The London Borough of Hillingdon () is a London borough in Greater London, England. It forms part of outer London and West London, being the westernmost London borough. It was formed in 1965 from the districts of Hayes and Harlington, Ruislip-Northwood, Uxbridge, and Yiewsley and West Drayton. The borough includes Heathrow Airport and Brunel University, and is the second largest of the 32 London boroughs by area.
The main towns in the borough are Hayes, Ruislip, Northwood, West Drayton and Uxbridge. Hillingdon is the third least densely populated of the London boroughs, due to a combination of rural land in the north, RAF Northolt Aerodrome, and Heathrow Airport.
History The borough was created in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963, covering the combined area of the former Municipal Borough of Uxbridge, Hayes and Harlington Urban District, Ruislip-Northwood Urban District and Yiewsley and West Drayton Urban District. The area was transferred from Middlesex to Greater London to become one of the 32 London Boroughs. The councils involved were initially unable to decide upon a name, with Keith Joseph suggesting "Uxbridge" in October 1963, later revised to Hillingdon.Cotton 1994, p.133
Governance
The local authority is Hillingdon Council, based at Hillingdon Civic Centre in Uxbridge.
The borough is divided into 21 wards:
Greater London representation Since 2000, for elections to the London Assembly, the borough forms part of the Ealing and Hillingdon constituency. The Conservative candidate Richard Barnes won the 2000, 2004 and 2008 elections, and since the 2012 election the Labour candidate Onkar Sahota has served as the Ealing and Hillingdon London Assembly member. At the same election in 2012 Conservative candidate Boris Johnson won the largest share of Hillingdon's votes, becoming elected Mayor of London for a second term.
Demographics
Population From 2001 to 2011 the borough's population grew by 11.5% (4.4% above the England and Wales mean of 7.1%). By comparison Merton and Bromley grew by 4.5% and Tower Hamlets grew by 26.4%.2011 Census interactive map The number of households increased from 2001 to 2011 by 3.3%, and the average number of people per household was 2.7.
Ethnicity 37.1% of the borough's population identified themselves as White British in the 2021 census. In the south-east of the borough, in particular Hayes, there is a large population of South Asian residents.
The wards where Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Residents comprise the largest racial groups are: Barnhill (partly covering eastern Hayes, south of Yeading) Pinkwell (mostly the area around the railway station in southern Hayes) Townfield (part of eastern Hayes and west of Southall) Yeading (eastern Hayes)
Whites as a whole form 48.2% of the borough, Asian residents 33.3%, and Black residents 7.8%. In addition, the most common main language, English (77.9%), is followed by Punjabi (4.7%), Polish (1.7%), Tamil (1.6%) and Urdu (1.1%).
Ethnic group Year1971 estimations1981 estimations1991 census2001 census2011 census2021 censusNumber%Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%White: Total–97.6%207,86893.4%203,14987.7%192,12079.1%166,03160.4%147,38748.2% White: British–––––– 176,244 72.5% 142,916 52.1%113,37737.1% White: Irish–––––– 6,911 2.8% 5,949 2.1%5,5851.8% White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller–––––– – – 344 0.1%4790.2%White: Roma––––––––––6910.2% White: Other–––––– 8,965 3.7% 16,822 6.1%27,2558.9% Asian or Asian British: Total––––22,0619.5% 33,048 13.6% 69,253 25.0%101,93833.3% Asian or Asian British: Indian––––15445 6.7% 23,234 9.6% 36,795 13.4%57,34118.7% Asian or Asian British: Pakistani––––2008 0.9% 3,816 1.6% 9,200 