Fire on Uxbridge Road causes Monday morning misery

A large fire broke out near Parkfield Avenue just before 7am this morning, causing traffic chaos and misery for thousands of commuters and schoolchildren.

Aerial view of the affected shops. Credit: Sky News

The affected property is said to be Tops Pizza. London Fire Brigade were called to the scene at 7.15am and deployed eight fire engines carrying 40 firefighters. A wooden struture on the roof of the property is said to have caught fire, igniting the rest of the building.

Three people were evacuated from the flat above the pizza shop and ten others were led to safety from the surrounding flats.

No traffic is able to pass along the Uxbridge Road due to closures between the Lees Road and Long Lane juntions, with consequent tailbacks stretching for miles. Long Lane is reported to be at a crawl whilst traffic flow has been affected on the A40 near Hillingdon as motorists seek alternative routes to work.

There is no suggestion of any fatalities at this stage. The exact cause of the fire is unknown but it is linked to the wooden structure on the roof.

Map of the affected area. The pin marks the approximate location of Tops Pizza.

Image of firefighters extinguishing the blaze. Credit: Ben Beckford.

First Great Western adds extra seats to commuter services

First Great Western will add an extra 4,500 seats to commuter trains running into and out of London Paddington starting from early next year.

15 of these Mark III carriages will be added to high speed trains running into Paddington. Pic via Matthew Black.

Extra government funding means a total of 48 carriages will be added to First’s services between London, Reading and the south west. New trains will start operating between Worcester and London Paddington, freeing up capacity for extra seats on Thames Valley commuter services.

Vernon Barker, Managing Director of FirstGroup’s UK rail division, said: “We’re delighted at this announcement by the Department for Transport, which is good news for First Great Western’s customers across the network and will reduce crowding on the most popular peak services.”

A total of 27 peak daily services calling at Twyford, 28 calling at Maidenhead and 23 calling at Slough will receive extra carriages.

Theresa Villiers, Transport Secretary, said: “We are determined to tackle overcrowding and provide better, more comfortable journeys for passengers. These extra carriages will enable existing services to be lengthened which will significantly increase their capacity.

Fifteen carriages being added to the high speed trains operating out of Paddington are ex-British Rail Mk.III buffet cars which will be converted to standard class. 33 carriages will be added to other services across the areas targeted for improvement.These will be phased in between February 2012 and September 2012. The Government hopes the extra carriages will be deployed in time for next summer’s Olympic Games.

The cost of improving capacity on the network will be £28.9m.

Hillingdon children deliver HS2 petition to Downing Street

Hillingdon children are presenting a petition against the Government’s High Speed Rail (HS2) plans today.

Trains similar to these will operate on the proposed HS2 line between London and Birmingham. Image courtesy John Curnow.

Nine-year-old Max, the oldest of the four youngsters, wanted to send a message to the Prime Minister that it is unfair children don’t have a say in the government’s proposal for the HS2 line between London and Birmingham.

Max will deliver the ‘Save Us From HS2’ petition to Downing Street along with Caitlin, 8, Eve, 6 and Sian, aged 5, accompanied by local Conservative MPs Nick Hurd and John Randall. The petition has been signed by hundreds of children worried the development will ultimately threaten their gardens, schools, scout huts and a play park.

Keri Brennan, Chairman of Hillingdon Against HS2, said: “We have been amazed and humbled by children’s grasp of the facts about HS2.”

She said six Hillingdon schools will be closed in the plans and more will be affected by noise and construction. Hillingdon Outdoor Activities Centre is also under threat.

“Local children understand just how much their neighbourhoods and environment could be affected if HS2 is built,” added Mrs Brennan.

Hillingdon Council is among 14 councils opposed to HS2 and it backs Ruislip Against HS2.

Pro-HS2 MPs cite the economic benefits and improved links between north and south. HS2 will reduce the journey from London to Birmingham to a commutable 49 minutes while construction of the line over the next 7-10 years is expected to create more than 40,000 jobs. Half of the jobs created will be in London.

Director of Consultation and Communications for HS2, Miranda Carter, said: “It can’t stop in Hillingdon because that is where it picks up the high speed but it is a national project. The benefits of economic growth for the whole country will trickle down.”

The main petition against the project, with 108,000 signatures, was presented to Downing Street last month. The Government will make its final decision on the line in mid-December.

