hmgupdated

St John the Baptist, Greenhill – a church that tells the story of modern Harrow

Thousands of people pass St John the Baptist, Greenhill every week, yet it is easy to overlook how much of Harrow’s history is contained within its stone walls. Standing prominently at the junction of Station Road and Sheepcote Road, the church reflects Greenhill’s transformation from a small Middlesex settlement into the busy and extraordinarily diverseContinue reading “St John the Baptist, Greenhill – a church that tells the story of modern Harrow”

£1.4m for Harrow residents – Harrow Council trumpets the good news but airbrushes out who provides the funding!

Harrow Council has announced with considerable enthusiasm that residents are to benefit from a £1.4 million investment in skills, qualifications and routes into employment through the new London Talent Pathways programme. That is excellent news for Harrow residents. What is considerably less impressive is the way the council has chosen to tell the story. ItsContinue reading “£1.4m for Harrow residents – Harrow Council trumpets the good news but airbrushes out who provides the funding!”

Putting residents first – but were Harrow residents really put first over the West London Waste Plan?

“Putting residents first” is one of Harrow Council’s core corporate messages and a stated guiding ethos of the Conservative administration. The West London Waste Plan consultation provides a useful test of what that means in practice. The Plan will influence waste-related development until 2041 and safeguards two existing Harrow sites: Forward Drive and 151 PinnerContinue reading “Putting residents first – but were Harrow residents really put first over the West London Waste Plan?”

Mayors to get greater planning powers – Harrow’s experience shows why call-in can be an important safeguard

The Government is proposing to give mayors across England new powers to take over major planning applications from local councils, extending a system that London has operated for years. According to the BBC, mayors in 13 areas of England would gain powers similar to those already available to the Mayor of London. The proposed powersContinue reading “Mayors to get greater planning powers – Harrow’s experience shows why call-in can be an important safeguard”

Harrow joint bottom in London for children’s services despite £5.47m overspend and £70,549 exit payment, but who is accountable at the top?

Questions about the quality of Harrow Council’s governance, accountability, transparency, service outcomes, value for money and senior political and managerial leadership are becoming increasingly difficult to avoid. The latest evidence comes from Ofsted’s newly published London-wide comparison of local authority children’s services. As at 31 March 2026, 18 of London’s 33 local authorities were ratedContinue reading “Harrow joint bottom in London for children’s services despite £5.47m overspend and £70,549 exit payment, but who is accountable at the top?”

Harrow’s service failures are costing taxpayers millions

Harrow Council’s latest draft accounts should be read as more than a set of financial figures. They expose an uncomfortable connection that Harrow Monitoring Group has repeatedly highlighted: weak services, weak governance and financial pressure can be different symptoms of the same problem. The human consequences come first. Children’s Services were rated “Inadequate” by Ofsted,Continue reading “Harrow’s service failures are costing taxpayers millions”

Harrow pre-authorises waste plan submission before councillors see final consultation results – but where is the political accountability?

Harrow Council has authorised senior officers to amend and submit a major statutory planning document to the Government without requiring the final version or the results of the current public consultation to return to Full Council.The issue is not whether the West London Waste Plan is right or wrong, or whether Harrow’s approach is unlawful.Continue reading “Harrow pre-authorises waste plan submission before councillors see final consultation results – but where is the political accountability?”

From Somerset to Harrow: fresh questions over Conservative candidate selection

The Conservative Party’s decision to select Joshua Bonehill-Paine as a council candidate in Somerset has reignited a wider debate about standards in public office. Bonehill-Paine, a former neo-Nazi who served a prison sentence for antisemitic offences, including the racial harassment of former Labour MP Luciana Berger, has been defended by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch onContinue reading “From Somerset to Harrow: fresh questions over Conservative candidate selection”

Harrow’s vaccination challenge: are current efforts reaching every child?

The national debate over whether childhood vaccinations should become mandatory raises an equally important question for Harrow: are existing local strategies doing enough to protect every child? The BBC reports that childhood vaccination rates across England have fallen steadily over the past decade. Experts argue that the decline is driven less by organised anti-vaccination campaignsContinue reading “Harrow’s vaccination challenge: are current efforts reaching every child?”