Harrow Council in February approved plans to build 149 new homes on the site of the former driving school in Wealdstone South – named Byron Quarter – which until 2023 had been used to park special needs minibuses. The council-owned site, next to a leisure centre, has been the subject of continuous fly-tipping in recent years.
The council told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the site was targeted by a criminal operation who “threatened staff with violence” and damaged security measures to dump the rubbish illegally.
The “major environmental concern” has now been cleared in a joint clean-up job between demolition contractors Goody Demolition and waste management company Powerday that took four weeks to complete.
Powerday said the industrial and hazardous waste had created “significant challenges for the community and local authority”.
Flytipping Aeriel Shot. The Wealdstone site has been earmarked for a 149-home housing development. Image: Powerday
Last month the Labour opposition accused the administration of not securing the site over the past 18 months, resulting in costs in the region of £348,000 – with the full cost yet to be finalised – being needed to clear the “absolute dump”, but the leadership claimed there is a limit to what it can do.
Powerday CEO Edward Crossan said: “We’re proud to be a part of this significant operation, helping to tackle one of the city’s most challenging fly-tipping sites. Our team worked closely with Goody Demolition and local authorities to ensure that waste was safely collected and transported to our recycling facilities, minimising the environmental impact.”
Wealdstone Flytip. Around 650 tonnes of waste had to be cleared from the site. Image: Powerday
Fly-tipping has long been a growing issue in London, with a 6 per cent increase from 2023 to 2024 – reaching 1.15 million tonnes nationally – according to Powerday. With landfill tax rising from £103.70 to £126.15 per tonne on April 1 of this year, the company suspects the problem is likely to get worse.
Goody Demolition contracts manager Rob Gregory added: “This was a huge undertaking, and the collaboration with Powerday has been instrumental in the effective clearance of this challenging site. Through working together, we have successfully tackled a major environmental concern, clearing over 650 tonnes of waste. We look forward to seeing the development that will now take place on this empty land.”
Byron Quarter. 149 new homes will be built at the site of a former driving school. Image: Harrow Council
Harrow Council said security on-site has been “beefed up” as works progress ahead of the redevelopment. A spokesperson said: “We are pleased the site has been cleared and we can now begin work to deliver much needed genuinely affordable high-quality family-sized homes for the residents of Harrow, including new council-owned houses.”
The 149 homes at Byron Quarter will be split between a six-storey apartment block, comprising 78 of the properties, with the remaining 71 made up of rows of two and three-bedroom terraced houses.
Of the total number of new homes, 27 per cent will be affordable – far below the council’s own target of 40 per cent. Harrow Council officers claim this is because the profit is “lower than anticipated” for a scheme of the scale.
