Hillingdon Chamber of Commerce

Update on Morrisons’s plans for Hillingdon

HCC — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 22:01:09 +0000

We have received the following updated information from Morrisons about their planned new supermarket and development near Hillingdon tube station:

Revised store block plan

Bride Hall and Morrisons have been working to refine and improve the proposals for the redevelopment of land at Long Lane, Hillingdon Circus for a mixed-use scheme including a new Morrisons foodstore, residential units, a hotel, car parking and associated local improvements.

Following public and stakeholder consultation since autumn 2011 (including local public exhibitions last November), the development team has progressed with a number of adjustments and refinements. These have been influenced by feedback from stakeholders (including the Ickenham Residents Association and Hillingdon Chamber of Commerce among others) and the comments returned during the public exhibitions.

The purpose of this note is to provide a summary of the main refinements and adjustments that have been made and to bring interested parties up to speed ahead of the planning application being submitted to LB Hillingdon in the coming weeks.

The main changes include:

Revised Residential block plans

Residential: the number of residential units has been reduced from approximately 200 to approximately 100. This has been influenced by comments and concerns received about the potential impacts on local services including the demand for school places.
Design of the building: the overall scale and massing of the development has been reduced in line with the overall reduction in residential units. At upper levels, residential units have been ‘stepped back’ and reduced in height in order to soften the building frontages and create a more balanced form of overall development. The originally proposed separate residential blocks have been removed from the scheme.
Car parking: the proposed car park designs have been simplified to reduce the impacts on the existing commuter car park. The existing commuter car park is now largely untouched and will be able to continue to operate (with just minor impacts) during regeneration of the remainder of the site.
Store: in line with Morrisons’ development of exciting new store formats and its innovations with in-store design, the net internal area for sales is now proposed as 40,000 sq ft. This will enable the store to accommodate Morrisons’ new ‘Fresh Market’ concept alongside its traditional ranges and would make Hillingdon one of the first stores of its kind in north west London.
Frontage onto Freezeland Way: in order to create a more permeable and attractive frontage, the revised scheme includes high levels of glazing at the Hillingdon Circus entrance and along Freezeland Way. This specifically provides more natural light for the development and also creates a more attractive/aesthetic frontage opposite to the other shops and services on Freezeland Way/Hercies Road.
Being a catalyst for wider local improvements: ideas for how Section 106 funds could be used for off-site improvements in the areas around the Underground station entrance and bus interchange have been taken on board. Bride Hall/Morrisons has also looked at soft landscaping treatments along the Long Lane frontage to make it both appealing and ‘active’.

More information is available on the project website at www.morrisonshillingdon.co.uk which will be updated shortly in line with the content of the forthcoming planning application.

Higher resolution images of the plans are available in the PDFs supplied by Bride Hall: Residential Block Plan and Store Block Plan

April 2012 Bulletin

HCC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 16:28:57 +0000

News Bulletin

Joint Hounslow/Hillingdon event to be held on 10^th May at the Vinyl factory in Hayes.Event cancelled
Quarterly Hillingdon Chamber events to be held monthly at Metro Bank. Dates TBA.
New networking event Ladies who Latte. See below for details

Forthcoming Events

Date of Event	Event	Venue	Time
17 April	Ladies Who Latte (Ruislip & Pinner Group held 3^rd Tuesday of every month	The Tudor Lodge Hotel, Pinner HA5 2QN	10.00 – 12.00
19 April	Networking event (booking via WLB)	Stockley Pines, Stockley Park, Uxbridge	6.00 – 8.00 p.m.
20 April	Networking Event (coffee and biscuits £3.00)	The Park Inn Heathrow	10.00 – 12.00
26 April	Fast Cars and Florals (booking via Hounslow Chamber)	Audi Car Centre	6.30 – 9.00 p.m.
2 May	Talks by Metro bank on Banking and by QPR Development Manager on Working with businesses (free to members)	Metro Bank, Uxbridge	6.00 – 8.00 p.m.
10 May	Joint Event Hounslow/Hillingdon Chamber CANCELLED	Vinyl Factory, Hayes
18 May	Networking Event (coffee and biscuits £3.00)	The Park Inn Heathrow	10.00 – 12.00
12 June	Skills Event	De Vere Hotel, Denham	TBA
21 June	Networking Event (coffee and biscuits £3.00)	The Park Inn Heathrow	10.00 – 12.00
6 July	MP’s Breakfast (free to members)	Novotel Hotel West Drayton	7.30 – 9.30 a.m.

Fire! Calling on all landlords (and tenants)

HCC — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 18:04:38 +0000

Did you know that as a Landlord the Fire Authority might decide that you are the “responsible person” for the Regulations Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the Regulations) and that you are responsible for complying with those regulations, including dealing with the risk of prosecution?

“Ah” you reply “they only apply to non-domestic premises such as shops but not to me because I am a landlord of a block of flats”. A good response, but you are wrong. Yes, they do apply to commercial and mixed use premises. But your problem is that “non-domestic premises” includes the COMMON PARTS OF BLOCKS OF FLATS. So, if you are the Landlord of a residential block of flats, it’s your responsibility.

