In a collaborative effort to improve the quality of life for residents and businesses, the London Borough of Harrow and its partners joined forces for a week-long initiative in Edgware.
The joint task force, which operated between June 26th and June 30th, tackled various pressing issues that mattered to the local community.
The primary focus of the operation was to survey properties and address concerns related to disrepair and house of multiple occupancy (HMO) violations. A comprehensive survey of 187 properties revealed that 83 rental properties were unlicensed, including four suspected HMOs. In addition, the survey identified ten properties with significant disrepair issues, prompting follow-up actions to rectify these problems.
Complementing the property survey, the council undertook a thorough cleanup of fly-tip hotspots. Evidence gathered during this process will lead to fines being issued for 30 instances of illegal dumping. The initiative also involved engaging with charity shops to raise awareness and address the issue of fly-tipping.
The joint operation extended beyond property and environmental matters. Harrow’s street enforcement team issued 13 fixed penalty notices for various offences, including street trading without a license. The enforcement team collaborated with the police to tackle issues related to speeding and inconsiderate parking.
During the operation, six fines were issued for parking violations near Stag Lane School, and four drivers were stopped for speeding near Mollison Way and Camrose Avenue. In addition, the police reported a driver for not wearing a seatbelt, two instances where passengers were not wearing seatbelts, one case of driving without an MOT, and one case of driving without insurance.
Week of Action – Restoring Pride in Edgware
Joint action with @MPSHarrow tackled numerous issues
👉 100s of properties surveyed
👉 Fly-tips investigated and deep cleans
👉 Dozens of drivers stopped for speeding and inconsiderate parkingRead more: https://t.co/PHVbqjqccN pic.twitter.com/17SYP6RDF3
— London Borough of Harrow (@harrow_council) July 7, 2023
Cllr Anjana Patel, Cabinet Member for Environment and Community Safety said: “I’m passionate about keeping our borough clean and safe – it’s what is important to our residents. So I am proud that we are delivering our first of four weeks of action to target issues in our hotspot areas and take action against those causing a nuisance or making the area unpleasant to live in.
“We’ve had some great success in checking HMOs are licensed, businesses are complying, fines issued for fly-tipping where evidence has been and working with the police to tackle known hotspots for anti-social behaviour.
“We are listening to our residents, and this is one of many ways we are restoring pride in Harrow. I would like to thank our teams and partners for the work carried out which they continue to do on a daily basis to keep our borough clean and safe.”
The comprehensive operation encompassed not only residential and environmental concerns but also commercial activities. Trading Standards and Commercial Licensing teams conducted inspections at 31 premises, with an impressive compliance rate of 95%.
Superintendent Matt Cray said: “It was great for our neighbourhood teams to support the London Borough of Harrow in this week of action. The positive results are a testament to the dedication of the staff who have been on the ground each day.
“We will be prioritising neighbourhood policing and this collaborative way of working on similar initiatives to improve community safety in the future.”
