HILLINGDON UNITARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN - London Borough ...

The principal features of metropolitan importance in Hillingdon and neighbouring boroughs are
also shown on the Key Diagram (Fig 2). Specific references to Strategic Advice in the text are given as
‘SA, para. no.’.
Corporate Agenda
2.11 The Plan has taken account of Committee Service Plans, particularly that of Community and
Environment Committee which seeks to promote the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources
and minimisation of environmental pollution, to prepare an Environmental Charter and to develop
environmental strategies for energy, recycling, the monitoring and minimisation of pollution, transport and
land use planning, environmental protection and enhancement, and health. A number of key tasks have
been identified in the Council's Corporate Agenda. Of particular relevance to this Plan are to lead on a
range of green issues including the development of an environmental strategy, to establish a strategy for
land and property including the Council's economic regeneration objectives and affordable housing
programme and to develop policies for access and opportunity.
The Guiding Principles
2.12 This section indicates more specifically how the policy statements referred to above have been
taken into account in formulating the guiding principles of this UDP.
(i)
Maintaining and Enhancing the Environment
2.13 Hillingdon is the second largest in area of London's 33 Boroughs and is situated on the western
edge of the conurbation where town and country meet. Around half of the Borough is open land, and its
use primarily for agriculture and open air recreation activities makes Hillingdon a particularly attractive
place in which to live and work. The area also has one of the most important wildlife habitat networks in
Greater London, containing important areas of unimproved grassland, broadleaved woodland and standing
water. Because of its location, however, the area faces many conflicting demands for the use of its
countryside, including transport infrastructure, sand and gravel extraction and pressure for urban
development. It also contains legacies of past mineral extraction in the form of areas of poorly restored
land, particularly in the south of the Borough, which require improvement.
2.14 The built-up area contains a heritage of older village centres and individual buildings which are
worthy of conservation. Housing is the predominant land use, the majority of which dates from this
century. Some of the residential areas have particular character which the Council wishes to retain. The
Borough also has a number of town centres and employment areas. Most are flourishing, being relatively
modern or having undergone recent redevelopment, and action is proposed in those older areas which
experience particular problems.
2.15 In formulating development plan policies and proposals, local planning authorities must have
regard to environmental considerations and are required to include land use policies and proposals for the
improvement of the physical environment, and conservation of the natural beauty and amenity of the land.
These include policies and proposals to protect and enhance an environment regarded as being of high
quality, or to improve a poor environment, for example by reclaiming derelict land. They also include
policies designed to control pollution and to limit and reduce nuisances such as noise, smells and dirt
(PPG12, para 6.18).
2.16 Environmental issues figure prominently on both central and local government agendas, as
exemplified by the publication of the government White Paper 'This Common Inheritance - Britain's
Environmental Strategy' (Command 1200, 1990) to which this Plan must have regard. PPG12 notes that
environmental concerns weigh increasingly in the balance of planning considerations and increased public
awareness is coupled with strong evidence of the value people place on the environment - for example
clean air and water, nature and landscape conservation and the built heritage (PPG12, paras 6.7 and 6.8).
London Borough of Hillingdon Unitary Development Plan