Councillors pass direction in landslide to reduce student housing

Hillingdon Council have passed new legislation which will see student housing drastically reduced in the Uxbridge South and Brunel wards.

Hillingdon Council targets students, but will renting families be hit? Credit: ktylerconk, Flickr.

The new legislation, an Article 4 direction, means landlords will have to apply for planning application on houses with three or more occupants.

Article 4 of the Town and Country Planning Act allows authorities to require planning permission for things that would normally be permitted to an individual regarding their private property. Up to now, converting a house to HMO did not require permission.

The new legislation means the landlords will have to seek planning permission for any such changes; however, it will not come into effect for another 12 months.

Currently the area has 562 HMOs in the Uxbridge South and Brunel wards alone. Roads dominated by student housing include Barchester Close, Lodge Close, The Greenway, Derby Road and Hinton Road, in the Uxbridge South ward, and Bosanquet Close and Peachey Lane in Brunel ward.

Cllr Keith Burrows (Conservative), cabinet member for planning said: “This is no way an attack on students or Brunel. We regard Brunel as strong partners of ours. We have had enough of our community being split.”

Since 2006 there have been over 400 complaints about HMOs in the Hillingdon area, including complaints about anti-social behaviour and parking problems.

Cllr Mo Khursheed (Labour) supported the motion, but suggested that it did not cover a large enough area. He said: “To save any further delay, this movement should serve other wards. We act when were able to act to protect our residents and we will move forward with a clear planning process.”

The movement will ensure the protection of long term residents and their homes; however it could be seen as sending a message to students that they are not welcome in the area.

A number of other large University cities have taken advantage of recent changes in planning regulations and at least eleven towns and cities have had Article 4 directions initiated by local authorities. Manchester and Portsmouth have already passed their 12 month period of notice and are now in full effect.

It is not known what effect the Article 4 direction will have on families and working households (e.g. flatshares) comprising more than three people.

Brunel University students face housing shortage

Students at Brunel University could soon face a critical housing shortage if the council implements essential planning permission on houses in multiple occupation.

A shortfall of student houses is predicted in Uxbridge. Image via Harshil Shah, Flickr.

Since 2006 there have been over 400 complaints about HMOs in the Hillingdon area, with issues concerning anti-social behaviour and parking problems.

Currently, landlords can rent out a student house with up to six occupants without planning permission. If the council agree on implementing an Article 4 direction, which allows them to override the law, landlords will need to apply for planning permission for more than three occupants.

The council will also discuss the option of putting a limit on the amount of student properties which can be rented out in an area.

Locals claim there is still an ‘us’ and ‘them’ feeling between students and local residents, despite the council setting up a “Brunel University Liaison” group five years ago for local residents to meet and discuss any problems they have with Brunel students.

The cost of implementing such a direction will cost £6,000 alone for publicity and public notes, with ongoing council costs of £20,000 a year.

Hillingdon council will meet to discuss this issue and propose a conclusion on Thursday 3rd November.

Double trouble at Brunel University

A stabbing and a fire occurred within an hour of each other at Brunel University this evening.

Brunel's Uxbridge campus. A marks the Hamilton Centre and B marks the Heinz Wolff building (just out of shot).

Witnesses reported a man who claimed to have been stabbed near to Cleveland Road, which runs through the middle of the university’s campus in Uxbridge.

Edward Whitaker, a Brunel University student, saw the aftermath.

“Me and Jane were walking past the arts centre,” he says, “and saw some guys having a fight. Then one of them started running towards the Hamilton Centre shouting ‘I’ve been knifed’ and holding his side!”

Police were called at about 8.30pm, arriving on the scene in force. A spokesman described the victim’s injuries as a “slash wound to the body” whilst other eyewitnesses commented how “calm” he was. He was taken to a West London hospital with what police described as “non life-threatening” injuries.

University officials denied that an incident had taken place on campus, whilst police were seen apparently removing bags of evidence from the scene. At the time of writing the police could not confirm whether an arrest had been made.

About an hour after the stabbing, fire alarms in the university’s Heinz Wolff building went off. Campus security evacuated the building just before four fire engines from Hillingdon and Hayes fire stations arrived.

