Agenda and minutes

Councillors’ Brian Crowe and John Morgan attended the meeting and Councillor Crowe spoke as a Ward Councillor.  Councillor Anita MacDonald was also in attendance.

Petitioners concerns and suggestions raised at the meeting included the following:

·        Mr Pat Taverner spoke on the lead petitioners behalf.  He was a resident of Hillingdon Borough and often visited Ruislip Lido.

·        The petitioners made reference to 3 specific proposals made by Hillingdon Council for the Lido: boating for adults at the Lido; paddle boats for children; and car parking, including a 200 space hard surface car park.

·        The petitioners stated that the Council believed the changes would restore Ruislip Lido to its former state.

·        That the Council had abandoned the Lido and now it was a place for the wildlife. The wildlife quantities had increased considerably over the years.

·        There was last boating at the Lido in the 1970’s and 80’s. There was not much wildlife at that time in the area, but now there was a lot more.

·        Re-introducing boating could mean that some people who used this facility would be unaware of the wildlife living in the area, by throwing rubbish/litter.

·        Security of boating was also an issue to consider.

·        That the children, as well as the adults, using the boating area would have a lack of respect for wildlife.

·        The petitioners felt the Lido was now very much a nature reserve so wished to know where the idea of boating had come from.

·        The types of boating being proposed needed careful consideration

·        The petitioners questioned the Council’s use of resources by bringing in consultants

·        The water quality was discussed by petitioners and that they were unsure whether it met the new standards. They also did not know anything of the chemicals in the water.

·        The petitioners discussed the parking issues regarding the Lido. They stated that the Leader had sent a memo/letter to residents which he was quoted to say the Council would proceed with a car park as soon as possible, even though the Council had received some objections to the proposals.

·        They felt the car park proposals were a short term fix to a major problem in the area.

·        That the Council should consider a new entrance to the Lido, somewhere where residents and pedestrians could only gain access. 

·        That the parking proposals had shown that the Council had taken insufficient account of the wildlife living in the Lido.

·        The petitioners requested to know how many people had died from swimming in the last 15 years. Officers would inform residents of the figure.

·        Petitioners did not know what to believe as they felt what they were told in meetings and what actually was being done, for example from the letter/memo from the Leader, was different.

·        They were told at the last petition meeting that proposals were just ideas at the time, but felt through comments made outside of the meeting that this was not true.

·        Petitioners said there were several other facilities for swimming in the Borough,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.