Swan Road in West Drayton? Indeed, in Charville ward where these leaflets were put out we are still waiting to hear about the traffic calming petition heard in January for Langdale Drive, although we recently thanked them for putting up a camera there under the scheme – it would appear it is for yellow lines and not speeding cars though, hence their reticence in engagement.

The more sceptical might conclude that they are more interested in traffic fines than slowing the traffic down.

Green Flag for Park Road Green Space

Excellent – we all enjoy open spaces. Having said that, some of the green flag parks have serious issues – it took a UKIP led petition to get the council to treat and clear the rodents out from Yiewsley Recreation Ground whilst the litter issues in Harlington Fields are well documented and have been brought up by our Greater London Assembly Members with London Mayor Sadiq Khan

Beautiful Community Garden

I have seen this in the flats at Weald Way – well done to Councillor Fyfe for liaising with local residents to spend the ward budget in this way

Home Farm Update

Council leader Ray Puddifoot, commenting on the sale of green belt land at Home Farm, stated ” One of the reasons I became a councillor was to fight the then Labour Administrations policy of building on green land – those days will not return”.

Really? Under his stewardship, we have lost green belt land at Lake Farm where his administration decided to build a school on the country park when many brownfield sites were available.

A report from the Department for Communities and Local Government stated that between 2013 and 2015 up to 40% of all new homes in Hillingdon were built on green belt land, the third worst council in the country for doing so.

Forgive me if I don’t trust you to stop development on our local open space

Road Resurfacing

The leaflet trumpeted the resurfacing of ‘Bury Avenue Road’ – sorry Cllr Puddifoot, it is Bury Avenue which we had flagged up two years ago. Thanks for doing the job but at least be informed enough to get the name right!

We were also informed that Portland Road and Meadow View Road would be next. Whilst we welcome these works (UKIP Hillingdon flagged Meadow View Road last year and were promised action on works reference 4531347) there are through roads with much worse surfaces that need to be done first.

The image above shows damage on the junction of Adelphi Way and Adelphi Crescent – we initiated contact with the council over the poor state of the road there last year and followed up with a petition from residents two months ago which we have still not heard about. Buses use Goshawk Gardens and Adelphi Crescent which are a major through route with the roads being in such a bad state the vibration is causing major damage to homes in the area.

Flowers on Kingshill Avenue

The leaflet made a big point about the new flower arrangements on Kingshill Avenue. We had already voiced our concerns in previous articles about how well these could be maintained in light of the cuts to maintenance service teams but even we were not prepared for what has happened since.

This is a photo taken yesterday of the pot in the picture on the Conservative leaflet. The top section has been stolen and the remainder of the arrangement is in a sorry state – the second tower is intact but the flowers are not properly maintained.

A freedom of information request has revealed that the council spent £1150 relocating these cascade planters from Hayes Town (which is currently under redevelopment) and a grand total of £80,869.39 for displays around the borough – some of which are mounted in central reservations on major roads and are a visual impediment to drivers.

Meanwhile, many verges remain overgrown as do open green spaces.

Surely it would make more sense to keep our green spaces maintained properly rather than spending vast amounts of your cash on show projects whilst the basics go to rack and ruin?

A final thought

The branch were contacted after one of our recent leaflet runs by a retired gentleman who had his carbon monoxide alarm removed by council workers for maintenance. When he chased it up, he was informed that due to cuts it would not be returned.

UKIP Hillingdon sent emails to Cllr Ray Puddifoot (Listed as the older persons champion) and Cllr Peter Davis (West Drayton & Yiewsley Senior Citizens Association) to chase this up without response. We then contacted Age UK for advice to be told that this is now commonplace and to get in touch with our local Fire Service for advice.

They told us that they deal with smoke alarms but not carbon monoxide devices and suggested that the gentleman buy another.

We have now ordered a new device from our branch funds and will be presenting this to Mr Ashford at the end of the week.

When the council spend £80k on flowers and over £100k on their propaganda magazines but can’t spend £20 on a device that could save an older persons life then you know that they have their priorities all wrong – a real case of style over substance.

Remember that at the ballot box during the next local elections

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West Drayton update – 22nd September 2016

Posted by Cliff Dixon

Our team visited The Wise Lane Estate last weekend, delivering our new newspapers and talking with residents.

The flytipping that we reported on our last run round seems to have been cleared but more has appeared at the top of The Brambles and on Harlington Road, including the fridge in the picture left.

This has been reported to the Council maintenance team who have promised a further clear up on ref 5389042.

The flytippers also appear to have a warped sense of humour as can be seen from the picture below

This is not the first time we have seen rubbish dumped next to ‘no dumping’ signs in the area – perhaps the cuts to Police Community Support Officers who monitor such blackspots have emboldened the tippers?

Our thanks to the maintenance team for their swift response.

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Charville Ward update – 12th September 2016

Posted by Cliff Dixon

In the previous update, I mentioned that we had not received a reply from Hillingdon Council regarding the traffic calming petition that was submitted to the Council and heard back on 20th January.

Whilst out doing my ward rounds yesterday, a new camera appears to have been fitted on one of the speeding hotspots in Langdale Drive that was mentioned at the hearing.

Thank you to the Council for listening – next time, please let us know what action you have taken so we can spread the good news!

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Charville Ward Update – September 2016

Posted on Wednesday 7th September by Cliff Dixon

Over the last few weeks I have been out delivering our new newspapers and checking up on issues our team reported to the council on the ground.

Charville Lane estate flytipping

The branch assisted local residents with a petition that got the rubbish around the garages between Hoppner and Romney Roads cleared up. Since then, I have revisited and had a second clear up done but yet again the flytippers were back when I visited at the weekend.

More worryingly, a large pane of glass had been dumped which fortunately one of the residents had propped up against a wall after seeing some children nearly run over it on their bikes (Below)

I have reported this for a further clear up and also alerted the local Police Safer Neighbourhood Team to the issue.

On the positive side, a dangerous pothole on the pathway in Romney Road that was reported in my last update has now been filled in – well done to the Council Maintenance team for reacting promptly to this (picture left)

Langdale Drive road repair and traffic calming

A petition was submitted earlier this year for traffic calming in Langdale Drive and a road survey was promised by Cabinet Member for highways Cllr Keith Burrows.

I have had confirmation that the survey was carried out but worryingly it was done during the school holidays when traffic would have been light. I have emailed Cllr Burrows for an update but have yet to hear back.

Disturbingly, the road repairs that were promised over a year ago have not yet been carried out and a reliable source has informed me that only two roads in Charville are scheduled for attention at the present time with no timescale for those repairs – Portland Road and Meadow View Road. Whilst we applaud any repairs that are done, neither is a major thoroughfare or in as poor a condition as Langdale Drive. We will be chasing this up with both the Council and the local Councillors as it is clearly unacceptable.

Goshawk Gardens and Adelphi Crescent 

In our last report we advised of the petition being raised for resurfacing of these roads. There was also an extremely dangerous manhole cover in Goshawk Gardens that was in danger of falling apart. The maintenance team have carried out repair to the manhole to make it more secure (Pictured above) and we are awaiting response to the resurfacing petition from the Council.

Kingshill Avenue
In our last report we pointed out the new flower boxes that have been installed in place of the bench and posed the question as to whether these would be properly maintained bearing in mind the cut backs to maintenance teams.

Unfortunately, it would appear that our fears were confirmed upon visiting on Sunday with part of the display ripped out and some of it wilting in the sun (picture left)

There was also evidence of continued drug taking despite the imposition of a PSPO (Public Spaces Dispersal Order) by the local Police.

I have emailed Inspector Andy Lewis about this to alert the Safer Neighbourhoods Team to the ongoing problem.

