The Station Road’s new interactive underpass was opened by Hillingdon Council on Friday May 31.
The event has been nicknamed ‘Sound of Hayes’ with one notable change being the new tunnel lining, constructed from steel, aluminium and naturally pigmented mineral panels. This new design plays with textures, sound and light.
As the tunnel is located near The Old Vinyl Factory, the design is based on the grooves of a vinyl record.
It is dedicated to the contribution of Alan Blumlein, who invented stereo sounds recording and worked as a senior sound engineer at EMI in Hayes.
The tunnel has an all in all modern feel and differs drastically from other locations in Hayes, that could be now considered slightly outdated.
Attendees at the official opening included: Cllr Eddie Lavery, Hillingdon Council’s cabinet member for Resident’ Services, Cllr Janet Gardener, Hayes Town ward councillor, with the team involved in this project, and David Brough, chair of the Hayes Town Partnership.
In addition, refurbishment works have also been completed at Blyth Road car park using a £141,000 investment by the council.
The works include pedestrian walkways, a fresh coat of paint, column protection, new electric shutter, the re-lining of parking bays and the installation of mesh to deter pigeons. Three disabled bays and parking for motorcycles have also been introduced.
Hayes resident Kathleen Burns said: “There used to be a lot more community spirit, and a lot more people who worked locally with a lot of independent shops rather than big chains.
“Now, it’s getting better in a way that we’ve got a really nice modern station with the Elizabeth line, we have better transport.
“So, in that sense, it has changed for the better and for the time, with better links to everywhere than what it used to be.
“It would be nice if we had more cinema or places for kids to go, there’s not much else to Hayes besides the shops.”
Cllr Lavery said: “Reviving our town centres is a key part of our council strategy and we’re committed to supporting projects that ensure they continue to thrive for generations to come.
“The improvements at Blyth Road are an example of the high-quality infrastructure projects we’re continuing to deliver for residents and businesses across Hillingdon.”
To date, more than £8.5 million has been put towards the improvement of Hayes town centre’ infrastructure, this includes part of TfL’s new Elizabeth line station. The funding of this includes section 106, which is the contributions to the council from land and property developers. These contributions have funded the underpass transformation.
For more information on town centre improvements visit www.hillingdon.gov.uk/towncentres.
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