HILLINGDON UNITARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN - London Borough ...

Economic Regeneration
10.4 Promoting the economic prosperity of the Borough is one of Hillingdon Council's main priorities.
Its Economic Development Plan, recognises the particular problems facing the south of the Borough,
focusing on the Hayes/West Drayton Corridor. A regeneration audit in 1995 identified a sizeable area of
land with strategic investment and employment opportunities, currently constrained by problems of
accessibility and environmental decline; a strategic mass of business surviving extensive restructuring, but
facing difficulties with recruitment, local accessibility and the environment; a local community showing
signs of economic and social stress and a series of partnership opportunities, involving different sectors and
agencies.
10.5 Hillingdon's regeneration strategy looks to build sustainability in the local economy, community
and environment in the Corridor and reverse the current trends in employment and travel patterns. The
Council wants to safeguard and enhance the pattern of living, working and consuming services within
reasonable travel distances. Without this, there are not only serious environmental implications, but local
resources and opportunities will be lost. In economic terms, the principal aim is to regain/sustain business
activity in the Corridor. This requires the recycling of former (often defence) employment sites;
redevelopment to provide quality premises to accommodate growing businesses; policies to ensure the
availability of a balance of employment opportunities; a programme to enhance the attractiveness of the
area, and encourage investment; new operational access; improving the business environment, and
matching the skills of local people to the recruitment needs of existing and new firms. To attain
sustainability within local communities, a programme of support is required to maximise local residents'
economic opportunities, and to improve their quality of life.
10.6 The Council also recognises that it cannot deliver a regeneration package alone, but needs to work
with a range of partners from the public, private and voluntary sectors. The Local Authority is uniquely
placed to act as a catalyst for regeneration because of its strategic functions and its accountability to the
local population. The Council already had active partnerships with a number of major players in the
private sector, including Thorn EMI, Nestles, the Stockley Park Consortium and BAA. There is joint
recognition of the various problems and opportunities existing in the Corridor, and projects have been
developed in partnership to address these. (See Chapter 15).
Airport-Related Employment and Development
10.7 Heathrow Airport has a major impact on the local economy of Hillingdon not least in terms of
employment. The 52,000 people employed within the Airport boundary itself are only part of the
"Heathrow employment effect". There is also Heathrow related employment outside the Airport and in
jobs supported by the purchases of both these companies and their employees. There is also the
employment provided by non-airport related companies attracted to this part of west London by the
presence of Heathrow. Of the 551 companies which responded to the 1990 Hillingdon Business Survey
over 25% gave “proximity to Heathrow” as one of their main reasons for locating in this general area
(supported by results of EDAW survey in 1995). This reason was most frequently given by office and
warehousing/distribution firms, many of which had no direct airport connection. The 1992 IBA survey also
indicated an increase in warehousing/distribution activities (both large and small) which in part can be
attributed to Heathrow. More recently the results of the EDAW CR Survey of the Hayes/West Drayton
corridor found that nearly 70% of companies interviewed had no airport related business. One of the main
aims of the Council's economic development and regeneration objectives is to re-dress this imbalance and
encourage stronger linkages between airport related business and local companies.
10.8 In considering this employment effect, it should be remembered that by no means all of the jobs
go to Hillingdon residents. The other main beneficiaries are Hounslow and Spelthorne but the effect
ripples out well beyond the adjoining local authorities. Furthermore, the beneficial employment effect
must be balanced against the potential danger of the local economy becoming over-dependent on Heathrow
and the pressures for development in Hillingdon should it undergo major expansion (see paras 11.7 and
11.8). In employment terms Heathrow is an important stabilising influence in the local economy, but it
does need to refocus on the local economy, by strengthening local linkages, especially through partnership.
London Borough of Hillingdon Unitary Development Plan