Harrow Council has disclosed that almost £3.7 million has been paid from its insurance fund since 2022. The disclosure raises a serious question for ratepayers: how much is Harrow actually paying when council decisions, actions and services go wrong? The figure emerged from a Freedom of Information request made by Harrow Monitoring Group following itsContinue reading “£3.7 million and counting: Harrow’s compensation bill raises harder questions about legal advice and accountability”
Category Archives: editorial
Empty homes, desperate families: Harrow needs action beyond promises
World Homelessness Day (10 October) raises a pressing question for Harrow: how can empty properties help families struggling to find a safe, affordable home? Harrow Council recorded 1,361 households in temporary accommodation at the end of March 2025, while government statistics show more than 303,000 long-term vacant homes across England in October 2025. These figuresContinue reading “Empty homes, desperate families: Harrow needs action beyond promises”
Holiday food support: Harrow needs answers, not a political contest
A report to Harrow’s Cabinet on 24 September revealed a dispute that could affect around 7,000 children eligible for free school meals. The Conservative administration wants to continue holiday support through the new Crisis and Resilience Fund, but Department for Work and Pensions officials say its proposed blanket provision does not meet the fund’s principles.Continue reading “Holiday food support: Harrow needs answers, not a political contest”
Free social care for all? Harrow shows what reform must deliver
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has set out a vision for a universal social care service in England, free at the point of use. Asked whether it would work like the NHS, he said it would be a system in which “everyone contributes, everyone’s covered”, while leaving the funding model for Baroness Casey’s commission to adviseContinue reading “Free social care for all? Harrow shows what reform must deliver”
Eastman Village should inherit more than Kodak’s name – it should inherit its community spirit
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”
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?”
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?”
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