Freedom of Information and Environmental Information Regulations Request

Harrow Council, 

Civic Centre 

PO Box 39,

Station Road,

Harrow, 

HA1 2XA

Place Directorate
Interim Divisional Director
Tony Galloway

Date: 01st Jun 2022
Reference: 6784517

Thank you for your request for information.

This request is being handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental
Information Regulations 2004.

I have detailed below the information you have requested and what is being released to you.

Works to Car Park at Old Redding

I am writing to you on behalf of the thousands of people who signed the petitions about Old
Redding the under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information from
London Borough of Harrow

Please may you provide me with the following Information

1. What was the process involved in approving all the projects undertaken in the last few
years at the Old Redding site and what council officials and councillors were involved?

The incumbent Corporate Director Paul Walker held joint officer and Councillor
meetings in order to resolve ASB and criminal behaviour along with the continuing
degradation and vandalism of Council property. Paul Walker along with the Director
of Environment, Head of Public Protection and Environmental Health Manager who
were in position at the time, no longer work for Harrow Council.

2. What was the cost of reactive maintenance of the car park at Old Redding in the financial
year 19/20, 20/21 and 21/22 and what is the current years expenditure?

TBA

3. What was the cost of planned maintenance of the car park at Old Redding in the financial
year 19/20, 20/21 and 21/22 and what is the current years expenditure?

TBA

4. What was the cost of the project to create the car park at Old Redding and could you break
this cost down into the original planned cost and the cost of variations once the works had
started?

TBA

5. What was the cost of relocating the spoil from the Headstone Manor Park project and could
you break this cost down into the original planned cost and the cost of variations once the
works had started?

TBA

6. Was any spoil from any other site re located to the Old Redding car park?

No

7. What was the savings gained from relocating the soil from Headstone Manor Park project
and any other projects where soil was relocated to Old Redding (if any)?

TBA

8. What environmental impact assessment was undertaken to ensure there was no
detrimental environmental impact on the Old Redding car park site including any ecological
surveys?

An EIA was deemed not necessary as the restoration project would not have a
significant adverse impact on the environment and fell outside of the screening
requirements of the regulations. A visual assessment by officers noted that the site
comprised of areas containing species of poor grassland and remnants of concrete
structures and glass, and was subject to regular mowing and degradation from
vehicle incursion. The project increased the area of biodiversity value to the site,
prevents further vehicle incursion and meets with Council Biodiversity Duty and
Core Strategy Policy CS1 (T) Responding to Climate Change and Core Strategy
CS1(X), Sustainable Waste Management, Climate Change policy 5.1, Sustainable
Designs and Construction policy 5.3, Waste Net self-Sufficiency policy 5.16,
Construction Excavation and Demolition Waste.

9. Were the soil samples analysed and who by and is there a disposal certificate for the soil
deposited?

Imported material samples were tested and were within acceptable range for the use
in public open spaces and subsequently recorded in an industry recognised
Materials Management Plan (MMP) under the Contaminated Land Applications in
Real Environments (CL-AIRE) Development Industry Definition of Waste Code of
Practice (DoWCoP) declaration was made in February 2020. The MMP was reviewed
by a Qualified Person (QP) and a verification report sent to CL-AIRE and may be
subject to audit by the Environment Agency.

10. What assessment was undertaken to ensure that the protected view suffered no
detrimental impact at the Old Redding car park site?

A review of the Development Management Policies Schedule 3 Harrow Protected
Views 10. Old Redding 3.12 ensured the design did not impact on the grid referenced
point of view. Additionally, the project delivered an improved parking area in
accordance with the visual management guidance.

11. What planning advice was sought relating to the Old Redding car park and by whom to
whom?

The Project Manager consulted with the Planning Policy Team and Planning
Specialists.

12. What heritage assessment was undertaken in relation to the alterations to the car park and
to the road which is in part in a conservation area?

Old Redding is not in a conservation or heritage area and therefore no assessment
was required.

13. What was the cost of installing yellow lines on the old Redding road?

TBA

14. Who was the contractor that undertook the work to install the yellow lines?

JB Riney & Company

15. Is this contractor the usual highways contractor who won the highways contract?

Yes

16. What was the process that determined the need to install the double yellow lines and what
was the process that prioritised this work above other essential road works in Harrow?

A statutory consultation prior to June 2021 with no objections raised.

17. Could you please identify in any costs provided above what costs are incurred by Harrow
Council and what costs are funded elsewhere if any.

All project costs were contained with grant funding secured for the 2 projects at
Headstone Manor Park and did not impact on other 2020/21 Council budgets.

18. What are the names of the contractors involved in any of the works described above?

JB Riney & Company

19. What was the consultation process involved in any of the processes described above and
could you state the number of residents consulted in each case?

Notices were published in the Harrow Times and London Gazette on 10 December
2020 and site notices were installed on 11 December 2020.

20. Was legal advice sought in respect of the change in hours of the opening of the car park
and the impact on the Pub and the residents of Harrow?

No recorded information found.

21. Is there a document that grants permission to build the car park at the view?

The parking space at Old Redding is not a statutory car park and as such the Council
does not need to grant itself permission to refurbish a public open space and the
parking space within it as opposed to the construction of a new build car park.

22. Why did Harrow Council choose to ignore the written advice of the police in respect of the
running of the car park and who decided that? Positions of Council Officers and Names of
Councillors if possible.

We assume this refers to page.4 re the desirable closing time of 22:00hrs in the Met
Police Environmental Visual Audit-Designing Out Crime Ref NW5557 dated 16th Sept
2020. This was considered as unworkable due to the safety of Council staff closing
the gates.

23. Could you also provide details of how many complaints are recorded in relation to ASB at
Old Redding over the last five years and the number of different complainants.

The following cases have been found on the Environment Health database which
have been recorded as environmental health complaints at or around Old Redding
Car Park. Each of these cases may have one or more complainants and one or more
complaints and may necessarily be ASB related.
2021 - 3 cases
2020 2 cases
2019 3 cases
2018 21 cases
2019 16 cases

I hope that this information is of some help to you. Please note that the information contained in
this reply is believed to be accurate as at todays date (unless otherwise indicated) but no
guarantee is given.

Further, Harrow Council does not accept liability for any loss, injury or damage which arises from
the use of the information contained in this reply either by you or by any other party.

If you are dissatisfied with the way your request has been handled, you may wish to contact Andre
Bowen, Service Manager - Performance, Environmental Services, Email:
andre.bowen@harrow.gov.uk within 1 month from the date of our response.

If you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request, once you have completed the Council’s
internal appeal procedure, you have a right to appeal to the Information Commissioner at:

The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF.
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Website: http://www.ico.org.uk/complaints/handling/complain
There is no charge for making an appeal.

Yours sincerely,

Alex Nethercot
Senior Officer – Business Support
Environmental Services
Place Directorate

GET IN TOUCH