August 2009 Archives

THREE out of five shops on a small parade will now serve food after an application for a restaurant was approved.

Plans for the new restaurant at 1 Black Horse Parade, High Road, Eastcote, were approved at the north planning committee yesterday (27), despite a 20-signature petition objecting to the proposal.

At the moment there is a hairdressers, a double fronted convenient store, an Indian restaurant and a Chinese takeaway, as well as the empty unit on the small parade.
Lesley Crowcroft, chairman of the Eastcote Village Conservation Area panel, spoke at the meeting.

She said: "Although we don't like to see empty units in the area because it makes the place look run down, we are really concerned that we have six shops and three of them are going to be takeaways. Is another one really that necessary?

"Azalea Walk also experience great difficulty with parking in their road from people using the shops and the extraction units will add to that buzz and hum which can be quite unacceptable, especially if you want to open your windows."

ALMOST 100 people signed a petition against plans to build two houses on the corner of a road.

The application to build two houses on land forming part of 9 Woodlands Avenue, Eastcote, was given nine reasons for refusal at the north planning committee yesterday (27).

Lesley Crowcroft, the Eastcote Residents' Association member who deals with planning, spoke on behalf of the petitioners at the meeting.

She said: "Any sort of development on this corner site would be visually intrusive.

"The floor space is below the required minimum and the amenity space is inadequate.
There is no excuse for such a bad application to be put in."

NEW plans to turn an old office block into flats are being drawn up.

Eastcote Residents' Association (ERA) met up with the developers who want to turn Initial House, in Field End Road, Eastcote, into flats ahead of their second public consultation last yesterday (25).

A previous developer submitted two plans to turn the building into flats, but one was withdrawn and the other was rejected by Hillingdon Council.

The new developer has drawn up plans for 44 flats on four floors and 48 parking places.

The plans are still in the process of being drawn up and the ERA has requested further details, plus a further consultation when more internal and external details are available.

A STUDENT who has been in a wheelchair since he was six has done exceptionally well in his GCSE results.

Ben Wright, a student at Haydon School, in Wiltshire Lane, Eastcote, got an A* and three As among his results.

The incredibly modest 16-year-old has been in a wheelchair since he was a child after he was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy.

He said: "Being in a wheelchair doesn't really affect me because there are lots of lifts and ramps in the school. My arms are a little weak but I can still write and type and I don't really have any other problems.

"I think I've got the same advantage as everyone else.

"Some of my results were better than I expected so I was really pleased with those.
"My parents are really happy as well and I might have a meal later to celebrate.

"I'm going to stay at Haydon to do A-levels in ICT, travel and tourism and geography. I would love to become a meteorologist."

Head teacher, Steve Robson, said: "He is an amazingly modest young man.

"He has come 22nd in the year and we have nearly 300 kids. That is quite an achievement and I we are very proud of him.

"We are very glad to see he is coming back into our Sixth Form."

In total 90 per cent of students got five or more A*-C grades.

Ishani Barai, got 13.5 A* grades and one A grade and Nimai Vadgama got 13.5 A* grades.

There were also 27 students who got 10 or more GCSEs at A* or A.

THE latest developments at a former RAF site have been outlined including plans for two new pedestrian crossings.

The Eastcote Residents' Association (ERA) holds regular meetings with Jim Mackay, the site manager of Pembroke Park, formerly RAF Eastcote, to get updates on the progress of the development.

At their meeting yesterday (25), the developers, George Wimpey, confirmed that to prevent lorries arriving at the site before 8am, in addition to imposing a fine of £250, they have now posted a guard at the junction of Lime Grove and Elm Avenue from 6.30am to 8.00am to stop lorries entering Lime Grove.

The transfer of part of the southern site to Bellway Homes (53 flats/houses) is due at the end of October but Bellway Homes have not yet confirmed when they will start building.

At the end of October work will commence on various roadworks and the new pedestrian crossing in Elm Avenue and work will start on road works in Eastcote Road to provide an amended junction and pedestrian crossing by October/November.