Above – Discarded ‘hippy crack’ canisters outside the shops on Kingshill Avenue

Do you have an issue you would like addressed? If so, please get in touch on 07939 223659 or by email cliff.dixon@englishpatriot.co.uk 

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Botwell & Townfield update – August 2016
With the works underway in Hayes Town to re-open the pedestrian area, the branch was contacted by a local interfaith worker regarding some of the serious issues with pavements that appear to be outside the boundary of the work.

With our Ward Rep currently away, branch chairman Cliff Dixon met with the Guru (pictured together at a previous meeting) to asses the situation and feed back these concerns to the maintenance team

After a few hours walking around the area with a clipboard, the following email was sent over with images to the maintenance department –

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Charville update – August 2016

With the media whipping up a frenzy about alleged rifts in UKIP (they have advertising space/newspapers to sell after all), it is business as usual here in Hillingdon.

Residents have again been getting in touch with issues in the area and to this end our teams have been out following up on the streets and trying to improve the local environment.

Road Damage

Last September, our ward rep contacted Hillingdon council about the poor state of the road surface in Goshawk Gardens and Adelphi Crescent, Hayes. The slabs are breaking apart and moving, with the problem exacerbated by the buses that now use the roads – indeed, when buses travel across the slabs the movement can be felt quite violently by anybody standing nearby. This has led to structural damage on a number of houses with plaster cracking and falling off and residents complaining of vibration throughout their houses.

As the road deteriorates, surface noise also increases and many tales of late night disturbance have been relayed.

The Council maintenance team replied in February that a repair had been booked (Ref 4601969/4601978) but no timescale was given. When followed up and the point pressed that a resurface rather than a repair was needed, the maintenance team confirmed that it would only be a repair and no timescale was given.

With the Referendum and GLA elections out of the way, a petition was organised and the team canvassed the area last Sunday (7th August) garnering treble the amount of signatures needed to force the council to address the issue. (Ward rep Cliff Dixon is pictured above with the petition board)

A deteriorating situation

It became clear on the walk around the two roads that the surface had got much worse in the 6 weeks since the area was last visited

One resident drew our attention to a manhole cover in Goshawk Gardens that is now structurally unsound with loud noise generated whenever a vehicle passes over it. Further inspection showed the road surface cracked and moving when slight foot pressure was exerted on it (picture above). This has been reported to the Council this morning via email  as a matter of urgency with the Charville ward Councillors copied in.

The slabs where Adelphi Crescent meets with Adelphi Way are in particularly poor condition with visible movement of the surface as vehicles pass over them – some residents told us of plaster dust falling from their window frames due to the excessive vibration!

The petition is being submitted this week and we will keep residents updated with developments.

Hillingdon in Bloom

Many flower baskets are turning up around the borough and adding a touch of colour to our streets. In Kingshill Avenue, the bench that was recently installed on the parade and was a magnet for antisocial behaviour has now been removed and replaced with a multi level flower box.

Whilst this greening of Hayes is welcome, I am concerned that with the cuts to the maintenance teams these boxes may struggle to be maintained. The Kingshill Avenue box already had signs of damage when our team was out at the weekend and some of the flowers seemed to be wilting in the heat.

Hillingdon council seem to be popping these boxes in willy nilly around the borough whilst cuts are being made to essential services – many grass verges seem to be badly overgrown and unkempt whilst they make these grand marquee gestures with your money.

However, one initiative that I believe they do need a pat on the back for are the areas in our parks where wild flowers have been sown amongst sections where the grass has been allowed to grow longer to provide an environment for bees and other wildlife (Knights Gardens pictured above). This is a very low cost way to create a splash of colour with little maintenance and is very environmentally friendly at the same time. Well done to the Parks Team who have pioneered this initiative.

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West Drayton update

Charville Ward Update – May 2016

Whilst the branch has been incredibly busy with the recent GLA elections and the upcoming EU referendum, we still keep an eye on things in our respective wards.