Details about the cause of the fire had not been released at the time of writing but university sources confirmed that works were being carried out on underground tunnels carrying electricity, gas and water supplies to the building. An eyewitness claimed to have seen evidence of a fire from the outside of the building.

No smoke or flames were visible from outside, although a small number of firefighters entered the building with a hose.

editor’s update 2nd Nov: A university source who does not wish to be identified confirms that the fire started because of a light fitting. We are seeking an official statement from the university.

Cancer patient dies following attack in Hillingdon Hospital

A cancer patient has died after being attacked by an Iranian illegal immigrant as he lay in his hospital bed.

The illegal immigrant was removed to a nearby detention centre (file picture, courtesy Home Office).

Anthony Wilson, a 78-year-old man from Harefield near Uxbridge, had undergone an operation to remove part of his bowel just four days previously. He was asleep when he was assaulted by an Iranian man who had been brought into the hospital two days earlier complaining of breathing difficulties.

Three UK Border Agency guards, who had been brought in to sit with the Iranian during his hospital stay, had to intervene when the shocking and unprovoked attack on Mr Wilson took place.

The man was removed from Hillingdon Hospital immediately and returned to a nearby immigration removal centre, where he is currently awaiting deportation.

The attack occurred in front of other patients on the ward at approximately 8.20am on October 17. Police were called but the UKBA guards dealt with the incident swiftly.

Mr Wilson, who served in the Army as a teenager after the Second World War, was admitted to hospital on October 11. He had been battling bowel cancer for three months prior to being admitted.

Mr Wilson was pronounced dead at 4.20am on October 18, when police were again called to the hospital.

Following the attack, Mr Wilson’s brother, Jeffrey, 68, told the Mail on Sunday “I have lost my brother, who was my right-hand man. He used to do everything for me and I miss him.

“He went for the operation and got through it and did all right, but someone may have taken his life away from him so I want to know the truth of what happened.”

A post-mortem examination concluded that Mr Wilson had died from septicaemia, but an inquest will be held in order to determine whether or not the attack was a contributory factor.

Doctors had previously informed him of the various risks involved with the invasive surgery, especially because of his age and because he had been fitted with a pacemaker earlier this year. The former engineer decided to go ahead with the operation anyway and had made plans to recuperate at home by his brother’s side.

Jeffrey went on to say: ‘We lived together all our lives, we were best friends and I will miss him. Sometimes we fell out over different things at one time or another, as  brothers often do, but it was a good life together.’

It is as yet unclear whether the attack on Mr Wilson was a factor in his death; Jeffrey insists that his brother was strangled, but the investigation is ongoing.

Hillingdon Hospital NHS Foundation Trust claims the assault “took only seconds and amounted to him [the immigrant] putting an arm round Mr Wilson’s neck.”

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said they attended the hospital and that the death is being treated as non-suspicious.

A spokesman for the UK Border Agency confirmed that they are in the process of removing the Iranian man: “We are reviewing this incident and, if necessary, will take appropriate action.”

Trick or Treat?

According to a recent survey commissioned by Santander Insurance, 1 in 5 people would support banning Trick or Treating following the riots which swept across London earlier this year. 

Around 22%  of people surveyed believe that the yearly custom should have an outright ban, while 50% said that parental accompaniment should be compulsory in order to control the behaviour of children.

Furthermore, 43% of people would support a ban on people wearing masks which obscure the face over Halloween, and over a third of people asked would support a ban on people wearing hooded tops.

Andy Smith, head of media relations at Santander, said: “The summer’s riots resulted in a huge amount of innocent people becoming victims of crime. Our research would suggest that there is genuine concern about any more criminal damage or anti-social behaviour taking place in the period that surrounds Halloween and bonfire night – a period which many people already find intimidating”.

Are these fears founded or is it a lot of fuss about nothing? We want to know what you think: 

Car accident closes Hillingdon Road

A woman was rushed to hospital this afternoon after being struck by a car opposite the former RAF Uxbridge.

The incident, which happened at about 5pm, saw a car plough into a group of pedestrians near the A4020 Hillingdon Road junction with Orchard Waye. Police and London Ambulance Service were called to the scene. One woman was rushed to a central London hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said “The male driver, aged in his 30s has been, arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and is in custody at a west London police station. Road closures remain in place.”

Drivers attempting to reach Uxbridge or destinations beyond are advised to turn off at Royal Lane and use the Cowley Road instead.

