Labour Group leader Cllr David Perry at the Harrow council meeting on 27 February 2025 revealed the £348,000 cost of Leisure Centre site clear-up due to the council ‘neglect’ in fly-tipping enforcement.
“Due to a build-up of waste and fly-tipping on the area beside Harrow Leisure Centre, residents will have to pay out for the council’s mismanagement of the premises” says the opposition Labour group on the council.
Keys were handed over to the council in August 2023 to manage the site when the Special Needs Transport vehicle fleet depot was relocated.
“The first £348,000 of their (residents) increased Council tax bill will be used to pay for the leisure centre site to be cleared of waste, fly-tipping and construction materials that have been left to fester by the council for 18 months. Conservative Councillors have wasted taxpayers’ money, and often talk about enforcement, but their neglect in this case has cost taxpayers dearly” Cllr Parry said.
In explaining what has happened to the site, deputy leader of the Harrow council Cllr Marilyn Ashton said the site was broken into by criminal fly tippers and our security people were threatened, “and so, unfortunately, we will have to clear up the mess they made”.
Looking ahead, Cllr Marilyn Ashton said the best way to secure this site will be to develop it. It has been 20 years since the driving centre closed.
“We hope to start work on it sometime this year, and we intend to put up some hoardings soon” informs the councillor.
“Frankly, for Labour to make such an issue if this is a bit rich when they failed miserably over many years to make progress on developing this site. Whereas, we have a great proposal here, which now has planning permission with family houses and affordable homes, which we desperately need” Cllr Marilyn Ashton said.
Cllr Perry said he will be starting a campaign for the site to be cleared immediately, and an investigation started to find those responsible.
“Due to a build-up of waste and fly-tipping on the area beside Harrow Leisure Centre, residents will have to pay out for the council’s mismanagement of the premises” says the opposition Labour group on the council.
Keys were handed over to the council in August 2023 to manage the site when the Special Needs Transport vehicle fleet depot was relocated.
“The first £348,000 of their (residents) increased Council tax bill will be used to pay for the leisure centre site to be cleared of waste, fly-tipping and construction materials that have been left to fester by the council for 18 months. Conservative Councillors have wasted taxpayers’ money, and often talk about enforcement, but their neglect in this case has cost taxpayers dearly” Cllr Parry said.
In explaining what has happened to the site, deputy leader of the Harrow council Cllr Marilyn Ashton said the site was broken into by criminal fly tippers and our security people were threatened, “and so, unfortunately, we will have to clear up the mess they made”.
Looking ahead, Cllr Marilyn Ashton said the best way to secure this site will be to develop it. It has been 20 years since the driving centre closed.
“We hope to start work on it sometime this year, and we intend to put up some hoardings soon” informs the councillor.
“Frankly, for Labour to make such an issue if this is a bit rich when they failed miserably over many years to make progress on developing this site. Whereas, we have a great proposal here, which now has planning permission with family houses and affordable homes, which we desperately need” Cllr Marilyn Ashton said.
Cllr Perry said he will be starting a campaign for the site to be cleared immediately, and an investigation started to find those responsible.
Harrow Monitoring Group 
It seems that Harrow residents are at grave risk from these violent criminal fly-tippers who even threaten Council Security Guards while also going around dumping rubbish all over the neighbourhood. Shocking.
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