3.3%14,2434.7% Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi––––928 0.4% 1,459 0.6% 2,639 0.9%4,0501.3% Asian or Asian British: Chinese––––1185 0.5% 1,883 0.8% 2,889 1.0%3,1841.0% Asian or Asian British: Other Asian––––2495 1.1% 4,539 1.9% 17,730 6.4%23,1207.6% Black or Black British: Total––––3,8101.6% 8,006 3.3% 20,082 7.2%23,9557.9% Black or Black British: African––––852 0.4% 4,227 1.7% 11,275 4.1%15,8445.2% Black or Black British: Caribbean––––2128 0.9% 3,275 1.3% 4,615 1.6%5,7521.9% Black or Black British: Other Black––––830 0.4% 504 0.2% 4,192 1.5%2,3590.8% Mixed or British Mixed: Total–––––– 5,588 2.3% 10,479 3.7%13,359,4.3% Mixed: White and Black Caribbean–––––– 1,427 0.6% 2,719 0.9%3,1511.0% Mixed: White and Black African–––––– 694 0.3% 1,409 0.5%1,8970.6% Mixed: White and Asian–––––– 1,983 0.8% 3,602 1.3%4,2011.4% Mixed: Other Mixed–––––– 1,484 0.6% 2,749 1.0%4,1101.3% Other: Total––––25821.1% 2,847 1.2% 8,091 2.8%19,2686.3% Other: Arab–––––– – – 2,925 1.0%4,4621.5% Other: Any other ethnic group––––25821.1% 2,847 1.2% 5,166 1.8%14,8064.8% Non-White: Total–2.4%14,7906.6%28,45312.3% 50,886 20.9% 107,905 39.6%158,52051.8% Total–100%222,658100%231,602100% 243,006 100.00% 273,936 100.00%305,907100%
Parks and recreation
The borough maintains over 200 green spaces, totalling around . As much of the area is within the Metropolitan Green Belt it was, in 2008, one of the least densely populated of all the London boroughs; open spaces range in size from the Colne Valley Regional Park by the River Colne in the north of the borough, to smaller gardens and parks such as the Norman Leddy Memorial Gardens and Lake Farm Country Park in the south of the borough.
Council leader Raymond Puddifoot had given a promise that green-belt land in Hillingdon would be safe on his watch: 'I can give a categoric assurance that under this administration we will never see a threat to the green belt.' In August 2012, however, Mr Puddifoot announced plans to build on green-belt (and longtime common land) site Lake Farm in the south of the borough. Dismissing the discontent of residents in the south of the borough, the Conservative majority of the council's planning committee peremptorily rubber-stamped the plans in March 2013.
Harmondsworth Moor, a park owned by the borough, is administered by British Airways on behalf of the borough."Harmondsworth Moor ." London Borough of Hillingdon. Retrieved 2 September 2009. After British Airways planned to create a new headquarters in 1992, the airline agreed to convert a former landfill site into Harmondsworth Moor."Contact Information." British Airways. Retrieved 18 May 2009.
The Grand Union Canal passes through Hayes, Yiewsley, Cowley and Uxbridge in the borough. Ruislip Lido was built as a feeder reservoir for the canal, but was eventually disconnected and changed to become a recreational lido. Two Sites of Special Scientific Interest next to the canal, Frays Farm Meadows and Denham Lock Wood, are managed by the London Wildlife Trust.
The borough also operates children's centres, recreational areas for children of under five years of age and their families. The centres include: Barra Hall, Belmore, Cherry Lane, Colham Manor, Cornerstone, Cowley St. Laurence, Harefield, Hillside, McMillan Early Childhood Centre, Nestles Avenue, Oak Farm, and Uxbridge College (Hayes Campus)."Children's centres in Hillingdon ." London Borough of Hillingdon. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
The borough owns four theatres: the Beck Theatre in Hayes (which is operated on behalf of the borough by Trafalgar Entertainment), the Compass Theatre in Ickenham, the Winston Churchill Theatre and Hall (part of the Manor Farm site) and the Open Air Theatre in Barra Hall Park in Hayes.
