Ruislip Residents' Association

The Fun Day on 10th November in Victoria Road was a great success, thanks to the efforts of the Ruislip Manor Chamber of Commerce, led by Les Drussel, who had been working hard for months before.    There were stalls of every kind - food, gifts, charities, fun for the children - and us.    The rain held off, the wind was gentle, the temperature was mild - everything we had hoped for!.



Our stall was visited by many members and non-members.   The big talking points were the various proposals for improving this retail area now that, thanks to big awards, it has money to spend.    We ran a survey to find out which three proposals have most support - the outcome of this will be included in our response to the public consultation on the issue.

Another big talking point was the splendid window displays competing to be the best.  They certainly bring a big face-lift to local shops. 

The big moment in the afternoon came as it grew dark - the lighting of the Christmas decorations by the Mayor, Cllr Michael Markham.

We have captured some of these moments in the photos below.   We hope they stir happy memories.

Hillingdon Council and the Mayor of London have committed substantial funding for Ruislip Manor Town Centre over the next 2 years. 

The Stop and Shop parking scheme in Victoria Road is already in place. 

Hillingdon Council is seeking views from the public on which other improvements to introduce.  There are 3 ways in which you can have your say:

1.  An online survey can be completed at:

 http://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/article/25806/Ruislip-Manor-Town-Centre-improvements-consultation        

(Click the address to see the website)

2. There will be public information displays at:

  Ruislip Manor Library, Linden Avenue, Ruislip, HA4 8TW

            From Monday 5^th November until Friday 23^rd November

3. Staffed Public Exhibitions will be held at:

“Meanwhile in the Manor”, 93 Victoria Road, Ruislip Manor on: 

(i)   Wednesday 7^th November from 10am to 7pm· 

(ii)  Saturday 10^th November from 12pm to 6pm· 

(iii) Thursday 15^th November from 1pm to 8pm

More details are available on the council’s website at the address above.

Traders in Ruislip Manor's Victoria Road have up to December 2013 to apply to Hillingdon Council for grants to improve their shopfronts, with a similar scheme available in Northwood Hills.   An earlier scheme in Hayes proved very successful and we hope that Ruislip Manor too will have a complete face-lift.

The company "Designed by Good People" is working with Hillingdon Council on this project.  Early work is already in progress.  Grants of up to £4,800 are available for each businesses, but the business itself· must pay 20% of the cost of improvements.·

We shall monitor carefully.   Another updating scheme for Ruislip Manor will also bring welcome changes.   Watch this space to be kept up to date.

Shenley Park, in Ruislip Manor, took part in the 2012 Bandstand Marathon  on Sunday 9^th September 2012.    This  was one of hundreds of live performance taking  place at the same time on the same day in outdoor spaces across the UK. 

Locally it was a hugely successful and splendid event, with thousands of people enjoying the music and the wonderful summer weather.   There was a fantastic assortment of local entertainment and scrumptious refreshments available, some provided by local restaurants from nearby Victoria  Road, but some people brought their own picnics.   The children loved it!   It was certainly a day to remember and a great credit to both the organisers and to Hillingdon Council, which hosted the event.

The next big event will be the Ruislip Manor Fun Day in Victoria Road, on Saturday 10th November, when there will be fun for all the family, culminating in lighting up the Christmas decorations.   We shall have a stall and shall hope to meet many of our members there.

Our stall at the Ruislip Manor Fun Day in Victoria Road on 30th June was beset with problems - our display boards blew over, and then the tables too!   However the event was a big success with lots of entertainment for children, many stalls for adults to browse and music into the evening.   The climbing frame was a great magnet!   Local traders deserve a big thank you for organising this event.

The next such event is planned for 10th November 2012.   Ruislip Residents' Association expects to have a stall.   Offers of help are always welcome and taking part in this event is an easy way for members to bcome involved in our affairs 

Introduction of the "Stop and Shop" parking scheme was not universally welcomed and people who previously parked all day on Victoria Road suddenly had to make other arrangements, but most people have to admit that this project has proved a great success.    Buses and lorries can now squeeze past each other more easily and the previous gridlocks are a thing of the past.   Taking just a few inches off the pavement has worked wonders and few people even notice that the inches have gone.   Shoppers can find a parking space near their chosen shop and shopkeepers have an increase in trade.   It seems we all win.   The thirty minutes free parking is a great blessing and encourages casual shopping - people stop to buy a newspaper, cabbage or loaf of bread far more readily if they don't have to pay for parking!   The only gripe is that some parking bays are a longish walk from a meter, off-putting for those in a hurry and a real problem for anyone with mobility problems.  However, the photo of Victoria Road mid-afternoon shows that finding a parking space is no longer a problem.

Valentine's Day brought wonderful news to Ruislip Manor!   Hillingdon Council's bid to the Outer London Fund for the rejuvenation of Ruislip Manor and Northwood Hills shopping areas has resulted in an award of £2.7m!   This is less than the total amount bid for, so it is unclear exactly what the award will buy - but we expect improved lighting, signage and other goodies.  We will update this page as details emerge.

Three different improvement schemes in Ruislip Manor are now converging.

Firstly, road widening to ease traffic congestion in Victoria Road is already complete, so it is now a little easier for buses to pass each other when they meet from opposite directions.   The pavement on the west side of the road has lost a few inches, but that is no great loss. 

At the same time, controlled parking has been introduced, with clearly marked parking spaces.   These are a mixed blessing.   They are generous in size, so are relatively easy for parking, but the total number of spaces is reduced, which is particularly apparent in the roundabout area.   Motorists who are used to parking there find this frustrating. 

However, with the introduction of pay and display, cars are no longer parked on the road while their drivers  take the train to London, and people employed locally no longer park their cars on the road all day .   It is now quicker for shoppers to find parking spaces - and the first half hour is free, so there may be more incentive to use local shops.   Casual shopping will certainly be much easier. 

Secondly, a matched funding scheme to improve Ruislip Manor shop fronts was approved before Christmas.   We await the outcome with great interest.

Thirdly, we have the icing on the cake with this new award!

These improvements are a wonderful boost for the area and will certainly assist local shops to thrive and prosper.

The weather was dry and mild and people turned out in crowds, so the Fun Day was a great success.   Our stall was manned all day by a series of volunteers.   We displayed our publicity boards, met members and visitors, answered questions and soaked up the goodwill and camaraderie of the event.

John Randall MP toured the stalls, much to his credit as following an injury to his foot he was on crutches.   Later in the day the Mayor came too, before the big moment when she switched on the Christmas lights.

Our stall also acted as base for Friends of Pinn Meadows, who collected petition signatures opposing the Eastcote Hockey Club’s new application to put a hard core hockey pitch on to Kings College fields.   They were delighted to see the number of signatures increase significantly.

Photos of the event are happy reminders for those who were there:

John Randall MP with our Executive Member Mary George	The Association's publicity boards	A glimpse of our stall after the Christmas lights were switched on

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