Hillingdon Council Cabinet Member and Officer Decisions
Environmental & Recreational Initiatives: Queens Walk Open Space River Enhancement Project
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Democratic Services
Location: Phase II
Ext: 0636
DDI: 01895 250636
CMD No: 1592
To: COUNCILLOR EDDIE LAVERY
CABINET MEMBER FOR FINANCE &
TRANSFORMATION
COUNCILLOR WAYNE BRIDGES
CABINET MEMBER FOR COMMUNITY &
ENVIRONMENT
c.c. All Members of th e Residents Services Select
Committee
c.c. Dragana Knezevic – Residents Services
Directorate
c.c. Ward Councillors for South Ruislip
Date: 09 December 2025
Non-Key Decision request Form D
CAPITAL RELEASE REPORT (December 2025)
DEPARTMENT: Resident Services
SERVICE AREA / PROGRAMME: Environmental & Recreational
Initiatives: Queens Walk Open Space River Enhancement Project
Dear Cabinet Members,
Attached is a report requesting that a decision be made by you as an individual Cabinet
Member. Democratic Services confirm that this is not a key decision, as such, the Local
Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England)
Regulations 2012 notice period does not apply.
You should take a decision on or after Wednesday 17 December 2025 in order to meet
Constitutional requirements about publication of decisions that are to be made. You may
wish to discuss the report with the Corporate Director before it is made. Please indicate your
decision on the duplicate memo supplied and return it to me when you have made your
decision. I will then arrange for the formal notice of decision to be published.
Naveed Ali
Democratic Services
Title of Report: CAPITAL RELEASE REPORT (December 2025)
DEPARTMENT: Resident Services
SERVICE AREA / PROGRAMME: Environmental & Recreational Initiatives: Queens Walk
Open Space River Enhancement Project
Decision made:
Reasons for your decision: (e.g. as stated in report)
Alternatives considered and rejected: (e.g. as stated in report)
Signed ……………………………………………………… Date……………………..
Cabinet Member for Finance & Transformation
Cabinet Member for Community & Environment
Capital Release Report – 09 December 2025
Part I - Public
CAPITAL RELEASE REPORT (December 2025)
DEPARTMENT: Resident Services
SERVICE AREA / PROGRAMME: Environmental & Recreational
Initiatives: Queens Walk Open Space River Enhancement Project
Cabinet Member(s) &
Portfolio
Councillor Eddie Lavery – Cabinet Member for Finance &
Transformation
Councillor Wayne Bridges – Cabinet Member for Community &
Environment
Responsible Officer Dragana Knezevic, Residents Services Directorate
Papers with report Appendix A, with capital release requests for approval
HEADLINES
Summary
To seek release of £ 100K funds towards the Queens Walk River
enhancement project
Putting our Residents
First
This report supports the Council Strategy.
Financial Cost This report seeks the release of £ 100K for Queens Walk River
enhancement project, £100K funded by Crane Valley Fund Grant
and we will be seeking for additional fu nding from GLA’s Green
Roots Funds in January 2026
Select Committee Residents’ Services Select Committee
Relevant Ward(s) South Ruislip
RECOMMENDATION
That the Cabinet Member for Finance & Transformation, in consultation with the Cabinet
Member for Community & Environment , approve the capital release request of £100K for
Queens Walk Open Space River enhancement project, funded by Crane Valley Fund Grant
(Appendix A).
Reasons for recommendation
After a very successful river restoration project in 2024/25, London Borough of Hillingdon and the
Zoological Society of London continue working to develop a river enhancement project to improve
the section of the Yeading Brook West that flows through Queens Walk, River Walk.
Yeading Brook has unnaturally steep banks with little habitat diversity. The river enhancement
project will reprofile/recontour riverbanks to create key habitats and improve the diversity of the
Capital Release Report – 09 December 2025
Part I - Public
environment and its species. Yeading Brook water levels respond very quickly to rainfall due to
its urban catchment. This project will contribute to reducing the peak levels and, in turn, reduce
the flood risk to local residents. Proposed improvement works will increase the ability of the river
to adapt and cope with the likely impact of increased intense storms resulting from climate
change. The project will provide more space for water and slow the flow of water to the Yeading
Brook, further helping to protect people, species and habitats by making them less vulnerable to
the effects of climate change.
