Local elections profile: Hillingdon

Ahead of the local elections on Thursday 7 May, we have produced short guides to London's 32 boroughs.

Where is it?: The London Borough of Hillingdon is the westernmost borough of Greater London, bordering Hounslow, Ealing, Harrow, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.

What's it like? Hillingdon is the second-largest London borough by area, and is also one of London's greenest boroughs. It is a distinctive shape, being 13 miles from top to bottom on the western edge of Greater London.

Neighbourhoods: Uxbridge, Hayes, Ruislip, Ickenham, Eastcote, Northwood and Northwood Hills, West Drayton, Yiewsley, Harlington, Harmondsworth and Sipson.

Places of interest: Heathrow Airport, the Battle of Britain bunker, Eastcote House Gardens, Colne Valley Regional Park and Uxbridge Lido - a Grade II listed outdoor swimming pool.

Pub quiz fact: Hillingdon has one of England's oldest and largest surviving medieval barns. Ruislip's Great Barn dates back to about 1280.

Population: (2024 estimate) 329,185

Demographics: According to the 2021 census, 48.2% identify as white, 33.3% as Asian, 7.8% as black, 4.4% as mixed race and 4.8% as another ethnic group.

Average property price: According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the average house price in Hillingdon in December 2025 was £478,000.

Average monthly rent: The ONS reported that the average monthly rent in January 2026 in Hillingdon was £1,548.

Council tax: Band D council tax in the borough for 2026/27 is £2,045.46.

Transport: According to Transport for London, there are 15 London Underground stations, five Elizabeth line stations and about 770 TfL bus stops in Hillingdon.

Local history: Hillingdon has roots stretching back to the 11th Century, when it was recorded as a parish in Middlesex.

The arrival of the Metropolitan Railway in the early 20th Century changed a largely rural area into commuter suburbs.

In 1946, the opening of Heathrow Airport boosted population growth and the local economy.

The borough has strong links to the military, and has been home to RAF Northolt since 1915.

During World War Two, the underground bunker at RAF Uxbridge served as the command centre during the 1940 Battle of Britain.

What is the electoral history of the borough? Hillingdon has switched control between the Conservatives, Labour and no overall control eight times since its formation in 1965. However, the Tories have run the borough continuously since 2006.

What happened in 2022? The turnout was 35.4% and there was a 3.9% swing from Conservatives to Labour.

Conservative: 30 seats (-14)

Labour: 23 seats (+2)

Boundary changes had reduced the amount of seats from 65 seats to 53.

Since the 2022 election, five Labour councillors left to form the Hayes Independent Party group. One Labour councillor was suspended and then switched to the Greens. There is also a vacant seat.

Professor Tony Travers, of the London School of Economics, said: "The Conservatives have reasonably strongly control, but with Labour not far, and they have won parliamentary seats in recent times.

"But this was also an area that voted Leave in the 2016 referendum, so there are likely to be big Reform UK gains in Hillingdon, but probably not quite enough to win the borough.

"It could well become a no overall control borough with the Conservatives, Reform UK and Labour all having seats on the council."

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk