In a public question at this month’s full Council meeting, Cllr Eddie Lavery – Cabinet Member for Community & Environment, was asked:
“Please consider charging an entrance fee for visitors (to the Ruislip Lido) from outside the Borough of Hillingdon. The attached article means that the Ruislip Lido will be visited by thousands of visitors, free of charge to enjoy the beach etc. The sufferers of this will be Hillingdon residents paying Council tax. The visitors park all across the surrounding area causing problems for the residents. I have been a resident of Leaholme Way for 48 years and am an exHillingdon Council pensioner. I have made this request 2-3 times before. No joy.”
The attached article is from the Express website with the headline “Secret sandy beach just 30 minutes from central London” and
is shown in the agenda as an extract:
“There’s a sandy beach in London that many don’t know about. A beach in London might sound like a myth, but for those in the know, Ruislip Lido offers a surprising slice of coastal charm just 30 minutes from the heart of the capital. Nestled on the edge of Ruislip Woods National Nature Reserve in Northwest London, Ruislip Lido is fast becoming a viral sensation after a TikTok video by user Callum Ryan revealed its sandy shoreline and 60-acre lake to a wider audience”
The resident asking the question was not present, so the Mayor read out the question on his behalf.
Cllr Lavery is not obliged to answer the question in public at the meeting if the resident asking the question is not present.
So he didn’t.
The resident will get a written copy of Cllr Lavery’s answer “in due course” and we expect to see a copy of it in the minutes of the meeting, once they are published. At the time of writing this post – on Thursday afternoon, almost a week after the meeting, the minutes are not yet live… we’ll update this page as soon as we can with the answer, once it is available.
I am aware of your long-standing residency in Leaholme Way and welcome your continued engagement with the Council regarding Ruislip Lido. As you are aware, Ruislip Lido is a popular attraction appealing to many groups from those who enjoy walking their dog or running but also to those wishing to enjoy a day out. The Council is aware of the quoted article which does originate some years ago and is unhelpful in publicising the beach area at The Lido. We have raised this with the authors.
You mention that you have raised the question of a charge on previous occasions and I am aware of this fact. Let me assure you that the Council has considered this option on more than one occasion and sought advice on this. Survey data has shown that the majority of visitors are Hillingdon Residents although not necessarily from Ruislip.
The recurring issue is that the Lido also has multiple entrances from the car parks and public footpaths in the woods meaning the introduction of a charge is not straight forward.
We understand the impact that increased visitor numbers—particularly from outside the Borough—can have on residents, especially in terms of parking and general congestion, but please be assured that we have carefully considered various options and have already implemented measures aimed at mitigating these issues. These include enhanced parking enforcement, increased signage, and ongoing monitoring of visitor impact during peak times.
We are committed to continuing to explore further solutions that balance accessibility with the needs of our residents.
UPDATE 2: That survey? It turns out there was never a survey. Oops.
Comments are closed.