A huge illegal car park near Heathrow Airport will be ripped out after more than 300 vehicles were found on green belt land.
Hundreds of cars illegally parked on a privately owned site on Manse Close, around 10 minutes from the UK’s busiest airport, were discovered by Hillingdon Council following complaints from residents.
Council officers found vehicles parked on green belt land for storage and sale by “multiple parties” and illegally built structures and gravel had been used to reinforce the ground to move cars around.
The site had been used to park and keep vehicles for car sales and commercial storage.
Footage of the site on Google Maps shows how the site used to be a field used for horses but has since been converted into a car park, breaching planning rules.
The council obtained a High Court injunction earlier this month to stop cars parking at the site.
The High Court has ordered for the land to be cleared and restored to its original condition by February 14, and a breach of the injunction can lead to imprisonment.
Residents also complained about high numbers of heavy goods vehicles accessing neighbouring roads.
Hillingdon Council said the High Court judgement was a “significant step” in its ongoing efforts to try and stop illegal activity at the site.
The court heard that the council had issued a range of enforcement measures but there was no intention to stop using the unauthorised use of the land.
Hillingdon councillor Steve Tuckwell said: "We share residents' concerns and frustration, and I'm pleased the High Court has recognised the urgency of this issue by granting the injunction to finally bring the illegal activities to an end.
"The offenders have shown a flagrant disregard to the local area and safety of the neighbourhood by ignoring previous enforcement notices for financial gain.
"We are committed to keeping residents safe and to protect precious green belt land and will always take robust action to ensure our planning rules are enforced."
