What’s happening with the scrap metal site on Springwell that caught fire?

Message from Hillingdon Council.

I am writing to provide an update on the formal enforcement action the Council has taken against the operators of the unauthorised scrap metal site on Springwell Lane.

Following the Interim Injunction granted on 8 May 2026, the Council has now successfully obtained a Full Injunction. This sets out a timetable for the closure and clearance of the site.

The Full Injunction requires Springwell Lane Metal Recycling Limited to comply with the terms of the Court Order. The Council’s claim against the landowners has been postponed for nine months. If the site operators do not comply with the Order and clear the land as required, the Council may ask the Court to take further action against the landowners.

The main requirements of the Court Order are:

• The site must no longer be used as a scrap metal yard.
• No further development or works may take place on the land.
• No waste, hardcore or similar materials may be brought onto the site.
• No vehicles, machinery or equipment may be brought onto or stored on the land, except where needed to help clear the site and comply with the Order.

By 4.00 pm on 23 August 2026, Springwell Lane Metal Recycling Limited must remove:

• All scrap metal, gas canisters, tyres and waste materials.
• The fence panels and posts installed along the site boundary.
• All skips, containers, vehicles, diggers and machinery used for the unauthorised scrap yard.
• The weighbridge.
• The new concrete bases shown in the evidence provided to the Court.

By 4.00 pm on 30 September 2026, Plot B must be re-seeded with grass.

The Council will closely monitor the site to ensure the Order is followed. An inspection will take place on or shortly after 24 August 2026 to check that the land has been cleared as required.

Failure to comply with the Court Order may result in the Council applying to the Court for contempt of court proceedings. This is a serious matter and could lead to penalties including fines, imprisonment and/or the seizure of assets.

Thank you for your patience while the Council has pursued all available legal options to stop the unlawful use of the land as a scrap metal yard. Despite delays to prosecution proceedings that were outside the Council’s control, we were able to demonstrate to the Court that the ongoing unauthorised use, its impact on local residents through noise and nuisance, and the potential harm to the Green Belt and natural environment justified the granting of an Injunction.

We welcome the Court’s decision and hope the matter will now be brought to a successful conclusion.

Hillingdon Council.