Plans for the future of Harrow town centre have been discussed in detail by councillors, with concerns raised over safety, housing, transport, consultation and how much influence the new masterplan will ultimately have.
Harrow Council’s Planning Policy Advisory Panel received an update on the Harrow Town Centre Masterplan at its meeting on Wednesday 9 September.
The masterplan is intended to provide a long-term vision for the town centre, covering future development, public spaces, transport, land use and regeneration. Councillors were told it would help guide developers and investors and support Harrow’s position as a Metropolitan Town Centre.
The baseline work carried out so far found that Harrow still has a strong retail core, but also identified fragmented public spaces, weak links with surrounding open spaces, higher levels of office vacancy and concerns about safety, particularly in the evening. Opportunities to improve greenery and climate resilience were also highlighted.
Safety concerns raised in Greenhill
Labour councillor Peymana Assad questioned the lack of a clear timetable for tackling safety issues in and around Greenhill.
She said: “There are lots and lots of different safe haven initiatives within the town centre, and yet people are still saying that they feel unsafe within the town centre.”
She also asked when issues including poor lighting and CCTV would be addressed.
Sharon Strutt, Harrow Council’s Assistant Director of Regeneration, said the masterplan was still at an early stage and would build on work already under way.
She said: “This also isn’t saying every other initiative going on stops until a master plan is underway. It very much builds on existing practice.”
Concerns about safety, particularly in Greenhill and during the evening, were among the main issues raised during the meeting.
Housing and pressure on transport
Cllr Assad also questioned what type of housing could come forward in the town centre and whether transport infrastructure could cope with further growth.
She said: “Obviously the housing needs to be genuinely affordable, and we want family-sized homes, but it’s difficult to do that in a place like the town centre, especially when those one- or two-bedroom flats that are mostly going up.”
Ms Strutt said the masterplan would sit alongside the Local Plan rather than replace it, with existing planning policies continuing to guide density, housing mix and affordable housing.
She added: “The bigger question around how do we make sure that our town centre, the residential housing that comes forward, takes account that it may not just be your young professional couple moving in. It may well be a family, and making sure that we have a town centre that can accommodate families, not just singles.”
Councillors also questioned the wider pressure future development could place on transport infrastructure.
How much weight will the masterplan carry?
Another issue raised was the status of the masterplan itself. Cllr Assad questioned the level of investment in the work while pointing out that the document is expected to remain informal planning guidance.
She said: “We’ve spent significant money and time developing this master plan. But it is an informal planning guidance. The report itself acknowledges that it’s informal. So it’s got limited weight within the planning application sort of world.”
Ms Strutt said supplementary planning documents no longer exist in the same way, but argued that guidance still has value.
She said: “There is a really important role for guidance because it gives extra certainty.”
She added: “It not having supplementary planning document status doesn’t mean it will be any the less useful.”
The meeting also touched on whether developers could make use of permitted development routes before any stronger planning framework was in place. Officers said the masterplan would still help shape development and coordinate projects, even without the same weight as formal planning policy.
Concerns over how residents will be consulted
The consultation process itself also came under scrutiny. Questions were raised about proposed invite-only walking tours and whether older and disabled residents would be properly represented.
Officers said the engagement programme was still being refined and would be made more inclusive.
The next stage of the work includes an online survey, public events and wider stakeholder engagement. Feedback will then be used to help shape a vision statement and draft masterplan.
Why do people choose Watford or Brent Cross?
Deputy Leader of Harrow Council Cllr Marilyn Ashton said retaining Harrow’s Metropolitan Town Centre status in the draft London Plan was significant.
She said: “I was very, very pleased that in the draft London Plan we have retained our Metropolitan Town Centre status, because that is actually a big deal.”
She also said the council needed to understand why some people choose other centres over Harrow.
“The thing I think that’s the most important thing is to figure out why some people who don’t live that near- because the footfall is quite good in our town centre. It is. But they don’t actually choose to come to Harrow town centre. They go to other town centres. They might go to Brent Cross, they might go to Watford.”
Cllr Ashton also noted the importance of making the consultation inclusive and said the masterplan could help set out a clearer vision for landowners, businesses and developers.
The council hopes the work will help Harrow retain and strengthen its position as a Metropolitan Town Centre.
What happens next?
The public consultation opened on Friday 11 September and is due to run until Friday 23 October with public engagement event dates and locations to be confirmed.
The feedback gathered will be used to inform the next stage of the masterplan before a draft version is developed.
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