BUS company Abellio London is to move to a new depot in Dawley Road, Hayes.

ALB, which operates 740 buses on 52 routes – nine per cent of the buses in the capital – has to relocate as its current depot in North Hyde Gardens is to be redeveloped.

The one-acre Cottage in the Wall was found by consultants Vail Williams, who also secured planning permission for the £3.2m site.

Partner Steve New said: “The move ensures the depot remains in the borough, retaining more than 100 jobs. Losing ALB would have been a major economic blow for Hillingdon.

“It also enables the strategic redevelopment of a tired industrial site on a busy thoroughfare, which gives easy access for the buses and little disruption.”

The site is adjacent to a builder’s merchant and backs on to Stockley Park golf course. It will be used for the night storage of up to 56.

Maintenance will be carried out at nearby Waterway Business Park, which will also house a driver theory test centre.

Contractors are currently flattening the site before putting in a concrete base and building offices, a bus wash and a fuelling area.

An acoustic wall will be built and an existing, historic retaining wall repaired and kept.

ALB has to vacate its current site by December 31 and intends to begin the first services from Dawley Road in April. The intervening period will be covered by relocating services to nearby depots.

Managing director Tony Wilson said: “We very much needed to stay in the borough for geographical and employment reasons and many of our routes from the depot – 278, 350, 482, U5, U7 and U9 – all serve the local area.

“Our renewed contract on the U5 Hayes to Uxbridge route will start with electric double-deckers on the first operational day out of Dawley Road.”