Return of rubbish to the garages/alleyway between Hoppner Road and Romney Road

The branch co-ordinated a petition which got the flytipping cleared up earlier in the year. However, some rubbish has returned (pictured) which I have contacted Maintenance Services about at the Council and they have advised me they will be arranging another clear up (Job ref 5107172)

Dangerous pathway in Romney Road

Part of the pavement has collapsed in and poses a serious trip risk (I caught my walking shoe on it which tore the front sole down)

This has also been reported and the team have given me the reference number 5107232, advising me that it will be dealt with.

Traffic Calming in Langdale Drive

The Council have advised that they have carried out the speed survey promised during the petition hearing and will get back to me. After consultation with Cllr Fyfe, he told me that this was carried out during a school holiday which makes me suspicious if we get a negative response. Will keep you advised.

Break up of Road Surface in Adelphi Crescent and Goshawk Gardens

Having consulted with the road maintenance team, I have been advised that this has been scheduled for repair. However, with the movement of the slabs any such repair would likely break up within months and the real solution is a full resurface. Residents have advised me that the vibration caused by buses is causing cracks to the walls of their properties and I am unconvinced that a basic repair would do anything to mitigate it.

The branch will keep the pressure on and advise

Do you have any issues in your part of Charville ward that you would like UKIP Hillingdon to look in to? Please feel free to contact me via email – cliff.dixon@englishpatriot.co.uk 

Working together as a community, we can get things done

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Protest against Powerday in West Drayton

During a Council Planning Meeting on 17th December 2015, Powerday once again submitted an application to develop the site of the Old Coal Yard on Tavistock Road in to a waste recycling centre despite it being close to a major area of housing.

A demonstration was arranged earlier today (30th December) by West Drayton ward councillor Jan Sweeting (Lab) where all members of the local community were asked to attend and show our opposition to the scheme. UKIP Hillingdon agree with this stance and were happy to turn up and lend our support to the protest

If the application is successful, we will see Powerday lorries bringing 450,000 tonnes of industrial waste per year in to the heart of our community and further congestion on both Yiewsley and West Drayton High Streets as well as Swan Road.

The deadline for comments to the Council on the application is 27th January – You can make your voice heard by going to the following link on the Council website http://w10.hillingdon.gov.uk/OcellaWeb/planningDetails?reference=18736/APP/2015/4457&from=planningSearch

Alternatively, there are a number of petition forms in local shops on West Drayton High Street.

Powerday have been turned down before when they proposed their development of this site – Working together as a community we can make sure they are turned down again

Save Hayes Park Green Belt

Labour – Putting party politics ahead of local people

In a recent post, I highlighted issues in the Charville ward in Hayes that had been brought to my attention by local residents. These had been relayed to the local councillors to look in to, which elicited the following response from Labour’s John Oswell

Cliff,

I did’nt realise that you lived in Charville ward and that you are a representative there, just who do you represent?, if you look carefully I think you might just find that the ward has three elected Councillors and guess what, you are not one of them.

Can I suggest that you leave Charville matters to elected ward Councillors who actually are all very active on ward issues and that is without any help from you, I might add,

Cllr. John Oswell. 

This is the first response I have had from Cllr Oswell (left) to several issues that had been forwarded on to him (Although he may wish to check any future replies for punctuation and spelling)  – I have had confirmed receipts of previous emails from both Cllr East (Lab) and Cllr Fyfe (Con). It is interesting too that the Deputy Leader of the Labour Group, supposedly the opposition to the ruling Conservative Council, has replied in a similar way to Council Leader Ray Puddifoot when responding to reports of issues in the ward. Maybe they don’t like the cosy Lab-Con duopoly being challenged by a party that is active and actually cares for the residents away from the political scene?

I decided that this email needed a response, which was sent earlier and can be viewed below –

Good evening John

Thanks for getting back to me – This is the first time I have heard from you despite copying you in to emails regarding issues in your ward that I thought might warrant your attention as the elected representative (I have had acknowledgements of receipt on various matters from the other 2 Charville councillors previously)

To clarify, UKIP have ward representatives in place in key areas who stood in last years elections – That is the purpose of an opposition party, to assist any local people who come to us with problems they have not been able to resolve via other avenues and to hold those in position to account. Labour are not the ruling party on Hillingdon Council as they did not get elected to power, by your rationale would they then not be entitled to mount an opposition to things they disagree with and assist local residents with problems?

In my own case, I was a Charville resident for a number of years and not only met my wife in the ward but also ran a local business selling and repairing mobile phones where I became a recognisable face in the area. This is why I still receive regular contact from residents when they have an issue – Many have relayed to me that they do not know who their ward councillors are and trust me to follow up on their problems, hence why I copy you and Cllr’s Fyfe and East in to complaints so you can investigate. The fact that the first contact I have had from you is to speak to me like an unruly schoolchild rather than address their concerns does not cover you in glory.

I would suggest that if you are as active as you say then those residents would be aware of who you are and would be contacting you directly rather than approaching UKIP Hillingdon to get things sorted out.

Having said that, I have solid links to Charville and have never stood for election outside of the ward in local elections and the constituency in Parliamentaries because I identify with the community and the area. Your own record shows that you were a councillor in Pinkwell, a candidate for Yiewsley in last year’s local elections (Where you failed to get elected in one of Labour’s main targets) and then the candidate for Charville in the by-election where you scraped in by 21 votes (Which many Tories blame myself and UKIP for).

This suggests a history of switching areas to try and win a seat rather than working with your local community for their betterment – Especially as your home address is in a solid Conservative area yet you have never stood for election there. Sometimes, having the right logo on the ballot paper can win you a seat irrespective of your own personal merits but in those cases many get found out in the long run. Still, there are a number of Labour ‘safe seats’ you have not stood for yet so I am sure you will be OK.

I have no problems working with councillors from other parties when it is in the interests of the residents and have put our activists out in support of campaigns run by your local MP when UKIP feel that it is in the public good (eg Lake Farm, Heathrow Third Runway) – I will be attending the meeting tomorrow night regarding the green belt issue at Hayes Park and have publicly advertised it via our website and social media despite it being organised by John McDonnell MP as I believe it is the right thing to do. The well being of the people of Hayes comes first irrespective of party political allegiance – It may be worth you contemplating that when sending such replies to emails sent in good faith in future.

Update – 28th July – The Council maintenance team have logged the report and have advised that they will be taking action.

Reference for Meadow View Road is S/R 4531347, for Blacklands Drive S/R 4531337.

No need for thanks, Cllr Oswell.

 

The threat to Hayes Park returns

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Hillingdon Council and Charville ward – A Repairs update

Posted 26th July 2015 by Cliff Dixon

Yesterday, I returned to the Charville Lane estate to follow up on some issues I had reported to the council last month.

I am glad to report that the overgrown skip on Romney Road that I reported that was concerning a pensioner has been removed and that the housing repairs that were requested for a young lady on Hoppner Road have been scheduled – Well done to the Council team for that.

However, the petition that was submitted to clear up the rubbish and flytipping in the alleys and garage spaces around Hoppner Road, Romney Road and Raeburn Road does not appear to have been acted on and I have not had a further reply after the initial acknowledgement letter of receipt from the Democratic Services team.

Local residents who signed the petition were concerned that their children could be harmed by some of the items left there and as a result are not allowing them outside to play in what they consider a dangerous environment.

Images of the build up have now been emailed to the council and the three ward councillors with a follow up letter from myself requesting further information – Images below

Overgrown alleyway H2

Evidence of drug taking in the alleyways – An empty ‘hippy crack’ canister

Build up of rubbish outside the garages

I have also received further reports of poor street maintenance in the area, as evidenced when out leafleting in Blacklands Drive and Meadow View Road.

