Two ageing portacabins at Harrow Arts Centre in Hatch End are set to be replaced under new plans submitted to the council.
The buildings, known as Weald and Grimsdyke, have fallen into disrepair and are no longer in use. They were originally added to the campus as temporary classrooms but have now reached the end of their life.
The application proposes replacing them with new single-storey structures built on the same footprint. The size of the buildings will remain almost the same as the existing ones, and there will be no change of use.
Before closure, the two portacabins were used as bookable spaces as part of the Arts Centre’s facilities. The plan is to bring them back into use for public and community activities.
The replacement buildings would be finished in terracotta-coloured cladding with grey and white detailing, designed to better fit with the surrounding campus, which includes the Grade II listed Elliott Hall.
The project forms part of a wider package of works Harrow Council is developing to improve Harrow Arts Centre, which has been operating since 1988 on the site of the former Royal Commercial Travellers Schools.
Harrow Arts Centre already provides a range of cultural spaces, from Elliott Hall’s 500-seat auditorium to smaller meeting rooms, classes, and rehearsal areas. The replacement of the Weald and Grimsdyke portacabins is intended to expand the number of usable spaces available on the site.
The plans also confirm there will be no changes to pedestrian or vehicle access to the campus.
Chris Mitchell is the founder and editor of Harrow Online, Harrow’s leading local news platform.
He launched Harrow Online in 2010 as a Facebook page sharing local news and information. Since then, it has grown into a trusted source for breaking news, crime, council decisions, planning, transport, business and community stories across the borough.
Harrow Online reaches hundreds of thousands of readers each month and has a social media audience of more than 200,000 followers.
For news tips, press releases or enquiries, contact Chris at info@harrowonline.org.
