HILLINGDON UNITARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN - London Borough ...

10. THE LOCAL ECONOMY
Introduction
10.1 In recent years Hillingdon's economy overall has displayed characteristics of relative strength:
since the mid-1980s the Census of Employment has indicated that the total number of jobs in the Borough
has been rising steadily, a trend that has been reinforced by the latest figures from the 1993 Census which
show over 145,000 employees based in Hillingdon. Furthermore the rate of registered unemployment has
been below the average for both Outer London Boroughs and Greater London as a whole. However this
apparent strength has masked a number of economic and social problems associated with structural changes
and particularly the decline of traditional manufacturing industries. The main problems are:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
Growing dependence on the service sector and particularly transport, storage and
communications at the expense of manufacturing .
Relatively high levels of unemployment in certain parts of the Borough particularly in the
south around Hayes and West Drayton.
Pockets of relative deprivation (based on indices of multiple deprivation)
concentrated in wards in the Hayes area.
Certain individual areas suffering from dilapidated infrastructure and premises and a poor
quality environment.
Notwithstanding the recent decline of manufacturing employment in Hillingdon (in line with the trend
across London) there are still significant concentrations of certain sectors of manufacturing employment,
most notably the manufacture of food, drink and tobacco.
10.2 Central Government recognises the need for regeneration initiatives in West London (RPG3.1996,
Para 2.51) as does WELD Economic Strategy and the London Pride Prospectus (see Chapter 2). WELD's
aims to regenerate the manufacturing sector in a contemporary role are supported by the Council through
its Economic Development Strategy (1996) which has the following aims:-
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
the need to ensure a high level of inward investment by companies across all sectors of
employment;
the need to educate and train local residents to continue to compete for local job
opportunities;
the need to focus regeneration activity in the south of the Borough and especially the
Hayes/West Drayton Area;
the need to maintain a supply of accessible premises for modern employment;
the need to work with businesses, the community and others in partnership to achieve
these aims.
10.3 Consistent with the guidance in RPG3 (1996) a main objective of the LPA with regard to the
location of new development is to identify locations that generate less travel overall and promote the use of
public transport, (RPG3, para 6.4). This approach is also supported by the Council's Transport Strategy as
contained in its Transport Policies and Programme (TPP) 1997/98.
London Borough of Hillingdon Unitary Development Plan