We asked our followers which part of Harrow feels the most neglected right now.
The responses were direct, with several areas mentioned multiple times, particularly Wealdstone and South Harrow.
Gary Roberts said: “Wealdstone and South Harrow. The two places where so much damage has been done by numerous councils over the past 30 years. Unfortunately, it is irreversible now, as they are both too far gone.”
Christella Dwyer added: “Wealdstone. Especially all the revamp work that only lasted a year.”
Michelle Fowler also pointed to multiple areas: “South Harrow, Rayners Lane, and I’m just getting started on the list of places that need some love.”
Others highlighted wider issues across the borough rather than just one location.
Linda Rosa Hillier said: “We still have some good housing and good educational establishments. Shopping centres are not doing well because everyone shops online. Parking is a nightmare due to the number of white vans parked on our streets, often nowhere near where their owners live. We have great transport connections – I use public transport a lot. I have some great neighbours. We need to find ways of catching out fly-tippers, and that includes stuff left on pavements in the hope someone will take it away. If it’s on the pavement, it’s fly-tipping.”
Some responses suggested the issue isn’t limited to one area.
Melanie Groves said: “All of it, unless you live on the hill. Oddly, I have noticed the private roads have no rubbish, no fly-tipping, and the verges are lovely.”
Jan Steele replied: “Private road residents look after them themselves.”
Others reflected on how perceptions of Harrow have changed over time.
Jackie Toni Turner Mills said: “I have a distinct childhood memory of a holiday in the 70s. Both my parents were brought up in Harrow in the 30s onwards and moved to Pinner after marriage. My parents struck up conversation with another couple on this holiday. The other people asked where my parents were from. ‘Near Harrow,’ said my dad, presumably thinking the strangers wouldn’t know Pinner.
“‘Near North Harrow, that is,’ interjected my mum. When our family was alone again, my mum berated my dad for saying near Harrow as she didn’t want to be thought of as coming from rough Harrow. She told my dad that next time he should say near Watford. And this was fifty years ago – Harrow was perceived as rough, and South Harrow much more so than North Harrow. As a kid, as long as I could go and spend hours looking through the records in Smiths and Woolies, I wouldn’t have noticed.”
Charmaine-Ron Campbell said: “My grandpa would never have believed this could ever happen. I was born and lived there 75 years ago. It was such an exquisite and elegant area.”
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.
