“Detailed Description:

Demolition of existing Yiewsley Library Building and the erection of a 5-storey residential building, comprising 50 dwellings, with 28 undercroft parking spaces (13 for residential and 15 for use by Rabbsfarm Primary School).

The Otterfield Road site proposes the erection of a 5-storey building, comprising 45 dwellings, with 25 car parking spaces (23 for residential and 2 for library users).”

Energy - The proposed new flats will have Gas central heating!

The new flats are being built on Hillingdon Council Land. Hillingdon Council is the Applicant for the Planning Application. Yet they are proposing building brand new flats which have Gas central heating.

If you want to understand why this is such a silly proposal, please watch ‘The Great Climate Fight’ on catch up on Channel 4 TV. The two programmes set out how new build flats and houses are supposed to be Net Zero from 2025. It is possible to build flats which do not use gas central heating. Yet here we are in 2023 with Hillingdon Councillors discussing building flats which will need to have their boilers ripped out and replaced with something less damaging to the environment.

Why not build homes which are energy efficient from the start?

The UK government is being taken to Court in early 2024 about its Net Zero Strategy by Friends of the Earth, Client Earth, and the Good Law Project. The High Court ruled the Government’s strategy was unlawful in 2022. It is failing to meet its Climate Targets.

Pollution

The Air Quality Report included with the Planning Application written by consultants missed a report called ‘Air Quality in Hillingdon: A Guide for Public Health Professionals’ published in February 2022.

You can find this Air Quality report online and on our site here. The report shows that Yiewsley High Street is a pollution hotspot. It also shows all the schools in Hillingdon which are in areas where the pollution levels exceed World Health Organisation limits. These include Yiewsley Schools - St Matthew’s Church of England Primary School, Rabbs Farm Primary School, The Skills Hub, The Young People’s Academy.

What is the proposed new development likely to do to children’s rates of asthma?

The Borough Solicitor writes about the Equalities Act 2010 in the report. In fact, the Act is called the Equality Act 2010. Is this the only piece of law he has got wrong in the report?

The Planning Officer did not include the outcome of the Yiewsley Library Consultation held in October 2022 in the report. The reply we eventually got to our Freedom of Information Act request on this was as follows:

“Question 2. A summary of the consultees' views on the proposed redevelopment, including how many people were in favour of the proposal and how many people were against the proposal.

Summary of the consultees views. The majority who attended were against the proposals, but there were several who were supportive of the general need for more housing.”

The Planning Application that could lead to the current Yiewsley Library being knocked down is being considered on:

Wednesday 6th December 2023 at 19:00 hours in the Council Chamber at the Civic Centre in Uxbridge, High Street, Uxbridge UB8 1UW.

(Note Room change)

Please attend if you can.  You can write to the address above as well to let the Committee know your views. The Agenda is: click here

The Planning Application Officer’s Report (click here) states:

“Formal Description:

Demolition of existing Yiewsley Library Building and the erection of a new residential building on the Yiewsley Library site (Falling Lane) and the erection of a new mixed use building on the former Yiewsley Swimming Pool site (Otterfield Road), with a replacement library at ground floor level, residential uses above and new pedestrian access off of the High Street.”

Please email the Chair of the Planning Committee

The chair of the Planning Committee which decides whether the current Yiewsley Library gets demolished is Cllr Henry Higgins.

Let him know what your views are.

His email address is: HHiggins@hillingdon.gov.uk

and is also listed publicly on the Hillingdon Council website, along with the other councillors on the Planning Committee who you may like to contact as well.  

Ask your friends and neighbours to email him too!

Yiewsley Library April 2023

Yiewsley swimming pool site August 2023