The Regulations require you to carry out a fire safety risk assessment which goes well beyond the previous requirement of the old fire certificate with which you will all have experience. Also, it does not depend on the size of the enterprise or the number of staff. How could it if a risk assessment applies to common parts of residential premises.

Prudent insurers will probably require a declaration from you when you seek insurance that the premises comply with the Regulations. Any non-compliance may well make your policy invalid and prevent you getting a renewal. No doubt these insurers will also want evidence of the risk assessment and compliance with its requirements (if any) before they commit their monies to the reinstatement of your premises after a fire.

The same will apply where Lenders are involved where you have a loan against the premises and also where Buyers of flats require mortgages. In each case it is likely that the Lenders will require evidence of a fire safety risk assessment. In some cases it is a requirement of Lenders to require Buyers to have risk assessments in place before giving the mortgage and therefore before occupation. It may well also be unacceptable and unwise for Buyers to rely on the Seller’s risk assessment. Perhaps the Seller might not be as diligent as the Buyer and Lender may require for their interests to be protected.

The risk assessment is personal to the “responsible person” and their criminal responsibility cannot be delegated. An expert, not the fire authority, will need to undertake the assessment. Older premises that did not require fire certificates in the past may need significant remedial (improvement) work which may give rise to a substantial cost. However, the cost of the assessment and the cost of the remedial work (provided that you can charge as a Landlord for statutory works) can be added to the service charges.

So, if you are not a landlord but a tenant this is when it involves you and you could be asked to pay.

Produced by FRAZINEJOHNSON SOLICITORS

Tel: 01895 830700

March 2012 Bulletin

HCC — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 17:53:08 +0000

NEWS BULLETIN

Hillingdon & Hounslow Chamber joint Hustings Event to be organised in early May. Date TBA
Breakfast Networking meetings are being held at Park Inn at Heathrow between 10.00 a.m. and 12.00 midday. See below for dates.
Members are asked to prepare questions of most concern to you locally in preparation for the MP’s breakfast on 6^th July. Please pass your views/comments to the Chamber Committee.
An event is being run by Hounslow on 26^th April 2012. See the event page for details.
Article on ‘Fire’ for all members which affects both landlord’s and tenants of commercial and residential properties on website.
Skills event sessions to include talks on acquiring properties and media sounds to be run on 12^th June at the De Vere Hotel. Details to follow.
Chairman, Mike Langan, is to speak at Council Scrutiny Committee on 20th March regarding lack of parking available for businesses. Members will be informed of outcome.
Tesco to meet the Chamber Committee regarding application for consent at Hillingdon Circus, meeting provisionally booked for 22^nd March 2012.
Federation of Small Business Article re Legal Protection on website.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Date of Event	Event	Venue	Time
29 March	Annual Dinner	Gloucester Road
19 April	Networking Event	Stockley Pines
26 April	Fast Cars and Florals	Audi Car Centre	6.30 – 9.00 p.m.
02 May	Talks by Metro bank on Banking and by QPR Development Manager on Working with businesses	Metro Bank, Uxbridge	6.00 – 8.00 p.m.
18 May	Networking Event	The Park Inn Heathrow	10.00 – 12.00
12 June	Skills Event	De Vere Hotel, Denham	TBA
28 June	House of Lords Reception	House of Lords
06 July	MP’s Breakfast	Novotel Hotel West Drayton	7.30 – 9.30 a.m.

Hillingdon Community Trust is looking for trustees

HCC — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 19:50:39 +0000

Trustees (Voluntary positions)

Could you help change your local community?

Hillingdon Community Trust distributes around £1m, which is contributed by Heathrow Airport, in grants to voluntary and community groups in the wards of Botwell, Pinkwell, Townfield, Heathrow Villages, Yiewsley and West Drayton.

We are now seeking new Trustees for when current terms of office come to an end later this year. This is an exciting voluntary opportunity if you are strongly committed to positive change for local communities.

To be a Trustee you will need to be impartial, independent, and have good judgement and common sense. You must also be able to devote time to the Trust, to contribute effectively at meetings of the Board, and to accept the legal responsibilities of trusteeship. We would expect you to have some connection with the Trust area in the south of Hillingdon.

So that the Board reflects its area of benefit, the Trust is keen to attract Trustees from across the diverse communities that make up the population of the south of Hillingdon and also to attract more young people (although you must be over 18).

Trustees are not remunerated but we do reimburse expenses.

For more information and a full job description, go to www.hillingdoncommunitytrust.org.uk

For an informal discussion, please contact Christine Little, HCT Director, on 020 8581 1676, email christine@hillingdoncommunitytrust.org.uk or forward your CV and an accompanying letter setting out why you are the right person to be a Trustee to:

Christine Little
Director
Hillingdon Community Trust
Barra Hall
Wood End Green Road
Hayes
Middx UB3 2SA

Close date for applications – April 20^th 2012

Any questions?

