Category Archives: News

Headstone Manor Park, a winner!

Headstone Manor Park, along with seven other Harrow parks, is on the Green Flag Award winners list for 2025. A total of 2,250 parks and green spaces across the UK have reached the high standards required to receive a coveted Green Flag Award in 2025 – more than ever recorded before. For example, in theContinue reading “Headstone Manor Park, a winner!”

Harrow council administration playing down “inadequate” children’s services

Very serious matter that the Secretary of State has appointed an Adviser to provide advice to the Harrow Council, where the Council will work with the Adviser until some such time that the Secretary of State is satisfied that this is no longer required.Normally, the appointment of the Improvement Adviser is when the ability toContinue reading “Harrow council administration playing down “inadequate” children’s services”

Physician Associate role redefined: shouldn’t diagnose patients – implications for Harrow

An independent review by Prof Gillian Leng says that the Physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs), who assist doctors in GP surgeries and hospitals, should be known as “assistants” to avoid confusing patients. Physician associates and anaesthesia associates (AAs) were introduced into the NHS in the early 2000s to ease doctors’ workload (but theContinue reading “Physician Associate role redefined: shouldn’t diagnose patients – implications for Harrow”

Under Improvement Notice Harrow children’s services need wider safeguarding collaboration

Given that local councils have a statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children within their area, it is appropriate to find how they have responded to the government publications ‘Child protection in religious organisations and setting Investigation Report’, and ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’.Their responsive action could include developing good working relationshipsContinue reading “Under Improvement Notice Harrow children’s services need wider safeguarding collaboration”

Harrow history: ‘Ugandan Asians’ welcomed

Would be good to mark the 60 years of Harrow council history in terms of the council’s progression over the years rather than raising emotions through sociocultural rhetoric, apparently to attract Reform UK potential voters!Therefore, we have recently highlighted some of the council’s inceptions, like, the computer services, twinning with Douai and annual united actContinue reading “Harrow history: ‘Ugandan Asians’ welcomed”

Harrow cabinet member for children’s services needs to go!

Minister for Children and Families, Jenet Daby MP, is disappointed that Harrow’s children’s services have overall been judged to be inadequate by Ofsted early this year.Now the Department for Education has issued an improvement notice to the council – a very serious step.In her letter to the leader of Harrow council, made public by GarethContinue reading “Harrow cabinet member for children’s services needs to go!”

Government’s revised NPPF helps Harrow planning regime

In arguing to grant retrospective application for the retention of a three-storey building at 79 Bessborough Road, Harrow  (PL/0952/24), officer report says that the government revised National Planning Policy Framework [NPPF 2024] is a  “material consideration in the determination of this application”  [applications were refused in 2022 for a variety of reasons]. The revised NPPFContinue reading “Government’s revised NPPF helps Harrow planning regime”

Remembering Grenfell – but in Harrow?

Around 5,000 people, including bereaved families, survivors, gathered in west London on Saturday to mark the 8th anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire.Under London mayor direction, Trafalgar Square was lit in green to honour lives lost in the Grenfell Tower fire and the bereaved, survivors and residents whose lives were changed forever.However, there are concernsContinue reading “Remembering Grenfell – but in Harrow?”