Hillingdon Council's December Cabinet meeting should unveil the draft 2026/27 Budget ahead of its public consultation opening.  As with all public meetings held at the Civic Centre, the papers making up the Agenda bundle should be published a week before the meeting. The 2026/27 Budget was not part of the papers when they were published on the afternoon of Monday 15th December, instead they were marked "to follow".

Immediately following the school's Christmas Community Event on the afternoon of December 11th, visitors were escorted by sixth form students to the venue of the Winter Concert. An introduction was given by Year 11 students Charlie and Nicole who later also gave an excellent performance themselves of "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" by John Mayer with Nicole singing accompanied by Charlie on the guitar.

A 50-Year Echo In late 2025, Hillingdon Council faces the gravest financial threat in its history: a projected £36 million deficit, depleted reserves, and the looming possibility of a Section 114 notice (effective bankruptcy). While modern auditors cite "governance failures" and "poor financial management," a resurfaced BBC report from 1976 suggests this is not a new phenomenon…

Ruislip High School held its Christmas Community Event on Thursday, December 11th. This annual event is organised by Mr. L Sills, Head of Sixth Form, and his students. It is just one example of the school's close connection with the community which is an important part of its ethos. Local residents are invited to have afternoon tea and take part in fun quizzes and bingo.

The battle to save the Rural Activities Garden Centre (RAGC) has entered a critical new phase. After months of silence and missed statutory deadlines from Hillingdon Council, the Friends of RAGC (FRAGC) have launched a fundraising campaign so that they can bring legal proceedings against the Council for a Judicial Review. The move is described by campaigners as a "last resort" to force the Council to comply with the Localism Act, following the local authority's failure to process the nomination of the site as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) since August.

Hillingdon Council last week confirmed their planned sale of the former Uxbridge Library premises on Uxbridge High Street.  After having failed to sell it during a twelve-month marketing period, the Council instead invited offers from interested buyers in October this year.  Five bids were received.  A decision notice published on Monday this week shows that the successful purchaser is a cash buyer currently operating a "local business nearby" and that it requires immediate relocation due to an expiring lease.

Local residents are shocked to learn that the application to demolish a family home at 32 Kingsend to build a block of 5 flats with a basement was allowed upon appeal this week. As the news is being absorbed, some people admit that in hindsight they were too complacent and should have made more of an effort to raise their oppositions.

Hillingdon Council has failed to respond to a formal pre-action letter regarding the Rural Activities Garden Centre, marking the third missed deadline concerning the site's future. With the Council now in breach of the Localism Act, the likelihood of a Judicial Review is escalating. Leigh Day Solicitors, acting for the Friends of RAGC (FRAGC), served a pre-action protocol letter to the Council - funded by residents via a crowdfunding campaign - demanding the Council fulfill its legal obligation to decide on the nomination of the RAGC as an Asset of Community Value (ACV).

On Thursday evening, Ruislip's Councillor Peter Smallwood OBE was elected as the new Chair of the Residents' Services Select Committee.  He has been sitting on two of Hillingdon council's scrutiny committees: both the Children, Families and Education Select Committee, and the Residents' Services Select Committee, where he had until now, been the vice-chair. Hillingdon's Select Committees have an important responsibility in monitoring council and other public services in our borough, scrutinising everything that the Council does, influencing policy and engaging with local organisations and official bodies. 

Sunday 7th Dec 4.00 p.m. Advent Carol Service St Paul’s Ruislip Manor Friday 12th Dec 7.30 p.m. Navy Band Concert St Paul’s Ruislip Manor Saturday 13th Dec 10.30 a.m. Carol Singing in the Manor Organised by St Paul’s Ruislip Manor Sunday 14th Dec 10.30 a.m. Big Church Christmas Ruislip Baptist Church Sunday 14th Dec 4.30 p.m. Lightening the Darkness – Reflective Service…

Ruislip High Street Christmas Lights Switch-on by Mayor of Hillingdon Civic Square, opposite Sainsbury’s Friday 21st November 5.30 p.m. Festive Craft Coffee Morning Ruislip Manor Methodist Church, Torrington Road Saturday 22nd November 10.00 a.m. to 12.00 noon Christmas Craft Fair 6th Eastcote Scout Group Oak Grove, HA4 8UD Saturday 22nd November 12.00 noon to 4.00 p.m. Join us for a Dogs Trust Experience day on Sunday 23rd November!

We have been reviewing a new planning application and will be formally objecting to the proposal. An application has been submitted for 73 High Street, Ruislip—the site of the former Santander bank—to change its use from a bank to a "sui generis (bingo hall)". The application also includes plans to create a new, separate doorway to provide direct access to the upper floors.

