Hillingdon breaks ground on flagship development

Hillingdon Council has formally broken ground on its flagship regeneration scheme in Hayes, which will deliver hundreds of new homes.

The council is delivering the landmark project in conjunction with developers Higgins Partnerships, which will revitalise the ageing housing estates at Avondale Drive and Hayes Town Centre.

Cllr Jonathan Bianco, Hillingdon Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for property, highways and transport; Cllr Eddie Lavery, cabinet member for residents’ services; and Cllr Martin Goddard, cabinet member for finance, were joined by representatives of Higgins Partnerships for a special groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, 28 March, at Avondale Drive and Hayes Town Centre.

The major regeneration project will deliver 740 new homes, a diverse mixture of homes, including those for council rent, returning leaseholders, shared ownership, and private sale, along with high-quality neighbourhood improvements such as new open spaces, improved pedestrian and cycle routes, secure car parking, children’s play areas, and a new community centre.

Construction will be phased in to deliver affordable housing for the council earlier in the overall programme. Phase one of construction will create 110 new homes, 30 at Avondale and 80 at Hayes Town Centre, with residents expected to move in around summer 2025.

The design of the two developments followed extensive plans with residents of both estates to ensure they had a say in how the regeneration would look and what it should include.

Cllr Lavery said: “We’re committed to building safe and strong communities and ensuring residents have access to good quality affordable housing.

“I’m delighted to see these works progress. Once complete, they will deliver fantastic new homes for our residents alongside significant neighbourhood improvements which will help transform the area for generations to come.”

Declan Higgins, chief executive officer at Higgins, said, “These ‘spade in the ground’ ceremonies mark a significant milestone in the start of work to deliver much-needed new sustainable homes for the local community.

“In addition to the new homes and public realm, we will also continue to work closely with the local community through our Community Charters and social value commitments, which already includes working with Austin Road Sewing Club, who provide support for women in the local community and Minet Nursery and Primary School, where we have already hosted a number of engagement events with the children, including a cycle safety day.”

The master plans for both estates were approved in March 2022 following extensive consultation with residents on the designs. Residents on the estates overwhelmingly backed the redevelopment in a ballot held in May 2021, when 94 per cent of eligible voters came out in favour at Avondale Drive, with an 85 per cent turnout, and 79 per cent in favour at Hayes Town Centre Estate, with a 90 per cent turnout.

The redevelopment of the two estates is estimated to run for approximately seven to nine years to reflect the decant and phased construction strategy, allowing as many residents as possible to stay on-site during construction with a single decant.

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