Author Archives: hmgupdated

Good to see the Harrow’s first community mental health workshop on 31 January this year. The workshop was widely publicised. The event was run in partnership with Thrive LDN, a citywide movement for mental health, supported by the Mayor of London. Community members including health professionals and faith leaders heard about the six aspirations ofContinue reading “Harrow focus on mental health”

Harrow council says that the installation of speed cameras is the responsibility of Department for Transport (DfT) and not the council but in any case the criteria for installing the cameras on Camrose Avenue are not met. A petition containing 168 signatures presented to the council meeting on 30th November 2017 expressed concerns about speedingContinue reading “Camrose Avenue speed cameras not possible”

From Thursday 1st February 2018, Harrow Council is assuming responsibility for the management of Harrow’s library service. The service had previously been run for the Council by Carillion Integrated Solutions (CIS). CIS is a subsidiary of Carillion, a corporation that is now in liquidation. It will be business as usual for staff and residents, withContinue reading “Harrow Council takes its libraries back in-house”

While the last cabinet meeting on 18th January welcomed Tom Whiting as Interim Chief Executive, deputy leader of the opposition Tory group Cllr Barry Macleod-Cullinane mischievously asked about the on-costs of having a full-time Chief Executive role? After the Labour regained the council in 2014, they restored the chief executive post that was ‘unilaterally, wronglyContinue reading “Opposition deputy continues Hall negativity”

Harrow East MP Bob Blackman apparently failed to convince Theresa May to offer him housing minister job despite his flattering praises for her policies. One telling example is his blind retweets of the Number 10 government  propaganda that all is well in NHS while leading medical professionals are warning that Patients ‘dying in hospital corridors’Continue reading “Blackman slapped by Shahs and not on May’s list of recognition”

Harrow’s entry at London’s New Year’s Day Parade hit an all-time high on Monday, with their Moulin Rouge-inspired float winning second place and a whopping £9000 for the Mayor’s charities. The thousands of pounds will now be handed to the Mayor’s charities – Harrow Women Centre and Harrow Law Centre. “Winning second place is aContinue reading “Harrow CAN-CAN wins 2nd place at New Year’s Day parade”

As we predicted weeks ago, Tom Whiting has been appointed as the interim chief executive (head of paid service) for the period from 6 January 2018 to 24 May 2018, after which the then elected administration could appoint the substantial chief executive. The post has resulted since the Harrow Council chief executive Michael Lockwood hasContinue reading “Interim Harrow council chief appointed”

They work through the night and into the very early hours of the morning, five days a week, removing filthy fly-tips off the streets.  This can only be good! The two man team works in the dark to clear illegally dumped waste reported to the council. Between 80 to 100 fly-tips reported to the councilContinue reading “Harrow’s ‘Night Riders’!”

Legacy of arrogance and bins Council works more smoothly where the opposition works as a critical friend, assisting the administration whenever possible and suggesting healthy alternatives whenever necessary, all in the interest of effectively serving the residents. But what happened in Harrow under the previous opposition leader Cllr Hall, was a kind of ‘punch andContinue reading “Not easy to shake-off Hall legacy”

Much publicised Tory Homelessness Reduction Act, instigated by Harrow East MP Bob Blackman, comes nowhere near addressing the wider factors that are increasing homelessness, such as the lack of affordable housing for low income households and welfare reforms. What the Act demands the councils to do is very difficult for them to deliver :  forContinue reading “Homelessness Reduction Act to hit Labour-run councils hard, including Harrow”