Hillingdon Council's Hayes Regeneration Project is moving forward with revised plans to construct hundreds of new homes across the Hayes Town Centre and Avondale Drive Estates. The project aims to replace existing social housing with new, higher-density housing, and also includes overall improved designs and phasing compared to the Council's original planning consents. An update was presented at the Corporate Resources & Infrastructure Select Committee meeting on Wednesday, 19 November 2025, outlining the progress and future proposals for the project. The Hayes Regen Progress Report provides further details.
Resident ballots in May 2021 showed strong support for the project, with 79% in favour at Hayes Town Centre and 94% at Avondale Drive. Initial planning consent was secured in September 2022 for 740 new homes across both sites.
Higgins Partnerships 1961 PLC is the developer partner for both estates. Phase 1 of the Avondale Drive Estate, now known as Cherwell Court, is complete, and Higgins is nearing completion of Phase 1 at Hayes Town Centre.
Public consultations were held in October 2025 regarding proposals for future phases. The updated plans include an increase in the number of homes to be built. The new proposals are for 296 homes at Avondale Drive, an increase of 33 affordable homes from the original consent, and 562 homes at Hayes Town Centre, an increase of 32 homes from the original consent. The new plans also include an increase of 26 three- and four-bedroom family homes.
The contract with Higgins provides for the delivery of their proposed re-design of both Estates, which compared to the Council's planning consents for the Estates, results in an uplift in numbers of homes, including additional affordable homes and overall improved designs and phasing.
Construction was planned to take place in five phases at Hayes Town Centre and three phases at Avondale Drive. Acceleration of these phases is now being explored. The affordable housing at both Estates will be delivered earlier than originally envisaged, with the first phases at both Estates delivering 110 homes for existing residents, 30 in 2025 and 80 in 2026. The remaining affordable housing is planned to be completed later, and this process has begun.
Key delivery dates are set out below:
Hayes Town Centre
Practical Completion/Handover
Phase 1: February 2026
Later Phases: To be agreed
Avondale
Practical Completion/Handover
Phase 1A: October 2025
Later Phases: To be agreed
Higgins started on site in September 2022 and has made good progress in carrying out enabling works including surveys, asbestos removal and utility disconnections, to facilitate demolition works starting at the end of May 2023. The works are currently due to complete on Phases 1 and 1A as per the above dates. Work has progressed on both sites and currently, phases 1 is nearing completion and 1A is complete.
Higgins' proposed design for Hayes Town Centre provides 562 council homes, either for rent or returning leaseholders. There will be a further phase for private sale. At Avondale Drive, Higgins' proposed design provides 296 council homes, either for rent or returning leaseholders. Higgins has held a number of pre application meetings with the Council's planners to progress implementing their proposed designs. Design consultations with residents at both Estates were held in October 2025, which were well received.
At Hayes Town Centre, Higgins' current proposed design at Hayes Town Centre provides 562 affordable rent and at Avondale Drive provides 296 homes for affordable rent.
The redevelopment will not only improve the physical redevelopment but also the social environment by putting residents first. The contract with Higgins includes a comprehensive approach to stakeholder engagement including a senior Resident Liaison Officer and Resident Liaison Officer on each Estate. In addition, a wide range of Social Value Initiatives to meet the needs of the residents and local community will be delivered.
In order to establish the needs and priorities of residents, the estate regeneration partnership team worked with residents at meetings held in February and March 2023 to develop a social value charter and community activity plan for Hayes Town Centre and Avondale Drive Estates. The resulting priorities include providing opportunities for all residents regardless age or background to get involved, improve wellbeing and safety on the estates and better access to local facilities. To date initiatives have included an estate fun day, energy saving workshops, Eid Celebrations, estate coffee morning, quiz, football event, pizza event, etc., for residents to come together in a safe space post pandemic to address the needs of older and vulnerable adults on the estate, health awareness workshops in partnership with Hesa Clinic and a meeting with the Metropolitan Police. The benefits of these initiatives have included employment, raised residents' awareness of ways to save money relating to energy and provided practical MOT health check advice around health, crime and community safety.
Further timetabled activities include resident estate clean up days, engaging with youth through sport, family fun days, and bingo. Financial exclusion and digital workshops are also underway. Higgins has provided financial support to several organisations operating locally including the Austin Estate Sewing club and BUILD; a construction social enterprise to upskill residents. Future work with the estate resident engagement panels and wider community groups is planned to attract and unlock external match funding to run further initiatives in a multi partnership approach.
Consultation meetings have been held with the resident leaseholders remaining on both estates regarding their future housing aspirations. The Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) process was completed before 22nd March 2025.
The contract maximised job creation through construction apprentices and local labour opportunities and Hillingdon local businesses supply chains. From the start, a resident has been successful in being appointed as a Resident Liaison Officer and work was undertaken with BUILD to run a series of construction workshops for women. This continued and further opportunities were filled locally.
The social impacts of the regeneration are monitored and evaluated at monthly scheme social value partnership meetings with representatives from the Council and Higgins. In addition, Higgins produce a quarterly monitoring report.
A summary of information and events is outlined in the quarterly estate newsletters and partnership website.
The approved MTFF budget for the Hayes Regeneration Programme is £160,982,000, covering both build costs and land assembly up to 29/30. As a consequence of increasing the number of units, regulatory changes and inflation since the budget was agreed, the re-planned costs of the full project will exceed the current total budget. Further work is underway to propose an amended total budget, and it should be noted that this work would need to make assumptions around inflation, as well as the outcome of future commercial. This work will therefore be indicative for the time being. Officers will be seeking further funds as soon as there is clarity on overall costs and the grant available.
GLA funding of c. £50 million has been secured across both schemes. £20 million of this grant relates to Phases 1 at Hayes Town Centre and 1a at Avondale Drive, with the remaining amount relating to later phases. The Council has drawn down c.60% of the allocated grant on the basis the units will be delivered in line with programme dates reported to the GLA. Officers are seeking further grant for the future phases.