As can be seen in the photo above, nothing has been done to keep weed growth in check and it is now coming through and damaging the paving slabs. Treating the weed growth is relatively inexpensive but by allowing it to run wild like this the damage created to the pathways will require expensive repair unless something is done fairly quickly. It also makes the area look unsightly and run down which is not good for residents morale and makes people less likely to try and keep our streets tidy.

I have submitted the images and location to the maintenance team by email with the three ward councillors copied in. (Attempts to report via the on line system on the Council website were once again met with an error message – It would appear Council leader Ray Puddifoot has done nothing about this since I brought it to his attention over a month ago)

I had a number of pleasant conversations on my way around the ward but am increasingly concerned that local residents are not seeing much of their elected councillors. Some did not know who they were, but I was also advised by those that did that the only information they receive on a regular basis apart from the Hillingdon People magazine (Which they were not impressed by) is from UKIP and that I am the only regular face who turns up to discuss their issues. You have to ask – What are they doing for their £10.5k allowances each year?

Something to ponder on the next time you go to the ballot box to elect your local representative

Are you concerned about maintenance of your roads and footpaths? If so. please contact me via the website and we will bring this to the attention of our local Council.

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Ray Puddifoot – Strong leader, aloof bureaucrat or poor communicator?

Yesterday I highlighted a number of issues in Charville ward in Hayes surrounding potholes, flytipping and lack of grasscutting on this website. Because of the council website constantly flagging up ‘error’ when reported, I wrote the post and as stated sent a link through to relevant people by email to address the problems.

Those people included the three ward councillors, the local MP, the councillor listed as being responsible for heritage and environment and the council leader, Ray Puddifoot MBE.

Below is the email that I sent

Good afternoon

As the LB Hillingdon website is once again refusing to allow me to notify issues in Charville ward, please find below a link to said issues that we have highlighted on our website

http://www.ukiphillingdon.com/?p=22191

I would appreciate it if these can be passed on to the relevant departments and email addresses for said departments made available so I can rectify future issues with them directly

A local resident would also like to bring to your attention a skip that has been outside Romney Parade for 6 months and is now a serious rodent hazard. (Pictures attached)

I have copied Cllr Markham in as environment champion at the council

Thanks for your assistance

I received a prompt reply from Cllr Beulah East thanking me for bringing this to her attention, followed by the below email from Ray Puddifoot

Cliff,

Let me explain to you how an elected Council works. The borough is divided into geographical wards each represented by three councillors, with the exception of Harefield where there are two. Every four years in each ward the local residents elect the councillors that they wish to represent them. When residents have an issue in their ward to contact one of the councillors who will take up the matter on their behalf. I have no idea where you live but you can find the councillors for your ward on the council website. As you failed to get elected as a councillor the Council as an organisation will only react to you as a resident.

Cllr Markham is the Hertage Champion not the Environment Champion.

Regards

Ray

PS Please feel free to put this response on your website to avoid any further confusion.

I felt that this required a further reply, posted below

My reply to Councillor Puddifoot

Dear Ray

Thanks for your reply, I have posted it on our website to ‘avoid confusion’ as you requested.

I am well aware of how the council system works, having now stood in a local election and by-election in Charville ward. This is why the ward councillors were copied in on the email so they could follow it up – Cllr East has acknowledged receipt of the email already.

However, as leader of the council you are no doubt aware that your website has a section where individuals can report incidences of flytipping directly. I have attempted to use this service on several occasions and it has yet to work properly – Local residents have contacted me because they too have been unable to report these issues by what is an approved channel, hence my email copying in the councillors.

As leader of the council I thought it prudent to send an email to you so that you could investigate and hopefully rectify why this service is not working on the site, or highlight it to the person responsible for IT. Having run a successful business before, I was always appreciative of my customers bringing any customer service issues to my attention if they had not been able to deal with them via channels available.

If it is directly down to the councillors to rectify all such issues, then why are Hillingdon Council requesting people to volunteer as ‘Street Champions’ to highlight such problems in their area? Indeed, why do you have sections on the Council website for problem reporting if this is solely the job of the Councillors?