The main roads within the northern site, together with the main underground services, are also now nearing completion.

Any complains about things happening on or near the site should be made to Jim Mackay on 07887 873 795 or after September his assistant Mark Leaky on 0208 866 4012.

Also let ERA members Chris Groom know on 0208 866 0985 or Lesley Crowcroft on 0208 866 8436.

The next report will be in mid/late October.

A TEENAGER has been arrested and two other suspects are still wanted in connection with an attempted burglary in Eastcote.

Police were called to a house in North View on Tuesday (18) at about 11:50am to reports of three men who had forced their way into a back garden.

On arrival the three suspects made off across other gardens in Chandos Road.

A police dog handler caught one of the suspects and a helicopter was sent out to search for the other two.

They are described as white, about 18 to 20 years old with brown hair.

One was wearing light jeans and a grey top and the other was wearing a dark jacket and dark jeans.

A 19-year-old has been arrested and has been bailed to return to a West London police station.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Constable Anwar at Uxbridge CID on 0208 246 1568 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

FOR the first time ever at Haydon School students managed to achieve more A grades than any other grade in their A-level exams.

A huge 30 per cent of the grades awarded to pupils at the school in Wiltshire Lane, Eastcote, were As.

The overall pass rate was 98 per cent with 76 per cent of grades being A-C.
Ashvin Babbar and Nigel Youngs did particularly well in their exams, both achieving straight A grades.

Nigel is off to Edinburgh University to study veterinary medicine after getting A grades in biology, chemistry and maths and Ashvin is going to study dentistry at Kings College London.

A LOVING uncle has decided to take on a gruelling 318-mile bike ride to raise money for Diabetes UK after finding out his niece had been diagnosed with the condition.

Gareth Meredith, of Lowlands Road, Eastcote, was left upset and shocked when he was told the news that his 12-year-old niece, Georgia Kilsby, had Type 1 diabetes.

Now he is determined to raise awareness of the condition and at the same time raise money for Diabetes UK by cycling from his home to Land's End in Cornwall.

The 24-year-old said: "When she first got diagnosed it was a bit of a shock because I always thought you got diabetes when you are older.

"I know people with diabetes so I know how hard it can be to keep it under control.

"I want to do this bike ride for her because it's nice to show a bit of support to make her see that it's not all bad."

Gareth already cycles to and from his jobs in Hammersmith and Battersea every day, so he is certainly not a novice.

He said: "I didn't want to pay to use public transport when I started working in London so I got out this ancient bike from my shed that I hadn't used for about 10 years.

"I bought a new bike a few months ago but it got stolen about three weeks after I bought it. I was not impressed in the slightest and now I've not got the cheapest bike I could get from Halfords."

Gareth is setting off on his trip on Wednesday (26) with his niece, his mum, Janie, and his sister, Suzie, following him in the car to keep him company at night when he has to camp out in a tent.

He is planning to complete the ride in five days and is hoping to raise £2,000.

He said: "I have never done anything like this before.

"I cycle about 120 miles a week anyway but this is going to an absolute beast. I know I'm going to struggle, but I'm just going to have to power through it."

Go to www.justgiving.com/garethmeredith to sponsor Gareth.

A TEENAGER who assaulted a man in Eastcote has been sent to crown court.

Eric Junior Thomson, 19, of Mahlon Avenue, Ruislip, was charged with assaulting Thomas Byrne, causing actual bodily harm (ABH), in Field End Road on March 7.

He was also charged with using or threatening unlawful violence.

He is due to appear at Isleworth Crown Court on August 28 after his case was committed by Uxbridge Magistrates' Court today (20).

A POLICE helicopter has been called out to Eastcote to look for a burglary suspect.

At least three police cars, dog units and the helicopter are at the scene of the residential burglary in North View.

They were called at 11.50am and it is believed they have caught one suspect, but are still looking for another.