HCC — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 18:05:51 +0000

Please come along to a Free Open Meeting – all welcome

Val Shawcross – London Assembly member – Labour
Mike Cox – Liberal Democrat
Natalie Bennett – Green Party
Cllr Dominic Gilham – Conservative

Will be available to answer your questions before the Mayoral elections taking place on Thursday 3^rd May 2012.

On Thursday 15^th March 2012

2 til 4 pm

West Drayton Women’s Institute Hall, 4 The Green West Drayton UB7 7PJ (Behind the Doctors)

Any queries contact Liz on 07903 387891

Email: elizabeth.morel@hotmail.co.uk

New Morrisons store proposal for Hillingdon

HCC — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:22:46 +0000

Morrisons, the supermarket, have been in contact with the Chamber of Commerce and would like to hear from our members on their proposals to build a develop a new supermarket on the large site next to Hillingdon Underground station.

They sent these summary details:

An approximately 36,000 sq ft (3,437 sq m) Morrisons supermarket.
Approximately 200 new homes, a significant proportion of which will be affordable.
Additional units and facilities which could be suitable for an occupier such as a doctor’s surgery,
crèche or community facility.
Improving the access to Hillingdon Underground station from both Long Lane and the commuter car park, subject to further discussions with TfL.
Investment into car parking facilities on the site and simplifying access.
Re-working the entrance/exit for the current commuter car park and repositioning this to be off the existing Western Avenue roundabout on Freezeland Way.
Options for improving the frontages onto Long Lane and providing more attractive walking routes and a better overall connection between Hillingdon Underground station and the shops and services further to the south on Long Lane.
A scheme which would support Hillingdon as a local centre – providing an anchor foodstore of the size needed to keep people in the local area and encourage them to make linked trips to other local shops and services.

There is also a website detailing the plans at www.morrisonshillingdon.co.uk and a PDF file for download of some exhibition boards from an earlier local public exhibition.

If you would like to comment on the plans, please contact the Chamber Manager on info@hillingdonchamber.co.uk and we will include your notes in our response to Morrisons.

Courses for Business at West Thames College

HCC — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:03:15 +0000

West Thames College provides a series of courses aimed at businesses of all sizes and sectors. These courses can help your staff achieve their full potential and allow your business to perform better. These courses also allow you to ‘taste’ the quality of our training before committing to a customised programme, as well as providing excellent opportunities for networking with other businesses.

We currently have scheduled sessions in:

IT Skills
Health & Safety and First Aid
Food Hygiene
High Impact Management Courses
NCPLH (National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders)
Fire Warden Training
People Management Courses

Location

All training takes place in our Spring Grove House business training suite, located 5 minutes walk from Isleworth BR or 10 minutes from Osterley or Hounslow East Tube stations (Piccadilly Line). Course price include light refreshments.

Customised Training

West Thames College also offers customised training in many areas including Management Skills, Customer Service, Finance, IT skills, Food Safety, Health and Safety and First Aid. We can offer you a free training needs analysis service so if you would like a meeting to discuss your Learning and Development needs please call Cameron Ternent on 020 8326 2421 or email cameron.ternent@west-thames.ac.uk. We offer many types of high quality training solutions delivered by industry specific expert consultant trainers at discounted rates not accessible through private training providers. We can deliver at your premises, at any location of your choice or in our training suite at Spring Grove House.

Courses for Business Feb-July 2012 (PDF)

Please note we cannot give refunds for places once booked, although a delegate change for a booked course place is acceptable, just notify us before the course date. Please note in extremely rare circumstances the college reserves the right to cancel an individual course by giving 10 working days notice. ALL FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.

Place West London report

HCC — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:45:13 +0000

Mike Langan and Les Drussell of Hillingdon Chamber attended the Place West London event earlier in the month.

David Brough, Les Drussell, Richard Barnes, Mike Langan, Frank Wingate

Win Three Months of Free Advertising

HCC — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 13:35:14 +0000

Local Business Accelerators is a groundbreaking national initiative that harnesses the power of local newspapers to give a much needed boost to local economies.

Local newspapers across the country, including the Uxbridge Gazette locally, are seeking out the best new businesses for whom to award three months free advertising and a program of dedicated business mentoring.

You now have the chance to win thousands of pounds worth of advertising and some great advice through “Local Business Accelerators” which is backed by Dragons’ Den judge Deborah Meaden. It will give a £15million shot in the arm to fledgling businesses in the form of free advertising in local newspapers, with a package of mentoring from business leaders in each area.

The level of support will boost businesses in all kinds of sectors, create jobs and picks up on comments made by the Prime Minister earlier this year. David Cameron said: “The recovery we need is a private sector-led recovery, a recovery with Made in Britain stamped all over it.”

The Newspaper Society, the industry body representing every newspaper in the country, has come up with the Local Business Accelerators project to seek young entrepreneurs to get behind economic recovery. It will also help demonstrate how effective local newspapers and websites are in promoting and supporting local businesses. Trinity Mirror backs the campaign across many of its titles.

If your business is between one and three years old and you enter the competition by explaining why three months free advertising would benefit your business. It’s easy and will only take a few minutes to enter and apply.