Residents have been complaining about motorcycle parking along Ruislip High Street, saying that there has been no improvement since the new changes came into effect. The reality is: the changes have not yet come into effect. There has been no change to their parking yet, largely because there has been no change to the rules yet!
No changes have been made to the motorcycle parking in Ruislip High Street
In July last year, Hillingdon Council announced plans and ran a consultation about changes to the way that motorcycles could park on Ruislip High Street. On 28th October, they announced the results of the consultation: that the changes would go ahead. The changes have not been made yet.
The proposed changes are minor, and often misunderstood. The only real change is that motorcycles will be limited to parking in only two specific bays on the High Street. One large bay is outside McDonald’s at one end of the High Street and the other, smaller one, is opposite KFC at the other end.
Before the changes, motorcycles can park in any bay along the High Street (and do not need to pay). After the changes, they will be able to park only in those two specific bays.
The changes have not yet gone into effect.
Councillor Smallwood announced on Facebook back in November:
The new parking arrangements are expected to come into force by the New Year once new signage is in place.
As of 11th March 2026, they have not. The signage has not yet been ordered and is certainly not in place.
Once we have a start date for when the restriction on motorcycles will take effect, we’ll provide you with a further update.
- Parking Management, 10th March 2026
Currently they can park in any bay, but this is one of the two bays that motorcycles will eventually be restricted to using
But didn’t McDonald’s build that thing at the back?
Yes, McDonald’s on Ruislip High Street closed for redevelopment and extension last year, but that was never going to be anything to do with motorcycle parking.
The McDonald’s restaurant had few tables and chairs because there was a large collection area inside for UberEats, JustEat, and Deliveroo riders. The redevelopment work at McDonald’s was to extend into the old shop next door and to return the restaurant to being a restaurant: delivery riders now pick up their orders from a collection point around the back, facing into the carpark.
So aren’t the motorcyclists supposed to be parking at the back now?
The redevelopment work was McDonalds’s own work, to improve their own restaurant – not necessarily to ‘solve’ the motorcycle parking problem on the High Street. Delivery riders still park on the High Street, not least because there are many other takeaways (like Burger King opposite).
Motorcycles are allowed to use the Kingsend North carpark behind McDonald’s and Iceland but they don’t have to. They’re allowed to park – at the moment – in any bay along the High Street. When the proposed change comes into effect, they’ll be restricted to one bay at each end of the High Street (or the car parks).
Parking Charge increase next month
Meanwhile, as part of Hillingdon Council’s widely reported financial difficulties and following the government’s bailout, all fees and charges are being raised by around 10% and parking charges are increasing substantially.
Signs are now in place along Ruislip High Street, dated today, to show the new pricing: parking for upto 90-minutes along the High Street will increase from £1.50 to £2.40 for residents with a HillingdonFirst card (and £4.00 for visitors without one).
| Without Hillingdon First |
With Hillingdon First |
|||
| Before 6th April |
After 6th April |
Before 6th April |
After 6th April |
|
| First 30 minutes | £1.20 | £1.30 | Free | |
| 60 minutes | £2.30 | £2.50 | £1.10 | £1.50 |
| 90 minutes | £3.60 | £4.00 | £1.50 | £2.40 |
| Upto 2 hours | £5.00 | £5.50 | £2.00 | £3.30 |
Changes are also going to be made with HillingdonFirst cards: they have historically been able to give multiple free 30-minute period, but there are plans to cut down on that. We’ll report back when we hear anything about this change. We expect Doug Mills, ward councillor for Ruislip Manor, to be on top of this because the HillingdonFirst card was one of his projects when it launched 17 years ago.
