DELIVERING A THRIVING ECONOMY

Hillingdon Council is working with businesses and partners to build a thriving economy that creates new jobs and attracts investment which benefits residents and businesses alike.

During the past year, Hillingdon has seen a 13.6 per cent increase in enterprise registrations compared to pre-pandemic levels, the highest level of growth in London. This surge in business activity highlights the borough’s growing reputation as a business hub.

The council has an ambitious plan for the future, aiming to drive economic growth and attract a diverse range of industries, adding to the wellestablished sectors, such as aviation, logistics and healthcare, data centres, film studios, and hospitality. As more businesses begin to call Hillingdon home, the borough is poised to play a vital role in London's economic future.

Alongside producing a new Local Plan which will shape development for years to come, the revitalisation of Uxbridge town centre is another key focus of activity. In collaboration with the local community, the council is developing a new vision for Uxbridge to ensure the high street and surrounding area continues to thrive by making it an even better place to live, work and do business.

Uxbridge is a vibrant, bustling town centre with a rich heritage, featuring award-winning green spaces, diverse businesses, and leisure activities.

During the past 20 years, town centres, including Uxbridge, have faced challenges threatening their viability. To address this, the council has created a new draft vision based on community engagement last year.

It supports the Local Plan and aims to rejuvenate the town centre by encouraging private investment, diversifying shopping and leisure options, redeveloping disused sites, exploring potential for new housing, and improving connectivity to residential areas.

During the initial engagement and research, residents, businesses and other stakeholders identified four key themes that would improve the town centre:

The four key themes were:

Public realm improvement – creating new spaces to encourage visitors and to support businesses.

New activities – introducing pop-up shops, collaborative workspaces and exhibitions that bring new organisations to the town centre

Better links – improving connections to the surrounding areas

More town centre living – more opportunities to live in the town centre by providing a mix of high quality housing options.

Vision for the future

The vision outlines a range of short and longterm projects to tackle issues deterring people from spending more time in the town centre. The council will collaborate with partners to find creative solutions and seek funding for larger projects.

1. Building economic resilience –increasing vacancy of retail and commercial units. The town centre needs to adapt to meet changing economic needs and give people more reason to visit

How we are going to do this?

• Support the office market at the heart of the town centre.

• Address gaps in the current offer, such as night-time activities, and experience-based commercial offers.

2. Serving local communities – the high street is dominated by chain retail and is less appealing to groups, such as students and those who do not drink alcohol. It needs to better serve residents’ daily needs.

How are we going to do this?

• Establish the Civic Centre as a community hub and explore new ways to use the building and forecourt.

• Provide new housing in the heart of the town centre and attract developers.

3. Enhancing the environment – provide more options to travel to and from the town centre, expanding connections to surrounding green spaces and improve public spaces and increase accessibility.

How are we going to do this?

• Improve walking, bus and cycling routes.

• Restore connections to the canal, local parks and other sites, such as the Battle of Britain Bunker Exhibition and Visitor Centre.

Cllr Steve Tuckwell, Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning, Housing and Growth, said:

“We are committed to fostering economic growth and creating an environment where businesses can thrive. We want to work with our business community to drive investment and innovation to ensure that our local economy continues to flourish.

“There are plenty of exciting opportunities for growth, and our plans for Uxbridge are to make it an even better place to live, work, study and do business, ensuring it continues to thrive long into the future.

“The draft Uxbridge Town Centre Vision has been co-designed with the community to ensure it addresses the issues and needs of local people.”