David Simmonds CBE MP - MyLocalNew Column - March 2020

The hard work continues in Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner. Over the past few weeks I have been pleased to meet with constituents at my drop-in surgeries in Ickenham, Eastcote and Northwood, and am grateful to our local café owners for hosting me. I will continue to run drop-ins across all wards. For details of future events, please follow my Facebook page: http://fb.com/DavidSimmondsMP or telephone my constituency office on 01923 822 876.

I was also delighted to visit Heath Lodge in Pinner, where I was warmly welcomed by residents, and the Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre in Harefield, where I met the hardworking team helping unwanted dogs find their forever homes.

HS2 remains a pressing local matter. I have continued to work closely with both my colleagues in Parliament and with the Prime Minister’s office. Last week I attended a meeting at HOAC, where senior representatives from HS2 committed to working with the centre to enable them to continue operating at their current site this season. I am grateful for the Prime Minister’s support and that of Hillingdon Council in achieving this.

Following a meeting with HS2 Residents’ Group Chairs, I will be inviting the new HS2 Minister to our constituency to hear directly from affected residents about the issues facing our area. I will also raise HS2’s engagement strategy with him, now that the project has been given the green light to continue for this current stage. I remain focused on representing our community and mitigating its impact on our local environment.

I end on the Court of Appeal’s decision to pause Heathrow expansion, which I know will come as good news for residents. I am pleased that the environmental impact has been considered and that my constituents’ concerns have been heard.

First published: MyLocalNews - March issue