Nick Hurd runs for charity in "fun" run.
1st October 2005
The Lynda Jackson Macmillan Centre at Mt Vernon does magnificent work for cancer patients.
The Lynda Jackson Macmillan Centre at Mt Vernon does magnificent work for cancer patients. My admiration rashly led me to sign up for their 10K ' fun run' at Moor Park on 2nd October to help raise funds for the Centre. Too little , too late is the most accurate summary of my training regime but it has given me the opportunity to really appreciate some of the green spaces we have in Ruislip- Northwood. In particular I am struck by how much we owe the conservation group who, in the early twentieth century, managed to save Park Wood from development. If they had not done so, I suspect that today there would be no natural break between Ruislip and Northwood. In the same spirit, I heartily congragulate Hillingdon Council and those who successfully fought for lottery funding to restore the Manor Farm complex- one of the Borough's most treasured historical sites. I only hope that the same spirit of pride in preserving what is special about our environment can be extended to Joel Street Farm. This precious area of rolling countryside does exactly what green belt is meant to do. It prevents the merging of neighbouring urban areas and gives Northwood Hills a distinct identity. Today a landscape that raises the quality of life is under threat from plans to turn it into a resting place for the dead. If it was down to local people, I am sure that the application by the Federation of Synagogues to turn Joel Street Farm into a cemetery would be rejected out of hand. The problem is that local planning no longer reflects local priorities: it is an exercise in following rules set by Central Government. And believe it or not, cemeteries are not considered an inappropriate use of greenbelt. To their credit, Northwood Hills Residents Association and Conservative Councillors are putting together a petition that will send a strong message to Hillingdon Council and the Federation. I sincerely hope they listen for the sake of future generations who will ask "where did all the green space go?". "
