hillingdon council
Latest Issue
Issue 325 : Feb 2025

hillingdon council

Your home is in safe hands with Hillingdon Council’s building control team

If you’re considering extending or renovating your home, Hillingdon Council’s building control team can help you complete your project to the best and safest standards. The council’s in-house team is well trusted by property and construction professionals throughout the borough and can give your project the help it needs, from a name you can trust. During the recent COVID-19 lockdowns, many homeowners used the time to build garden offices, gyms and more. In fact, since the onset of the pandemic, the need for more space has prompted record numbers of residents to expand and renovate their homes.  Most home renovations require planning permission – which the council’s planning team deals with – but also building regulations approval, which is what the council’s building control team covers. If your project requires building regulations approval, the council’s team of qualified surveyors will give you pre-application advice, check your plans and help you to navigate the process. Why chose Hillingdon Council’s building control team? Experienced in private and public sectors, they know the area, the ground your property is built on and the history of your home. The team prides itself on the service’s fast turnaround times and applications are registered within three days once the fee is paid. Get in touch before 3pm, Monday to Friday, and a site inspection will be carried out the next working day.  As a not-for-profit council service, our team gives impartial advice that looks after your interests.  Once instructed, a surveyor will make regular site visits to help you and your builder with any technical queries which might arise during construction and ensure it meets all regulations. The surveyor will also ensure that the materials being used are high-quality and that your home is energy-efficient and meets fire safety standards.  The surveyor’s site report from each inspection request will be emailed to the address you provide. If anything unexpected arises, the team is always available to troubleshoot any issues early – saving you time and money. Once the works are complete, your surveyor will issue a Completion Certificate, which you are likely to need if you come to sell your home.  Trusted and recommended by local businesses. Strong links with local builders and architectural practices who choose to work with our team time and again. Cllr Eddie Lavery, Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Housing and Regeneration, said: “Our team is here to put residents’ interests first and ensure that your new home, or renovation work is safe, well-built and cost effective to run. “They will work closely with your contractors to save you time and money and our new reporting system will give you real-time updates so you will know exactly what’s happening on the ground.” For more information and to find out why your home is in safe hands with Hillingdon’s building control, visit www.hillingdon.gov.uk/buildingcontrol.

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Hillingdon Council shortlisted for industry award for Northwood School building

Hillingdon Council has been shortlisted for a prestigious award at the London Local Authority Building Control (LABC) Building Excellence Awards for its rebuild of Northwood Secondary School. The £35 million project will offer 1,080 school places for pupils in Hillingdon, and has been shortlisted for an award for ‘Best Educational Building.’ The school building has three storeys, measures 9,800 square metres in size and promotes an academic focus on performing arts. The building features 53 classrooms, specialist design and technology rooms, a sports hall and a sixth form study.  A stage area with retractable seating sits at the heart of the school, and additional arts facilities include an outdoor amphitheatre and performing arts specialist rooms. Mark Anderson, Headteacher at Northwood School said:  “We officially opened Northwood School in October last year, and I’d like to thank staff at Hillingdon Council for all their support. This school is about inspiring staff, students and the local community, and already the new building has brought an added energy and ambition to our staff and students, as well as enormous sense of pride. We are also very pleased that the building is being used by the community seven days a week. With our new building, we are creating an outstanding school which the whole community can be proud of and rely upon.” The project was delivered in partnership with Farrans Construction and the Education Funding Agency, who contributed £7 million to the project. The construction company has created a time-lapse video which shows the school being built from start to finish. Councillor David Simmonds, Cabinet Member for Education, said: “We are delighted that Northwood School has been recognised by the LABC, and the school’s exceptional new facilities will provide young people in Hillingdon with a high quality education. We’ve invested more than £314 million into our school expansion programme, which is one of the largest programmes in London. Academic attainment for children and young people in Hillingdon is very positive, and we will continue to ensure that education is a top priority for the council.” The awards will be held on Friday 16 June at the Guildhall in London. You can view the time-lapse video of the Northwood School’s construction here:      

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