The Portfolio Holder Decision Meeting of Harrow Council, held on Thursday 17 July 2025, authorised the award of a demolition contract for Grange Farm Phase 2a. The meeting noted that no declarations of interest, petitions, or public questions were received.

Grange Farm Phase 2a Demolition

Councillor Marilyn Ashton, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Planning & Regeneration, authorised the Strategic Director for Housing and Regeneration to award the demolition contract for Grange Farm Phase 2a to the preferred bidder. The contract is set to commence on 14 April 2025 and will run for a period of 24 weeks. This decision was made to comply with the Council's Contract Procedure Rules and Financial Regulations, as the contract value exceeded £500,000, requiring Cabinet authorisation.

The demolition works are part of a wider regeneration project at Grange Farm, which was previously authorised by Cabinet in January 2024 as part of a five-year HRA Capital programme. The overall investment in housing infrastructure at Grange Farm is up to £69,738,538. The demolition procurement was conducted via a competitive process, and the preferred bidder, R Collard, has already mobilised and incurred costs. The urgency for this decision stemmed from the need to formalise the contract to ensure payments to the contractor were made in accordance with the executed agreement, mitigating the risk of the contractor demobilising.

The project is funded through a combination of the GLA Right to Buy (RTB) ring-fenced grant and Council borrowing. The demolition contract itself is not expected to generate direct savings, but the completion of the overall project will lead to long-term financial benefits through increased rental income within the Housing Revenue Account (HRA).

The report highlighted that the preferred contractor is implementing measures to achieve net zero, including the use of low/zero carbon vehicles, local recruitment and suppliers, and recycling approximately 98% of materials. Ward councillors have been briefed on the Grange Farm regeneration and the need for this urgent decision. The decision aligns with the Council's priorities to put residents first, create a clean and safe borough, and support those in need, as outlined in its manifesto pledges and the Residents' Charter devised in 2019.

The decision was made under urgent procedures, with the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee waiving the call-in period. The meeting concluded that the contents of the Cabinet reports and the confidential appendix were noted, and the Strategic Director for Housing and Regeneration was delegated the authority to award the contract.