The A4020 is also known as the Uxbridge Road. Tailbacks are reported as far as Hillingdon.

Did you see what happened? Contact us or post on our Facebook page and let us know.

MPs split over EU vote

David Cameron faced what can arguably be seen as the biggest test of his leadership yesterday as a backbench motion calling for a referendum on Europe caused a massive rift within the House of Commons.

The decision of Cameron and Miliband not to allow a free vote within Parliament, opting for a three-line whip in the hope of controlling MPs votes, was met with fierce criticism from both The Commons and the general public.

After a five-hour debate on the pros and cons of EU membership and why the public should or should not be allowed to determine our future within Europe, 483 MPs voted to reject the motion, with only 111 voting in favour leaving a majority of 372 out of a total of 650 MPs in the House of Commons.

This result has sparked uncertainty over the future of several MPs within their parties. Grassroots reaction from Twitter and other social media sources suggest widespread public dissatisfaction with the result of the vote.

Twitter user Edward Butler-Ellis, who tweets under the username @EdwardBE1 and describes himself as an ‘avid Conservative campaigner’ said: “how is the #eureferendum a distraction for parliament? The EU is the single largest influence over the UK, don’t insult us. #referendumNOW

charlotteahenry, a self-described liberal, said: “Fuming about today’s self indulgent antics in Parliament, given what’s going on in the real world. Do MPs still wonder why nobody cares?”

Meanwhile, Labour supporter Shereef Abdallah (@Sheik74Shereef ) said: “Cameron is sleep walking to disaster. Even after the Euro vote, what happens if UK has d.dip recession ? Govt won’t survive till 2015.”

The list of rebels is as follows:

Conservative

Stuart Andrew

Steve Baker

John Baron

Andrew Bingham

Brian Binley

Bob Blackman

Peter Bone

Graham Brady

Andrew Bridgen

Steve Brine

Fiona Bruce

Dan Byles

Douglas Carswell

Bill Cash

Christopher Chope

James Clappison

Tracey Crouch

David T.C. Davies

Philip Davies

David Davis

Nick du Bois

Caroline Dinenage

Nadine Dorries

Richard Drax

Mark Field

Lorraine Fullbrook

Zac Goldsmith

James Gray

Chris Heaton-Harris

Gordon Henderson

George Hollingbery

Philip Hollobone

Stewart Jackson

Bernard Jenkin

Marcus Jones

Chris Kelly

Andrea Leadsom

Jeremy Lefroy

Edward Leigh

Dr. Julian Lewis

Karen Lumley

Jason McCartney

Karl McCartney

Stephen McPartland

Anne Main

Patrick Mercer

Nigel Mills

Anne-Marie Morris

James Morris

Stephen Mosely

Sheryll Murray

Caroline Nokes

David Nuttall

Matthew Offord

Neil Parish

Priti Patel

Andrew Percy

Mark Pritchard

Mark Reckless

John Redwood

Jacob Rees-Mogg

Simon Reevell

Laurence Robertson

Andrew Rosindell

Richard Shepherd

Henry Smith

John Stevenson

Bob Stewart

Gary Streeter

Julian Sturdy

Sir Peter Tapsell

Justin Tomlinson

Andrew Turner

Martin Vickers

Charles Walker

Robin Walker

Heather Wheeler

Craig Whittaker

John Whittingdale

Dr. Sarah Wollaston

Labour

Ronnie Campbell

Rosie Cooper

Jeremy Corbyn

Jon Cruddas

John Cryer

Ian Davidson

Natascha Engel

Frank Field

Roger Godsiff

Kate Hoey

Kelvin Hopkins

Steve McCabe

John McDonnell

Austin Mitchell

Dennis Skinner

Andrew Smith

Graham Stringer

Gisela Stuart

Mike Wood

Lib Dem

Adrian Sanders

Democratic Unionist Party

Gregory Campbell

Nigel Dodds

Jeffrey Donaldson

Dr. William McCrea

Ian Paisley Jr.

Jim Shannon

David Simpson

Sammy Wilson

Green

Caroline Lucas

Independent

Lady Hermon

POSITIVE ABSTENTIONS (Went through both Aye & No lobbies) 2

Ian Stewart (Conservative)

Mike Weatherley (Conservative)