Hayes Community and History Conference: Hayes Town Centre Past, Present and Future

Dear Friend,

Hayes Community and History Conference
Hayes Town Centre Past, Present and Future
Hayes Campus, Uxbridge College, Coldharbour Lane, Hayes
Saturday 10th November 2007
10am – 1.30pm

I am writing to invite you to the Hayes Community and History Conference which is bringing together local residents and local community organisations to examine the history of Hayes Town Centre and to discuss what we want to see for its future.

The aim of the conference is to look at how our town centre has developed over the last century, how it is today and how it could be in the future.

The conference will receive presentations from local historians on the history of the town centre and allow local people to tell their own stories of the development of our town centre over the years.

Looking to the future, the conference will assess the town centre today and then examine the options for the future.

We all know the concerns that local people have expressed about the town centre – for example, it’s cleanliness, whether people feel safe and the lack of facilities.

But major redevelopments are beginning to take place within the town centre and others are planned.

As a community we need to shape these proposals so that the whole community benefits from a thriving, attractive town centre.

This conference will discuss the strategy we need as a community to transform Hayes Town Centre into a place we can take pride in. In addition to having a fascinating overview of the town centre’s history, we will be deciding the concrete steps we will be taking to regenerate our centre.

Please come along and tell others to come who you think may be interested. No need to register in advance, just come and join in this important discussion.

Yours sincerely

John McDonnell MP

Local MP John McDonnell joins vigil at library protest

A vigil is taking place at 11:00am on Saturday 27th October outside Uxbridge Library in protest at the Council’s plans to cut back on the number of librarians and library services within Hillingdon.

Local MP John McDonnell said “I am joining this vigil in support of local librarians because under the guise of modernisation the Council is cutting back on library services and undermining one of the most successful public services in our community. Children’s access to library services and local people’s enjoyment of our libraries will be put at risk by the council’s cuts package”.

Local MP John McDonnell Calls Upon the Prime Minister to Intervene Personally to Resolve Post Office Dispute

Local MP John McDonnell has tabled in Parliament today an Early Day Motion calling upon the Prime Minister to intervene personally to resolve the Post Office dispute.

John said "The Postal Service is a vital community service which is also critical for many businesses. As the sole shareholder and owner of Royal Mail the Government cannot just stand by and do nothing. The union has demonstrated its willingness to negotiate a settlement but the management remains intransigent. I am calling on the Prime Minister to recognise his responsibility in this situation and to intervene to bring all sides together to secure a resolution of the dispute."

Third Runway Proposal Now Under Threat From BAA's Financial Disarray

Just as the Government is about to launch a consultation on the proposal for a third runway at Heathrow it has been revealed that the project is in jeopardy because of the precarious financial position of Ferrovial, the Spanish company that took over BAA last year.

BAA has come under sustained and severe criticism in recent weeks for its management of Heathrow airport. A Competition Commission ruling recently criticised "unacceptable" queuing times at Heathrow Airport and said that the return on capital at BAA's largest airports, including Heathrow, should be slashed.

BAA chief executive Stephen Nelson warned that these cuts in BAA's profits would endanger projects such as the redevelopment of Terminals One and Two.

The Guardian newspaper reported today (4th October) that "It is understood that Ferrovial executives have also questioned whether a third runway at Heathrow would be financially viable".

Local MP John McDonnell said "This is good news for all of us opposed to the further expansion of Heathrow Airport. We have argued for some time that a third runway would not only be an environmental disaster it also would not stack up financially. Ferrovial are clearly having second thoughts about a new runway, which puts the whole scheme in jeopardy".

Charville Lane and Grosvenor Avenue Residents Association Launched

Local MP John McDonnell and local Labour Councillor Peter Curling yesterday (3rd October) convened a public meeting for local residents to launch the Charville Lane and Grosvenor Avenue Residents Association at the Charville Community Centre.

Local residents have been pressing for action by the council to tackle local environmental issues such as fly tipping and blocked drains, in addition to speeding traffic and road safety concerns. In July John McDonnell MP and Councillor Curling undertook a walkabout with local residents and local Police officers to inspect the local area. Strong concerns were expressed at the lack of response from the local council. It was agreed at that stage to attempt to form an association to take forward their plans to improve the local area.

John and Peter convened the public meeting in order to establish the new association.

Local MP John McDonnell said "This association will give local people a strong voice to raise local concerns and to press for action to improve their local community."

Councillor Curling commented "There is a strong sense of community in this area of Hayes and people want to see their concerns about the local environment addressed by the council. The association has been formed to enable us to work together consistently to improve the quality of life of local residents."

Local MP John McDonnell applauds green light for Crossrail

Crossrail, the biggest transport infrastructure project in the UK since the Channel tunnel rail link, is set to go ahead, making Hayes a West London transport hub and contributing to the regeneration of Hayes .

The £16bn project will connect Hayes to Maidenhead in the West and Paddington in Central London, then go on to central London stops at Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street and Whitechapel. The line will then split with spurs emerging at Stratford and Woolwich via Canary Wharf.

Once completed it will enable easy access from our local area to central London, the City and Canary Wharf, increasing local employment opportunities and improving access to the shops and facilities of the capital.

Local MP John McDonnell said: "Crossrail will make a major contribution to the regeneration of Hayes providing fast access to central London. Not only will Crossrail open up job opportunities for local people, this new railway will massively boost the attraction for businesses locating into the town. This announcement is a major breakthrough for our area."