Following the news that Lloyds Bank in Harrow is set to close later this year, we asked Harrow Online followers what they would like to see take its place.
The responses ranged from calls to keep the bank open, to requests for independent shops, bakeries, cultural spaces and even a police station.
Here are some of the suggestions from local residents, with minor grammar corrections for readability.
Keep the bank
Many residents said they would prefer Lloyds to remain.
Mark Crick: “Would prefer it to remain a Lloyds Bank. But I can see it becoming another overpriced coffee shop. Or demolished and replaced with ‘luxury apartments’, mostly sold to overseas buyers and left vacant.”
Julian Berg: “Another bank.”
Roy Austin: “A Lloyds Bank.”
Mamta Bhatt: “Lloyds Bank to reopen.”
Kymberley Anne Tams: “Here’s an idea – keep the bank. It’s busy all the time because they closed the one in South Harrow. Why close it? Plus, it won’t be a shop people need anyway. It’ll be a cheap shop selling rubbish.”
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More traditional shops and retailers
A common theme was a desire to see more traditional high street retailers return to Harrow Town Centre.
Sadaf Mir: “Department stores and investments – bring back the high street retailers. Women’s and men’s clothes shops. Sick of shopping online.
I say no more restaurants, cafés or barber shops.”
Courtney Bonnick: “There’s nothing much that can replace it. All there is are phone shops that can’t fix phones, barber shops, kebab shops, chicken shops, laundromats and barbers.”
Vicky Topiwala: “No junk stores.”
Independent food businesses
Others suggested food and drink businesses that would add value to the options already at the town centre.
Gary James: “A nice bakery, not like Greggs or Wenzel’s though – real baked stuff, old-school style.”
Monika Tuur-Bordanov: “An actual place to have decent sushi, there is nothing at all around here. Or a proper place to buy local British meat and condiments. A police station would not be bad either.”
Mirelle Gordon: “An affordable tea shop. With the right funding I’d open a cat/book café. Somewhere people don’t have to pay a fiver for a coffee.”
Community and cultural spaces
Some residents said they would like to see the building used as a community-focused venue.
Imiksha S Patel: “A stunning cake and tea shop with historical information and pictures of the town itself. A space where people can create art, pottery, paint and attend cooking classes.
“Harrow has a beautiful rich history and it should be available to all, not only the upper or middle classes. Increase cultural capital and widen people’s minds and ideas.”
More unusual suggestions
Not every suggestion was entirely serious.
Mark Fox: “An Amazon hub for all the Amazon shoppers on here moaning about the decline of town centres.”
Iain Hough: “HMO.”
Rocky McSweeney: “Somewhere to buy fruit and veg out of boxes on the pavement whilst I’m having my phone unlocked inside.”
Alan Newton: “A time machine. Take us back 50 years.”
Have your say
What would you like to see replace Lloyds Bank when it closes on 23 September? Let us know in the comments on our socials.
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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.
