Hillingdon Council has made the decision to cease retail operations at a local garden centre that offers social support and activities to vulnerable residents, including many from Northwood and Ruislip.
As reported in last month’s edition of Northwood & Ruislip News, residents were informed in May that the Rural Activities Garden Centre (RAGC) in Uxbridge could close as the site relies on a substantial taxpayer subsidy to keep it afloat.
The decision to go ahead with the closure of the site’s cease retail operations was made at a meeting of Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet on Thursday, June 26. The centre will formally stop trading on or before Thursday, July 31.
More than 100 people attended a demonstration outside the Civic Centre before the council meeting.
Speaking to Northwood & Ruislip News, Ruislip resident and Hillingdon councillor Sital Punja said: “We witnessed a heartless Cabinet who made this decision on poor financial reporting and extremely week rationale with no alternatives costed or assessed. This is not how to run a council.”
The Cabinet is continuing to assess the future of social care services at the site.
Councillor Jonathan Bianco, Hillingdon Council’s Deputy Leader and cabinet member for corporate services and property, said: “We will continue to engage with the RAGC’s volunteers before a decision on the future of support services at the site is made.
“I want to strongly reiterate that the council is fully committed to supporting our statutory care users. They will continue to receive tailored, enhanced support to meet their needs, and we will also ensure our wider volunteer groups are guided through any transition.
“However, it is essential that we deliver value for money for residents. The decision to stop the RAGC’s retail operations reflects prudent financial management of a venture that is clearly loss-making, requiring ongoing subsidies and further investment which is an unsustainable use of council and taxpayer funds at a time when council budgets nationally are strained due to prolonged government underfunding.”
A decision on the future of the site and relocation of its care provision will be made at a later date, following the conclusion of a consultation.
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