On Thursday 14 December the Council's Cabinet agreed an outline budget for 2024/25 that will see a 4.99% increase in Council Tax and reductions of millions of pounds in spending. Differing political views describe these as "cuts" or "efficiency savings" but there is no getting away from the fact that like most Councils Hillingdon faces some very difficult choices. The main cause is Government under-funding for inflation coupled with large increases in the money needed for adult social care, homelessness and special educational needs transport.

My West London News reports what it calls a £27 million hole in the budget but the Council paints a more measured picture. Its draft budget is now open for consultation and you can see what it has to say by using this link. The deadline for comments is Sunday 28 January.

Hayes Town Safer Neighbourhood Team have been out and about conducting high visibility patrols as part of the Met Police commitment to prevent violence, especially against women and girls. As well as officers in uniform (pictured in Station Road) others in plain clothes have also been on the lookout for any instances of unacceptable behaviour.

The priorities for Hayes Town agreed between the Police and the Safer Neighbourhood Panel include a series of walk and talk events like this.

Visitors to Botwell Green Sports and Leisure Centre are seeing a total transformation of what used to be the cafe next to the booking desk. It is being converted into a "soft play area" for children under the age of 11. There will be four levels with a chance for kids to climb, slide or crawl plus a dedicated section for those under 3.

The project is part of a general refurbishment of key parts of the Centre including improvements to the changing rooms and an upgrade to some of the gym equipment. You can find out more here. The new play area is due to open in January.

The Christmas Fare at the Lake Farm Park Academy on Friday 15 December drew hundreds of parents to a fun-filled event. A highlight was the Christmas raffle which must have created some kind of record for the scores of prizes given by numerous donors including Mr A S Puar, Chairman of the Hayes Town Business Forum, Councillor Robin Sansarpuri and myself. The picture shows Mr Puar and I drawing some of the winning tickets.

Some parts of London are experiencing a surge in cases of whooping cough, now known as pertussis or "the 100 day cough". It is an incredibly infectious disease and extremely distressing for children who can end up coughing uncontrollably. Young babies can be at serious risk. The map of incidences shows that there are very few cases in Hillingdon but the big worry is that vaccination levels across the country are at their lowest level in 7 years. The figure for London is down to 40% of those eligible but it is not too late to do something about it. Click here to find out more about the disease and vaccinations.

It is good to learn from the Cranford Park Friends that the major improvement scheme is nearing completion. A fantastic amount has been achieved with the benefit of a grant to the Council from the Heritage Lottery Fund and you can read the Project Manager's report here.

An old model of the Park as it existed in 1865 has been fully restored by Friends Vice-Chair Justin Bayley and her brother as shown in the picture. It now has push button lights to identify various park features and it will be on permanent display in the café which is expected to open by next Easter.

Table Tennis England has announced the opening of its latest partnership programme with the Jack Petchey Foundation. Now in its 13th year the partnership has introduced table tennis to more than 95500 young people in London and Essex. There are grants to purchase tables, a schools competition and a special programme to get more girls involved. Use this link for further information. The closing date for expressions of interest is Friday 16 February at 5pm.

This item is taken from the December edition of the London Sport monthly newsletter which includes details of some other grants. To see it click here.

Buddle is the name of a new online learning and support resource produced by the Sports Council to help clubs and community groups which offer sport and physical activities. It is free and not just about sport. There is lots of useful advice on how to get more people involved with what you do, how to recruit and retain volunteers and much more. To see details of what is available click here.

The Metropolitan Police report an increase in parcel theft in West London in the run-up to Christmas but the good news is that the Flying Squad has arrested three men caught after holding up a delivery van. They have been charged with the theft of 10 parcels worth an estimated £5000. You can see the story by clicking here and if you become aware of any suspicious activity involving delivery vans please call 101 or 999 in an emergency. Crimestoppers can be used without giving your name. Their number is 0800 555 111.

The Police are also alerting the public to be on the lookout for other crimes connected with parcels:

A Hayes Town News reader has drawn attention to a damning report in the Daily Mail about one of the "meet and greet" parking companies at Heathrow Airport. According to their report Deals4Parking has poor customer service, leaves people abandoned at terminals and returns cars in a filthy state. The company denies all the allegations and says that any problems are down to the parking operators it acts for as agent. To read the story use this link.

Talking of parking, Councillor Janet Gardner has been checking up on the effectiveness of enforcement action against drivers who park on yellow lines and cycle lanes in Hayes Town. Her enquiry has revealed that between 1 June and 30 November there were 973 penalty charges issued in the following roads: