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TV Presenter Nick Knowles has called on Hillingdon Council to engage in dialogue with families of volunteers at the Rural Activities Garden Centre (RAGC) near Hayes which the council closed in July.
Last week, Nick, who presents DIY SOS, shared on X that he was "sad to hear" that the garden centre was closing, calling it an "important outdoor therapeutic experience for adults with learning difficulties & autism".
In a conversation with the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), he said the current circumstances are disappointing: "It's disappointing when there seems to be a dedicated team of families and supporters keen to find a new funding model to keep the centre and the shop associated with the centre open that the council leaders appear to be ignoring calls for dialogue.
"Surely given the strength of feeling of the need for this facility and the good it does, a conversation with interested parties and council leaders is the least that should happen. We are all aware that there just isn't the money available to councils to support everything but that's why dialogue and new ideas should be welcome, not ignored. I hope the council will reconsider and reach out to organise a meeting."
Hillingdon Council closed the retail aspect of the garden centre in July, with plans to relocate volunteers to the Civic Centre in Uxbridge. A spokesperson said: "The council has been actively seeking the views of residents about the future of therapeutic and horticultural services at the Rural Activities Garden Centre (RAGC) site.
"A public consultation was held, giving residents and those who use these services the opportunity to share their views. The consultation closed in October, and we are considering the responses and will share our findings later this month.
"No decision on the service provision provided at the site has been made at this point in time, and therapeutic and horticultural activities continue. The council is prepared to consider alternative proposals for the site, but no such proposal has been received.
"The retail element of the service was closed earlier in the year, as it was no longer financially viable and was in receipt of a £137,000 subsidy in 2024/25 which was not sustainable. Operations ceased in July and there are no plans to revisit the retail offer."
However, campaigners say they have been making attempts to produce an alternative funding model, but allege that the council has made that difficult. John and Andrea Scrivens say that the council "failed to provide financial information about the RAGC in a timely fashion".
A council spokesperson told the LDRS: "'The council is prepared to consider alternative proposals for the site, but at this time none have been received. Proposals require the proposer to submit their own financial workings for viable alternative models."
The LDRS understands that the couple have since submitted a formal complaint to Hillingdon Council about the handling of their case. A campaign group hoping to bring legal action against the council over the closure has so far raised £2,670.
Have a story you want to share? Email philip.lynch@reachplc.com or @pjlynchjourno on X.
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