Tower from iconic 80s sitcom where much-loved characters lived to be torn down & turned into £850m flats in just years
THE tower where much-loved characters lived in an iconic 80s sitcom will be torn down and turned into £850million flats in just years.
Harlech Tower on the South Acton Estate in west London will be demolished in 2027.
It was used for exterior shots of Mandela House, home to lovable spiv Del Boy and his hangdog brother Rodney in Only Fools and Horses.
The fictional Peckham tower is seen in the show’s title montage, with its “No income tax, no VAT” theme song.
Del Boy (Sir David Jason) and Rodney (Nicholas Lyndhurst) lived in Mandela House throughout the show’s run from 1981 to 2003.
But Ealing Council now plans to tear down its real life stand-in Harlech Tower in just three years, MyLondon reports.
A spokesperson said the “shabby” estate was perfect for Del Boy – but is now “nearing the end of its life expectancy”.
The council will splash out £850million turning the South Acton Estate into Acton Gardens, with its current residents “decanted”.
Just over two in five homes on the rebuilt estate will be affordable housing.
Harlech Tower took more than 30 years to build after work started to replace local slums in 1949.
It was one of a number of tower blocks on the estate furnished with indoor bathrooms and central heating, a rare luxury at the time.
But local officials let the estate fall into disrepair – and by 1981 it was the perfect set for Mandela House.
In his 2020 memoir Del of a Life, Sir David Jason told of his “despair” at the mooted demolition.
He wrote: “Harlech Tower was the crucible, if you will, of the Only Fools story.
“Imagine my trepidation and despair, then, when I learned it was slated for demolition, part of a £650 million rejuvenation of the area.
“I said the tower should become a listed building and have a preservation order on it, effectively saving it for the nation.
“Did they listen? Did they heck.”
LIGHTS CAMERA ACTON
Ealing Council said: “Although we have worked hard to maintain it, it has not got any better in the 43 years that have since passed.
“As it nears the end of its life expectancy, the South Acton estate is undergoing an £850million rejuvenation to become Acton Gardens.
“It will eventually provide around 3,500 brand new high-quality, safe, and energy-efficient homes.
“They will be built alongside a community hall, youth centre, and other facilities.
“There will be twice as many homes at the rebuilt estate than before the regeneration programme started.
Imagine my trepidation and despair when I learned it was slated for demolition
Sir David Jason
“More than 40% of all new homes will be genuinely affordable – in other words, let at social rent levels.
“And two thirds of the new homes will be family-sized, replacing the one-bed homes which dominated the old estate.”
A spokesperson added: “The regeneration programme has proved very popular with existing residents.
“The vast majority have exercised their right to request a new home at the redeveloped estate.
“The decanting of Harlech Tower’s residents so it can be demolished is provisionally earmarked for 2027.”
Sir David Jason's struggle with Only Fools and Horses fans
ONLY Fools and Horses legend Sir David Jason has confessed to an ongoing struggle after filming the iconic programme.
The legendary 83-year-old actor has never been far from screens since playing Del Boy on the hit BBC sitcom between 1981 and 2003.
Fans have remained ever loyal to the show since but David has confessed that it has left him feeling overwhelmed at times.
Sir David has revealed this his celebrity status has left fans mobbing him at all times in a desperate bid to bag a selfie with the iconic actor.
It has even wreaked havoc at times on the set of his other shows, including his recent runaway BBC success with Jay Blades, Touring Toolshed.
He told the Daily Star: “Del Boy is a character that I can’t avoid. He’s become so ingrained in the public’s mind that where I go, I tend to be recognised.
“Then what happens is that people can’t help but interfere with your private life.
“It’s part of the job. It’s part of giving your time and your life to the Great British public, God bless them.”