Park sale threat to 100 hauliers
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by Derren Hayes • Around 100 hauliers may have to find a new operating centre as their existing London site is t, be sold off.
The Brent councilowned lorry park in Drury Way is to be sold off this week so that the council can claim back most of the £1.5m fee.
Because (it Government rules the council will only be able to keep 50% of the revenue if the sale is not completed by 1 September.
The council is selling 2.5 acres of the 3.5-acre site, with the new owners offering six months' grace to operators affected. The council will continue to run the remaining acre for the next two years but only for overnight parking.
John Wadhams, Road Haulage Association London manager, says: "There's a big problem finding somewhere else to park in London and there's nothing to stop the new owners raising rents forcing hauliers to move."
At least two bidders are expected to meet the asking
price with Trans Eur, Worldwide Movers, which operates next door, a front runner.
Although Trans Euro has planning permission to expai.,' its operations, it says its ma. reason for bidding was to •stop the council giving the land to travellers.
Some of the hauliers affected have set up a group to try and stop the sale.
Jan • Smith of CJS Removals says: "We don't object to the land being sold but two yiears ago the council promised Us it was going to stay as a lOrry park. Without the lorry park we'll have no Opera0or's Licence."