We are pleased to report a significant safety improvement at the pedestrian crossing on Ickenham Road / High Road, near the Gulf petrol station in West Ruislip. After more than a year of persistent work by Phil Taylor of Ruislip Residents' Association and Cllr Philip Corthorne, a dangerously obscured sightline for pedestrians has finally been cleared. The Problem This issue was first raised by a local resident to Cllr.

Ruislip Woods Trust (RWT) has for many years had serious concerns over London Borough of Hillingdon’s (LBH) management of the Ruislip Woods National Nature Reserve (NNR) and especially following the retirement of The Woodland Officer in December 2023 which has left just one Woodland Ranger  to deliver both the Long Term and 5 year Plans with the help of the Woodland volunteers.  

Concerns are growing over a lack of action on a public safety review for Ruislip Lido, which was personally promised by the Leader of the Council, Cllr. Ian Edwards, more than six months ago.  He gave us the assurance at our AGM and public meeting in April 2025, following residents' concerns about chaotic overcrowding and the risk of emergency services being unable to access the site during peak times. 

At the Ruislip Residents' Association General Meeting on September 30, 2025, the poor quality of the new compostable food waste bags was a popular topic of discussion. Residents expressed strong dissatisfaction with the new caddy liners, describing them as "dreadful" and "not fit for purpose". The main complaints centred on the bags' lack of durability. One resident explained the frustration, noting, "You can’t even get one off the roll without it tearing".

The WHSmith name is disappearing from UK high streets, and Ruislip's is no different.  The company has sold its entire high street division to focus on its more profitable travel business - so the shops in airports and main stations will remain, but earlier this year, the investment firm Modella Capital bought the 480-or so shops like Ruislip's. 'Our' shop was rebranded as TGJones in September - with little obviously changing beyond the name above the door, and on the receipts.

At the pedestrian crossing outside what is now Mailboxes etc at the Pembroke Road junction of Ruislip High Street, there are some blister tactile paving stones to assist pedestrians who are blind or partially sighted in finding where the crossing is. There are a few maintenance hole covers in the pavement here, and one straddles the tactile paving area.  However, some time before Google Streetview took their 2008 photo, back when the shop was 

The school held its annual Presentation Evening on Thursday, November 6th. While the members of the audience were taking their seats they were entertained by a very professional  solo piano performance by Edward, a sixth form A Level Music student, who has an interview for a place with the Royal College of Music in December. Hopefully he will be successful.

On Tuesday, November 4th, the Mayor of Hillingdon, Cllr Philip Corthorne, paid a visit to the school to open their new Reading Shed. The inspiration for this idea stems from the fact that the school encourages their pupils to enjoy reading from an early age but, as the library is closed at breaks and lunchtimes, there is no opportunity for reading at play time.

At our recent General Meeting, residents had the opportunity to put their most pressing questions to our local councillors. CAB site development We asked for an update on the derelict site, which has been in a poor state for over nine years, and whether we would finally see a proposal. Councillors Riley and Smallwood delivered "hot off the press" news, stating that a planning application is expected to be submitted by the end of October.

1940 – RUISLIP CAB OPENED Ruislip Citizens Advice Bureau was founded on 18 January 1940 by a group of nine local people, with the first site in Station Approach. 200 CABs had already opened across the country from September 1939 to meet the needs of the civilian population during World War II, and branches in Ickenham and Hayes were among these.

An Attempt to Shed Some Light for Residents You may have heard that Hillingdon Council is in financial difficulty, with a cabinet member stating on national media that “we’ve run out of money”. Council finances are a complex issue, so together with HARA (the Hillingdon Alliance of Residents' Associations) and all of the other residents' associations around our borough, we have done our best to create a readable, non-partisan look at what has been happening over the last year, and what may happen in the near future.

Councils can’t actually go bankrupt, but their equivalent is declaring ‘Section 114’.  We understand that once that happens, how the council spends money changes – and the council’s Monitoring Officer and the Chief Finance Officer become responsible for signing off all spending.  We have asked them what plans they have: the Monitoring Officer has said he can’t say because discussions are still ongoing with the government, and the Chief Finance Officer didn’t reply to either of our enquiries.

Since July’s Cabinet meeting and as recently as this week’s Cabinet meeting, Hillingdon Council has regularly confirmed it is in discussions with the central government to secure “Exceptional Financial Support” (EFS). But what does this mean? In simple terms, EFS is a government bailout for a council that can no longer meet its financial commitments. Councils are legally required to set a balanced budget each year.