Hillingdon Council agreed last week to proceed with the possible demolition and redevelopment of the Austin Road Estate in the heart of Hayes Town Centre. Often known as the Red Brick Estate, it is a place with major problems and a survey of residents showed that a majority are unhappy to live there because of crime, anti-social behaviour and poor building conditions. A report to the Council's Cabinet supports the idea of a phased redevelopment of the Estate which will end up providing more homes in a better designed layout. But before that happens there must be a vote of the residents who live in the current 260 homes. The vote is expected to take place at the end of March 2021. To read the report to the Cabinet click here.

The campaign by footballer Marcus Rashford to ensure that free school meals are given to poor families during school half term has received the backing of Hillingdon Council. This follows the rejection of the proposal in a vote in the House of Commons last week. Charities, businesses and a number of Councils have stepped in to fill the gap. Details of how to apply will be given by the Council later today. Click here for the Council's web site

The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced last week that there would be more grants to help businesses struggling in areas with raised coronavirus alert levels like London. Those to benefit will be in the hospitality, accommodation and leisure sectors and that will include restaurants. The support will range between £934 to £2100 a month, depending on the rateable value of the property. I will circulate details of how to apply as soon as these are known. To read the Government's full announcement click here.

A review of littering and rubbish-dumping by a Council Committee has produced a range of proposals for further action. The Committee took evidence from a number of witnesses including the Hayes Town Partnership and the Business Forum. We reported on the various steps we have taken to try and tackle this problem in the Town Centre but all agreed that much more needs to be done. To see what is being proposed click here

Hayes Town News often reports the events being held in Cranford Park by the Friends group but all of these have stopped because of the pandemic. You can still find out all about the history and attractions of the Park by watching this video made by the Council with the help of the Friends for Open House Weekend. So when the weather allows you can go for your own walk fully informed about what to look out for.

Councils are required to have a policy for the regulation of alcohol sales, entertainment and late night refreshments. This must be reviewed every 5 years to make sure it is fit for purpose and a revised policy must be in place by January 2021. To take part in the review click here. The deadline for comments is Sunday 22 November.

The Medaille Trust is the charity that helps victims of modern slavery and it has a base in Hayes, For security reasons the address is never publicised but like all charities they have been struggling to raise funds during the pandemic. They have therefore issued a special appeal for donations to bring a bit of cheer at Christmas to the people they look after. Click here to read the appeal letter and here to donate.

October is Black History Month and the Metropolitan Police are holding special events for officers to talk online about diversity and inclusivity. The next one is on Friday 30 October between 12 noon and 1pm. Click here to book a place and here to read more about Black History Month.

The development of the former Southall Gas Works site for housing has been known as Southall Waterside. Now the developers, Berkeley Homes, have decided that it goes much wider than Southall and its generous provision of parks and open spaces have led them to rename it as The Green Quarter, Click here to find out more

Last week's edition of Hayes Town News featured a job advert for new posts of Project Manager and Assistant at Qoys Family Care. Unfortunately the email address was mistyped. To see the job description for the Project Manager's post click here and to apply or find out more about both jobs send an email. The closing date for applications is 5pm on Friday 30 October.