Over the past two years, there has been a noticeable effort to improve Harrow’s roads, pavements, street cleanliness and general street environment, and that deserves recognition.
A major part of that improvement is the Council’s £42 million road and footway maintenance programme for 2025–2028, covering resurfacing, pavement repairs, patching and pothole work. Council figures show the estimated number of potholes repaired rising from 831 in 2020/21 and 1,150 in 2022/23 to 7,055 in 2024/25. New equipment, including the JCB Pothole Pro and thermal repair technology, has also enabled repairs to be undertaken more efficiently.
But residents judge their neighbourhoods by more than the condition of the carriageway. Regular street cleaning and greater attention to the everyday street environment are equally important. Cleaner streets, maintained pavements, removal of litter and dumped waste, better-managed public spaces and improvements to local shopping areas collectively affect how residents experience their borough. The difference between a neglected street and a well-maintained one is immediately visible, and importantly, these improvements can also be seen in Harrow’s side streets, not just its main roads and town centres.
There is also wider investment in the public realm. Town-centre improvements and works in areas including Station Road, College Road and Kymberley Road have sought to improve pedestrian space, accessibility and the appearance of the street environment, while the Harrow-to-Pinner programme includes junction, crossing, cycling and greening improvements.
There is still considerable room for improvement. Harrow’s wider Healthy Streets performance remains weak, and residents will inevitably identify roads, pavements and neighbourhoods where standards remain below what they should be. Improvement should therefore be judged borough-wide and sustained over time, not simply by flagship schemes or headline expenditure.
Nevertheless, where progress is visible, credit should be given. Cllr David Ashton, Cabinet Member for Finance and Highways, deserves recognition for the substantial investment being directed into the highway network. His combined responsibility for finance and highways is particularly relevant: allocating tens of millions of pounds to improving roads and pavements is ultimately both a highways decision and a financial priority.
When public money produces visible improvements to the everyday environment in which Harrow residents live, that should be recognised.
A major part of that improvement is the Council’s £42 million road and footway maintenance programme for 2025–2028, covering resurfacing, pavement repairs, patching and pothole work. Council figures show the estimated number of potholes repaired rising from 831 in 2020/21 and 1,150 in 2022/23 to 7,055 in 2024/25. New equipment, including the JCB Pothole Pro and thermal repair technology, has also enabled repairs to be undertaken more efficiently.
But residents judge their neighbourhoods by more than the condition of the carriageway. Regular street cleaning and greater attention to the everyday street environment are equally important. Cleaner streets, maintained pavements, removal of litter and dumped waste, better-managed public spaces and improvements to local shopping areas collectively affect how residents experience their borough. The difference between a neglected street and a well-maintained one is immediately visible, and importantly, these improvements can also be seen in Harrow’s side streets, not just its main roads and town centres.
There is also wider investment in the public realm. Town-centre improvements and works in areas including Station Road, College Road and Kymberley Road have sought to improve pedestrian space, accessibility and the appearance of the street environment, while the Harrow-to-Pinner programme includes junction, crossing, cycling and greening improvements.There is still considerable room for improvement. Harrow’s wider Healthy Streets performance remains weak, and residents will inevitably identify roads, pavements and neighbourhoods where standards remain below what they should be. Improvement should therefore be judged borough-wide and sustained over time, not simply by flagship schemes or headline expenditure.
Nevertheless, where progress is visible, credit should be given. Cllr David Ashton, Cabinet Member for Finance and Highways, deserves recognition for the substantial investment being directed into the highway network. His combined responsibility for finance and highways is particularly relevant: allocating tens of millions of pounds to improving roads and pavements is ultimately both a highways decision and a financial priority.
When public money produces visible improvements to the everyday environment in which Harrow residents live, that should be recognised.