Sport and leisure The borough has seven Non-League football clubs: A.F.C. Hayes, who play at Farm Park, Hayes. Harefield United F.C., who play at Preston Park, Harefield. Hayes & Yeading United F.C., who play at Skyex Community Stadium, Hayes. Hillingdon Borough F.C. who play at the Middlesex Stadium, Ruislip. Northwood F.C. who play at the Northwood Park Stadium, Northwood. Uxbridge F.C. who play at Honeycroft, Yiewsley. Wealdstone F.C. who play at Grosvenor Vale, Ruislip. The borough is also home to Hillingdon Outdoor Activity Centre (HOAC), a water sports and activity centre. The centre is home to a number of independently run sports clubs: Queensmead Sailing Club Hillingdon Rowing Club Hillingdon Junior Canoe Club Harrow Angling Club
Economy
Economic history
The south's former strong connection with industry has diminished since the 1980s to be replaced by a preponderantly residential suburban population; the north has remained a consistently residential suburban area, although with significant swathes of rural land. The borough's residential areas expanded with the extension of the Metropolitan Railway from Harrow on the Hill to Uxbridge in the early 20th century and the gradual establishment of stops along the line, becoming known as "Metro-land".
Contemporary economy Hillingdon has a large economy by national standards, ranked 14th out of 408 local area districts in Britain, and ranked fifth out of the London boroughs.
British Airways is headquartered in Waterside, Harmondsworth, in Hillingdon."Contact Information." British Airways. Retrieved 18 May 2009. The building officially opened in 1998."Our locations." British Airways Jobs. Retrieved 18 September 2009. Prior to the opening of Waterside, the airline's head office was the Speedbird House at London Heathrow Airport."Blue Sky prepares for launch as PAL 737-300s are secured." Flight International. 28 January 1998. Retrieved 14 December 2009. An office of American Airlines is located at the Orient House (HAA3) within Waterside."Impressum" (Archive). American Airlines China. Retrieved 24 April 2014. "American Airlines, Inc. Orient House (HAA3), Po Box 365, Waterside, Harmondsworth, UB7 0GB United Kingdom"
In 2007 Cadbury Schweppes announced it would be moving to Uxbridge from Mayfair to cut costs. The company later split and Cadbury plc moved to its new head office in Cadbury House in the Uxbridge Business Park in June 2008.
Guoman Hotel Management (UK) Limited has its head office in the Thistle London Heathrow in West Drayton."Corporate Office." Thistle Hotels. Retrieved 28 December 2011. "The corporate office is based at Thistle London Heathrow and is situated across opposite the main reception adjacent to the Conference Centre""Thistle London Heathrow." Thistle Hotels. Retrieved 28 December 2011. "Bath Road, Longford West Drayton UB7 0EQ"
British Midland International had its training centre in Stockley Close, West Drayton."bmi’s company rewards ." British Midland International. Retrieved 28 December 2011."the nineties ." British Midland International. Retrieved 28 December 2011. Hellenic Imperial Airways had its United Kingdom offices in the Axis House in Harlington."Contact Us ." Hellenic Imperial Airways. Retrieved 10 May 2011. "London / United Kingdom Hellenic Imperial Airways Axis House 242 Bath Road Harlington UB3 5AY" China Airlines had its UK office in the Hyde Park Hayes 3 (HPH3) in Hayes."Europe and Middle East ." China Airlines. Retrieved 30 August 2011. "The United Kingdom 3rd Floor, West Wing, Hyde Park Hayes 3 (HPH3),11 Millington Road, Hayes, Middlesex, UB3 4AZ"
One of the predecessor organisations of British Airways, British Overseas Airways Corporation, had its head office in Speedbird House."World Airline Directory." Flight International. 28 September 1967. 530. The other predecessor, British European Airways, had its headquarters in South Ruislip,"World Airline Directory." Flight International. 28 September 1967. 529 as did BEA Helicopters. During its existence the airline British Eagle had its head office on the grounds of Heathrow Airport."World Airline Directory." Flight International. 2 April 1964. 502.
A 2017 study by Trust for London and New Policy Institute found that there is a 22% poverty rate in Hillingdon, slightly below the London-wide figure of 27%. It also found that 24% of Hillingdon's local employees are low-paid, narrowly above the London average of 21%.
Government facilities