This project will create a tranquil spot for observing nature, such as dragonflies, butterflies and
birds and amphibians attracted to these new and enhanced habitats.
Development of the site will attract more volunteers who want to help shape and transform their
local landscape and work with others as a community on a regular basis. This will provide not
only social wellbeing benefits but also improve nature connectedness of participants and promote
pro-nature conservation behaviours.
Alternative options considered / risk management
The Cabinet Members may agree to fund the scheme and/or suggest alternative projects to which
funds could be allocated within the terms of the relevant legal agreements.
Select Committee comments
None at this stage.
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
This report is seeking the allocation of funding for Queens Walk Open Space River Enhancement
Project.
The works will be undertaken by:
● Design - Specialist Contractor
● Construction - Specialist Contractor
● Project Consultation - Zoological Society of London (ZSL) , charity devoted to the worldwide
conservation of animals and their habitats
The table below provides a breakdown of the costs:
Cost Plan
Item Lead Cost
Construction Specialist Contractor £35,000.00
Spoil removal off site Specialist Contractor £35,000.00
Management Fees Greenspaces, LBH £10,000.00
Project Consultation ZSL £7,000.00
Tree Works Hillingdon’s tree contractor £13,000.00
Total £100,000.00
Capital Release Report – 09 December 2025
Part I - Public
Financial Implications
(Queens Walk River Enhancement Project Budget £100k, Previously Released Nil, Capital
Release Requested £100k) – Appendix A
In January 2026, a recommendation is being presented to Cabinet to accept £100k grant funding
from the Crane Valley fund. No match funding is requested.
The report seeks the release of £100 k for the Queens Walk River enhancement project, to be
funded from the Crane Valley Grant. The release request includes quotations from the green
spaces term contractors, consultants and internal fees at 11%.
The project will be reported as part of the Environmental and Recreation Initiatives Programme
once capital release is approved.
RESIDENT BENEFIT & CONSULTATION
The benefit or impact upon Hillingdon residents, service users and communities
The Council and its partners are committed to making the B orough a cleaner, greener and safer
environment. Feel PROUD aims to make residents aware of how they can join forces with the
Council and have their say on improving the area they live in and boosting their pride in being a
Hillingdon resident.
Improving existing habitats in this narrow Site of Interest for Nature Conservation (SINC) section
and restoring yeading Brook will increase the wildlife value of the site and benefit the whole
corridor. The project will create a more varied and positive use of the land, increasing the site’s
overall biodiversity and ecological resilience, whilst retaining a peaceful place for people to relax
and enjoy.
This project is consistent with Hillingdon’s Strategic Climate Change Action Plan:
“Responding to the climate emergency is not just about reducing or removing carbon emissions.
It is about recognising a much wider threat across all aspects of our environment. We are
responsible for large sections of open areas and waterways that are an extremely important for
wildlife and, amenity for residents. We can find better ways to use green and open space to
support flora and fauna, manage flooding, integrate trees and planting schemes into urban
environments and re-establish wildlife corridors.”
C7 Carbon offsetting
C7.4 Understand and increase current carbon sequestration through increased planting and
changes to green space management.
C7.5 Increase the number of trees, particularly in urban areas to complement objectives to
improve air quality and promote urban wildlife.
C7.6 To exploit opportunities to increase carbon sequestration to maximise opportunities for
biodiversity and flood risk management.
Capital Release Report – 09 December 2025
Part I - Public
CORPORATE CONSIDERATIONS
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance concurs with the financial implications set out above, noting that this project is
funded from external grant of £100k that has recently been awarded from the Crane Valley fund
grant, with no impact on Council resources, and that grant acceptance is pending Cabinet
approval in the next budget monitoring report.
Legal
Legal Services confirms that the Council is responsible for carrying out this function pursuant to
section 164 of the Public Health Act 1875, section 10 of the Open Spaces Act 1906, and section
40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006.
Thus, there are no legal impediments to the requested capital release being authorised, although
any contract that is entered into must comply with the Council's Procurement Standing Orders.
This includes the contracts with the specialist contractors for the design and construction works,
the contract with ZSL for project consultation, and the contract with the Council’s tree contractor
for the tree works.
Infrastructure / Asset Management
There are no Infrastructure / Asset Management implications arising from the recommendation in
this report.
BACKGROUND PAPERS
NIL.
CAPITAL RELEASE APPENDIX A
Queens Walk Open Space River Enhancement Project
Location
(Ward)
Project /
Expenditure
Title
Information
Funds
Release
Sought
£000’s
Approve Hold
More
Information
Required
South
Ruislip
Queens Walk
River
Enhancement
Project
Queens Walk River
Enhancement Project
100
Total seeking release 100
Previously released 0
Budget 100
Remaining budget 0
View Decision / Minutes Text
Executive Decision Notice – 18 December 2025
This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk
OFFICIAL EXECUTIVE DECISION NOTICE
PUBLISHED BY DEMOCRATIC SERVICES
Notice is hereby given that the following decision(s) have been made today by
Cabinet Members at the London Borough of Hillingdon:
Title of decision CAPITAL RELEASE REPORT (December 2025)
DEPARTMENT: Resident Services
SERVICE AREA / PROGRAMME: Environmental &
Recreational Initiatives: Queens Walk Open Space River
Enhancement Project
Reference No. 1592
Date of decision Thursday 18 December 2025
Call-in expiry date Monday 29 December 2025
Relevant Select
Committee
Residents’ Services Select Committee
Relevant Wards South Ruislip
Decision made
Cabinet Members making
the decision
Councillor Eddie Lavery – Cabinet Member for Finance &
Transformation
Councillor Wayne Bridges – Cabinet Member for
Community & Environment
Decision APPROVED
The Cabinet Member for Finance & Transformation, in
consultation with the Cabinet Member for Community &
Environment, approved the capital release request of
£100K for Queens Walk Open Space River enhancement
project, funded by Crane Valley Fund Grant.
Reason for decision After a very successful river restoration project in 2024/25,
London Borough of Hillingdon and the Zoological Society of
London continue working to develop a river enhancement
project to improve the section of the Yeading Brook West
that flows through Queens Walk, River Walk.
The river enhancement project will reprofile/recontour
riverbanks to create key habitats and improve the diversity
of the environment and its species. Yeading Brook water
levels respond very quickly to rainfall due to its urban
catchment. This project will contribute to reducing the peak
levels and, in turn, reduce the flood risk to local residents.
Proposed improvement works will increase the ability of the
river to adapt and cope with the likely impact of increased
intense storms resulting from climate change. The project
Executive Decision Notice – 18 December 2025
This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk
will provide more space for water and slow the flow of water
to the Yeading Brook, further helping to protect people,
species and habitats by making them less vulnerable to the
effects of climate change.
This project will create a tranquil spot for observing nature,
such as dragonflies, butterflies and birds and amphibians
attracted to these new and enhanced habitats.
Alternative options
considered and rejected
The Cabinet Members may agree to fund the scheme and/or
suggest alternative projects to which funds could be
allocated within the terms of the relevant legal agreements.
Classification Part I – Public
Link to associated report Here
Relevant Officer contact
& Directorate
Dragana Knezevic, Residents Services Directorate
Any interest declared by
the Cabinet Member(s) /
dispensation granted
N/A
Implementation of decision & scrutiny call-in
[Internal Use only]
When can this
decision be
implemented by
officers?
Officers can implement Cabinet Member decision in this notice only
from the expiry of the scrutiny call-in period which is:
5pm on Monday 29 December 2025
However, this is subject to the decision not being called in by
Councillors on the relevant Select Committee. Upon receipt of a
valid call-in request, Democratic Services will immediately advise
the relevant officer(s) and the decision must then be put on hold.
Councillor scrutiny
call-in of this
decision
Councillors on the relevant Select Committee shown in this notice
may request to call-in this decision. The request must be before the
expiry of the scrutiny call-in period above.
Councillors should use the Scrutiny Call-in App (link below) on their
devices to initiate any call-in request. Further advice can be sought
from Democratic Services if required:
Scrutiny Call-In - Power Apps (secure)
Executive Decision Notice – 18 December 2025
This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk
Further information These decisions, where applicable, have been taken under The
Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access
to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.
This is the formal notice by the Council of the above executive
decision, including links to the reports where applicable.
If you would like more information on this decision, please contact
Democratic Services on 01895 250636 or email:
democratic@hillingdon.gov.uk.
Circulation of this decision notice is to a variety of people including
Members of the Council, Corporate Directors, Officers, Group
Secretariats and the Public. Copies are also placed on the
Council’s website.
Democratic Services
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