Plans for a £1million youth centre in a green space surrounded by houses in Harefield, has caused controversy and prompted a petition of more than 1,000 signatures against it.
The proposal comes from Hillingdon Council itself, who hope to build a single storey youth centre, with a two-storey sports hall, with a new playground, car parking, lighting and fencing, on the green space on Ash Grove, Harefield.
Lead petitioner, Lisa Whicker, who has gathered 1,674 signatures and counting, thinks this plot is the wrong location for the project.
She said: “We want to keep our park, it's been there since 1955.
“They're actually taking over a whole park, which is used on a regular basis by the residents, and it's totally in the wrong place.
“The road itself is not wide enough, it's an over-development, and it's going to mean a loss of amenity to lots of residents.
“It's a lot of investment and it's just going to be another space in Harefield that's going to be gone.
“There are other places in Harefield where they could possibly locate it and it would be better and not such a huge impact on so many residents.”
Existing traffic problems exacerbated by the centre
Ms Whicker's children use the space as it currently is and feels it's a safe place for them to play, which will be taken away.
“We're just really coming up against it. The councillors are all saying we need this, we're having it.
“I just don't think they considered the actual location of it. They may as well just knock our back fences down. It's a huge building and it's going to cost just under a million pounds.
“If they're going to spend £1m on this brand new fancy building, what's going to happen to the existing community centre?”
Ms Whicker also says the street has a major parking issue with 'neighbours' falling out over it because it's 'such a nightmare' that would be exacerbated with the youth centre.
She suggested other locations for the project, such as Harefield Academy or Moorhall Road Park.
Another Ash Grove resident, who has been looking forward to her retirement, has even considered moving house thanks to the plans.
Carol Richards, 68, who has lived in Harefield all her life, also fears the extra noise and traffic the centre could bring.
She said: “I don't know of any other youth centre that's in a middle of a very small green space, surrounded by residents. It's a residential area, there's lots of elderly people and it's lovely and quiet."
Mrs Richards was surprised the council had found the money for the 'monstrosity' building when her previous suggestion for goalposts for the children was rebuked due to 'funding'.
Residents 'not told' of planning application
She continued: “We're still hoping for a meeting with residents from the council.
“I think it's been done very underhandedly because they supposedly sent out all these letters before Christmas and they didn't, they sent about a dozen - I didn't get one.
"There was a group of us who got together because I would never have known it was going to happen unless Lisa hadn't had hers - she got one and put it on Facebook and we all got straight on it.
“So I rang up two months ago and asked for a letter and I got mine on the March 7”.
Cllr Jane Palmer, ward councillor for Harefield, says she hopes the local authority can deliver the youth centre, ahead of a planning decision which is listed to be made by May 10 on Hillingdon Council's website.
She said: “I have attended the Harefield Tenants and Residents Association regularly where this matter has been discussed and I've met with residents that agree with the youth centre and those who do not.
“I understand, at first hand, the concern that some of my residents are raising. We are probably the only London council who has the ability to deliver such a facility for our young people.
“I will continue, as I have done for the last two years, to engage with residents and try to represent this village as best as I can and I hope we can continue to deliver our promise to residents for a youth centre in Harefield.”
