As we heard was extremely likely (and honestly, was obvious all along) from Ian Edwards in our Q&A session with him at our AGM last night, at the London Borough of Hillingdon’s Cabinet meeting this evening, the Planning officers’ recommendation to Locally List the Orchard building in Ruislip was approved.
This is very positive news.
However, please note that the live Lidl Supermarket planning application on the site Ref: 62963/APP/2024/3371 was validated at end February before this Local Listing was granted. This new Local Listing will have very limited weight on the decision of this application that is still under consideration by planning officers.
The Ruislip Residents’ Association hope that the application will be refused on the basis of many key planning considerations that have to be considered for plans of this scale.
Read more
See our meeting with Lidl’s planning representatives
Read a history of The Orchard
Update about the Spitfire memorial from The Orchard
Read the local listing consultation documents
Read tonight’s Cabinet meeting papers
Watch tonight’s Cabinet meeting recording
Video of tonight’s Cabinet meeting
(Orchard is 12 Minutes in)
The officers’ report:
The Orchard
The Council received an approach requesting consideration for inclusion on the Council’s Local List of Buildings of Architectural or Historic Importance from the Ruislip Resident’s Association. Although The Orchard Pub has a modern rear extension the frontage is an attractive surviving early example of early 20th Century Metroland architecture on a prominent site within the Ruislip Village Conservation Area.
The Orchard is a two-storey building with the principal elevation facing Fiveways roundabout. It has a symmetrical façade of three bays with a substantial central gable. The left and right bays have a planted timber framing painted black with rendered studs between generally comprising of vertical studs with decorative central features and straight brace to each end of the bay. They are punctured by symmetrically set windows framed in brick with the gable projecting above the eaves, The central gable is substantial with a predominance of horizontal studs and a decorative diamond pattern of framing at eaves levels to the flanks. The windows to the upper floor are generally cruciform timber with to the flanks 12 small panes above. The roofs are hipped and of red/ orange clay tile. To the right hand bay the wing stretch back to the modern rear extension. To the left original core there appear to be two pavilion type elements now subsumed in later kitchen extensions. At ground floor level there are a number of post war single storey extensions.
The Orchard contributes positively to the conservation area in particular, as part of a group of important buildings at Fiveways Roundabout. The Orchard Bungalow was constructed in 1905 to provide a refreshment stop/tea garden for visitors enjoying the fresh air and countryside using the metropolitan line traveling from the crowded city centre. This became very popular, and a second storey was quickly added as was a pavilion which could accommodate 500 people. As it was teetotal it was particularly popular with Schools, Sunday Schools and Works outing. During WW2 the Polish Air Force fighter squadrons airmen and support staff from Northolt treated The Orchard as a second home and is mentioned in many memoirs. Hence the adjacent Locally Listed war memorial.
Recommendation: Inclusion in the Local List and recommend for Statutory Listing to English Heritage
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