The former home of a Harrow police station could be turned into a 38-bedroom hotel. Developers are looking to convert the three-storey Edgware Police Station, which has been vacant since it stopped being used by the Met Police, into a hotel with 33 double and five single rooms spread across the lower ground, ground, first and second floors.
The building on Whitchurch Lane, Edgware, which was built in 1932 in a mock Dutch style, ceased to be operational in 2021. It is classified as a locally listed building – having been judged to be of value to the local community. If plans are approved, the hotel will also have an extension added to the existing roof to create additional space.
The lower ground floor will contain five rooms and a storage area for the hotel, with an additional seven rooms on the ground floor, alongside a restaurant, kitchen, and reception area. A further 21 rooms will be located on the first and second floors, with five more contained within the new roof space.
The plan has been recommended for approval by Harrow Council officers. In a document submitted to the planning committee, officers claim there is a need for hotel rooms for tourism, with the additional rooms contributing towards the London-wide requirements. A report adds: “Given the clear economic benefits of the scheme within a preferred town centre location, the principle of development can be supported.”
The development ‘would not cause significant impact’ to the town for it to be ‘detrimental to the character and appearance of the area’, according to officers. They also say it will generate employment opportunities in the area.
If the plans are approved, developers are expected to make contributions to the Harrow Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) of just under £100,000, as well as to Greater London Assembly CIL – provisionally at around £75,000. A decision on the application will be made at a meeting on July 24.
Grant Williams is a journalist and Local Democracy Reporter (LDR) for Reach PLC, reporting on local government, politics and community issues across London. As part of the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he has contributed to Harrow Online, covering council decisions, housing developments, transport, planning matters and stories affecting local communities across Harrow and Brent.
