Hillingdon is asking families about plans for five children's centres until 5pm on 14 December. Online sessions run on 5 and 10 November and 8 December.
Hillingdon’s consultation on the future of its children’s centres is now open. Families have until 5pm on Monday 14 December to respond. The first of three online sessions is at 7pm tonight, Thursday 5 November.
Five centres would stop operating as children’s centres under the proposals: Cherry Lane, Charville, Harefield, Coteford and Oak Farm. The council says no final decisions have been made (Hillingdon Council, family hubs consultation).
What is proposed
The consultation page lists these changes:
- family hubs stay in Uxbridge, Hayes, South Ruislip and West Drayton
- additional family hub services in Yiewsley, Yeading and Pinkwell
- a proposed new family hub in Hayes Town
- support through hubs, local network sites and outreach in community venues
- a possible child health hub at Colham Manor Children’s Centre
- the Cherry Lane, Charville, Harefield, Coteford and Oak Farm sites returned to the schools that own them
The wording has softened since October. The Cabinet report described those five as closing as places where services are delivered (our report on the Cabinet papers). The consultation page says they would be returned to the schools and “would no longer operate as children’s centres”. The practical result for a family using one is the same.
How far families would travel
We measured the straight-line distance from each of the five to the nearest hub that would stay or be created. These are our figures, not the council’s.
| Centre | Nearest hub left | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Harefield | Uxbridge, Civic Centre | 4.1 miles |
| Coteford, Eastcote | South Ruislip, The Wren | 1.9 miles |
| Charville, Hayes | Hayes, College Way | 1.6 miles |
| Oak Farm, Hillingdon | Uxbridge, Civic Centre | 1.2 miles |
| Cherry Lane, West Drayton | West Drayton, Platinum Jubilee Leisure Centre | 0.5 miles |
The consultation page does not say which network sites or outreach venues would serve Harefield. That is a fair question to put in a response.
How to take part
There are three online sessions, all on Microsoft Teams. The joining links are on the council’s consultation page.
| Date | Time |
|---|---|
| Thursday 5 November | 7pm to 8pm |
| Tuesday 10 November | 11am to 12pm |
| Tuesday 8 December | 1pm to 2pm |
The council says your camera must stay on throughout, for security reasons. If it is off, you will not be able to stay in the meeting. You do not have to attend a session to respond.
The plan Cabinet saw in October also listed hub sessions, drop-ins and on-site sessions for people using the affected centres (Appendix A, Consultation and Engagement Plan). The consultation page lists only the online sessions today. We will add any in-person dates the council publishes.
What it means for you
- Respond by 5pm on Monday 14 December, using the online form on the council’s page.
- Without internet access? The council says your local family hub or children’s centre can help you complete the survey, or give you a paper copy, an accessible format or translation support.
- Nothing has closed. October’s papers put the final decision at Cabinet in February 2027, with a target of April 2027 for the new model.
- If you use one of the five centres, say how far you could travel and which local venues would work for you. The Cabinet report promised usage figures and travel analysis for each site only in the final report.
Our earlier report has the council’s reasons and what the papers say about families now.
Have your say