I am also aware of a case in West Drayton surrounding traffic issues on Swan Road where two of the elected councillors brought residents concerns to the attention of the council, backed up by a large petition (Reported on this week in the local Gazette newspaper). Not only did you reject this out of hand, but the residents cannot get an answer as to why and your replies by email to them personally have not only failed to illuminate the reasons but in some cases have been extremely curt. If you suggest that residents put all issues through their councillors, then why are you then not listening via the channel you yourself have advised both them and myself to use?

Furthermore, UKIP Hillingdon are getting an increasing number of enquiries for help regarding street cleanliness, housing issues and planning. This would suggest (As backed up by street surveys we have carried out) that residents are unaware of who their councillors are, despite the council spending over £100k per year in self promotion via the internet and the ‘Hillingdon People’ magazine.

This would also suggest that you, as leader of the council, need to review your strategy on how you get information out so that local people can contact those you say are responsible for dealing with the issues rather than having to come through us to get a resolution. Having said that, we have two Labour Councillors in Charville ward and no Labour councillors are ever referred to in Hillingdon People so it is hardly surprising that residents have a very low recognition of those elected to represent them. Even when they do, as per the example in West Drayton, you simply seem to ignore them if they are not of your own political stripe.

It is also noticeable that those residents do not have any problem contacting our branch despite having a limited budget to get our information out and a small team of volunteers to deliver it (Hillingdon People is delivered by paid companies, as can be seen in the picture to the left, out of taxpayers money)

Outside of election times, I am as you say merely a resident as I did not get elected. Interestingly enough, your candidate for Charville, Mary O’Connor,  also failed to get elected in the two contests last year yet is now listed on LBH website as the ‘Champion’ for health, wellbeing and disabilities. One has to ask how someone who has been rejected by the people at the last two attempts can be in a position of influence (No doubt with the associated allowances and expenses) with no mandate, yet you appear irritated by the local chairman of a major political party bringing resident’s issues to your attention? Can you explain the difference between myself as a resident and Ms O’Connor as a resident?

It is also telling that you say that you have ‘no idea’ where I live – You were quite happy to have your picture and quotes on leaflets promoting Ms O’Connor in both elections where it states that she is the ‘only local candidate standing in this election’ (below)

This either suggests that you know where I live or were knowingly putting out a false statement of knowledge on election material?

As for Cllr Markham, he is listed on the council website as being the ‘Heritage and Environment champion’ – I would say that local green areas come under environment, wouldn’t you? If not, then again I would suggest that you speak with your IT people to update the site to make it more accurate and help to direct residents to the relevant ‘champion’ for their particular issues.

Summing up, can I thank you again for pointing out that future issues should go through the councillors.

Whether that will get the desired results when on a number of occasions they are blatantly ignored by yourself despite major residents support remains to be seen.

It would appear that the ‘Cabinet and strong leader’ model that Hillingdon Council employs means that a large number of borough residents are disenfranchised – Interestingly, of the eight councillors listed as being on the cabinet, only one (Cllr Burrows) represents a ward south of the A40. (Cabinet below)

To this end, UKIP Hillingdon will continue to work with local councillors from all parties and local residents via any means available to us to try and improve our area, including petitions and where necessary peaceful demonstration.

Your continued use of a failed ‘Town Hall Pravda*’ to constantly promote your political aims whilst not providing clear contact points, disdain for the concerns of local people and your appointment of fellow party members to positions of power when they have been rejected at the ballot box by the electorate are all pretty clear by your recent actions.

I know some political leaders (Especially in the EU) like to operate that way, but expected better of the leader of Hillingdon council. Still, if the ‘tache fits….

 Kind Regards

CLIFF DIXON

 * ‘Town Hall Pravda’ – A phrase used by former Conservative Communities minister Eric Pickles MP to describe local council magazines such as Hillingdon People. Government guidelines state that such publications should only be put out a maximum of 4 times per year – Hillingdon Council put out 6 editions per year.

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