Barratt London’s announcement that 60 homes at Florence Apartments in Eastman Village are being offered through Discount Market Sale is a welcome attempt to address the affordability barrier facing local first-time buyers. Under the scheme, eligible purchasers can buy 100 per cent of a property for 80 per cent of its open-market value. Barratt saysContinue reading “Eastman Village should inherit more than Kodak’s name – it should inherit its community spirit”
Author Archives: hmgupdated
Harrow’s plastic problem cannot simply be put in the recycling bin
The latest Big Plastic Count has exposed the continuing scale of Britain’s dependence on disposable packaging, and raises important questions about what more can be done nationally and here in Harrow. More than 68,000 people took part in the week-long count in March 2026, recording over 1.5 million pieces of plastic waste. The findings suggestContinue reading “Harrow’s plastic problem cannot simply be put in the recycling bin”
Hospice care should depend on need, not ability to pay – HMG writes to prime minister
Harrow Monitoring Group has written to the Prime Minister supporting the growing national call for sustainable hospice funding, including through a national petition, while arguing that funding must also translate into fair and reliable access to hospice beds when clinically needed. The letter says hospice care should not be regarded as an optional charitable additionContinue reading “Hospice care should depend on need, not ability to pay – HMG writes to prime minister”
Harrow MP leads call for a Fair Banking Act
Gareth Thomas MP, Harrow West, is leading a parliamentary call, supported by more than 20 other MPs, for a Fair Banking Act to tackle financial exclusion and improve access to affordable credit The proposal would enable the Financial Conduct Authority to assess how effectively banks meet the credit needs of individuals and small businesses, withContinue reading “Harrow MP leads call for a Fair Banking Act”
Credit where it is due: Harrow’s streets are looking better – and that deserves recognition
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 showContinue reading “Credit where it is due: Harrow’s streets are looking better – and that deserves recognition”
Harrow’s cost of getting it wrong: who is advising the council when taxpayers keep picking up the bill?
Harrow Council’s £30,000 compensation payment over two protected trees might appear an unusual one-off dispute. Viewed alongside other expenditure when council decisions and services have gone wrong, however, it raises a bigger question: how effectively is Harrow assessing legal and financial risk before committing taxpayers’ money? Royal Sun Alliance Insurance claimed two protected trees wereContinue reading “Harrow’s cost of getting it wrong: who is advising the council when taxpayers keep picking up the bill?”
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”
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