Public Statement: The Future of HOAC and the Broadwater Relocation Plan
For more than 60 years, HOAC has provided life-changing outdoor experiences for young people, schools, and our wider community. As many supporters know, we were required to close our original site in 2020 to make way for HS2 works, with the long-term expectation that we would relocate to a new purpose-built facility at Broadwater Lake.
We remain fully committed to relocation and to continuing our mission. However, we are now facing serious challenges that we want to share openly with our community.
Why We Are Concerned About the Current Plan
The latest proposals for the Broadwater Lake relocation include strict environmental limitations because the lake is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). HOAC firmly supports the protection of this important environment and respects the role of Natural England in safeguarding it.
However, the specific restrictions currently proposed would limit the usable areas of water for activities such as sailing and paddlesports to a degree that makes it very difficult for HOAC to operate as a large-scale community centre. Without a workable level of access to the water, HOAC would struggle to deliver the sessions, school programmes, and inclusive opportunities that thousands of young people rely on each year.
We believe it is possible to achieve both aims:
• Protecting Broadwater Lake’s ecological value, and
• Creating a sustainable, accessible outdoor activity centre that continues to benefit the community for generations.
Five Years Without a Home Has Taken Its Toll
Since our closure in 2020, HOAC has received no ongoing operational support to compensate for the loss of our site. Our team has worked tirelessly to keep the charity alive by delivering limited offsite programmes and renting space where possible but this can only sustain us for so long.
Our charitable reserves, originally set aside for long-term development, have been almost fully depleted simply to keep HOAC afloat during the relocation period.
We are now at a critical moment.
What We Are Asking For
We are not campaigning against relocation. We want relocation to succeed, but in a way that allows HOAC to function and thrive.
We are calling for the following:
1. A collaborative review of the current operational restrictions
We want to work constructively with the Council, Natural England, HS2 Ltd, and all partners to find a balanced solution that protects the SSSI while ensuring HOAC can operate sustainably.
2. Short-term support to keep HOAC alive during this extended transition
A relatively small amount of interim funding would ensure that we can continue serving the community until a viable new centre is opened.
3. A relocation plan that delivers a fully functioning, financially sustainable outdoor activity centre
Public funding allocated for relocation must lead to a facility that genuinely works both for the environment and for the thousands of young people who depend on us.
How You Can Help
We will be engaging closely with local representatives, community groups, and decisionmakers in the coming weeks. If you value what HOAC brings to the community, your support will make a meaningful difference.
✔ Share this update
✔ Follow our progress
✔ Write to your local representatives if you would like to support HOAC’s future
✔ Help us raise awareness by sharing your HOAC stories and experiences
Our Commitment
HOAC remains committed to collaboration, transparency, and protecting the natural environment we depend on. We believe that, by working together, it is absolutely possible to create a solution that upholds the ecological importance of Broadwater Lake and secures HOAC’s future as a vital community asset.
Thank you for standing with us during this difficult period. Your support has kept HOAC going and with your continued backing, we will fight for a future where we can once again provide accessible, life-changing outdoor experiences for all.
The planning information has now been on the Hillingdon Planning Portal for a few weeks if you want to add your comments you can do so until the 9th January 2026.
There are a lot of documents on there, having read through them all we have highlighted key documents that are a good summary of the overall plan:
