More Ombudsman decisions against Harrow council

“Most Council services run well, and any issues are resolved locally without any further action. If the citizen remains unhappy then they can make a formal complaint” Harrow council legal director’s legalistic statement in Annual Complaints and Ombudsman report for the meeting on 26 November 2024.
But the national headlines regarding the Ombudsman decisions against the Harrow council tell a different story. A culture of saying ‘no’ with a smile, pleasant writing, respecting the residents and politely handling their complaints could have avoided many complaints to the Ombudsman, as well as could have helped in making the council claim ‘putting residents first’ more meaningful.
The council could do with well-trained public relations officers rather than a legalistic and authoritative approach to deal with the public enquiries and complaints most of the time.
The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) and Housing Ombudsman have recently made several decisions against Harrow Council, including:
Care home failings: the BBC has reported on 5 January 2025 that the LGO ordered Harrow Council to pay £300 to a woman with dementia and £250 to her daughter after the care home failed to provide the right support.
The investigation found that the woman’s lower denture wasn’t cleaned or removed for several months, and that staff used a knife to open her door.
The ombudsman found the care home, which is under the jurisdiction of Harrow Council, was at fault for causing “frustration and uncertainty” and “avoidable discomfort”.
Inaccurate information during the child protection inquiries: 22 016 751 of 8/12/2023, Mrs X complained that the council used false and inaccurate information during child protection inquiries to create a negative assessment of her and her family. She also said the council did not communicate properly and failed to consider her human rights.
“We found the Council was at fault in that it included inaccurate and irrelevant information in various documents, causing Mrs X distress. In recognition of the injustice caused, the Council has agreed to amend the documents, apologise to Mrs X and make a payment to her” the Ombudsman determined.
In a regulatory notice published on 20 April 2023, the Regulator of Social Housing concluded that: (a) the London Borough of Harrow has breached part 1.2 of the Home Standard; and (b) as a consequence of this breach, there was the potential for serious detriment to LB Harrow tenants.
The council had not completed electrical safety reports for 3,500 homes, and had not completed water risk assessments for every site requiring a re-inspection.
Residential care: (21 001 179) – The Ombudsman determined that there was fault by the care provider in its complaint handling when acting on behalf of the Council.
The complainant, Mr C lives in a care home. Some items of his clothing went missing. There was fault by the care provider in how it responded to the complaints.
There were also many complaints under the last elected Conservative administration (some below), which should have informed policy formation and practices that by dealing with resident concerns and needs with a smile and responding to them politely do not cost money but could give far less headache to the council administration:
In September 2009, Ombudsman ruling revealed West Lodge Schools merger failings by Harrow Council. Harrow council committed maladministration in the handling of the merger of two Pinner schools, and must pay compensation, the Local Government Ombudsman ruled.
In 2008, the High Court quashed a decision made by Harrow Council after the council’s committee report and decision record were deemed insufficient. The decision was passed to the Ombudsman due to the sensitivity of the case.
In 2007, re adult care services to those with “critical” needs, the High Court ruled the decision was unlawful because the council had not fully considered the need to eliminate discrimination against disabled people and promote equality of opportunity between disabled people and others.
Hope there would be less reliance on the Ombudsman to sort out the council shortcomings.

Harrow mayor’s choices?

CONTEXT
The mayor’s office should demonstrate grace and be mindful of upholding the Harrow council reputation and transparency.
Looks Harrow mayor Cllr Salim Chowdhury, a hotelier by trade and introduced as the ‘Harrow’s first British Bangladeshi Mayor’ by the Harrow council, has made some unusual choices.
Deputy mayor
The mayor notified the May 2024 council meeting that he had appointed the Conservative group elected Cllr Anjana Patel as deputy mayor for 2024-25, despite Cllr Patel’s divisive politics on the social media – some covered by the hard-hitting headlines(1). He could have distanced.
Later, deputy mayor incivility(2) showed up at the Harrow council meeting on 23rd October 2024 – heckling, banging the Mayor’s gavel on the bench, and harshly directing words as well as a finger towards a councillor. But “The Mayor is not offended by her actions”.
The Local Government Association Model Member Code of Conduct, published by the Local Government Association in May 2020, defines civility as the politeness and courtesy in behaviour, speech, and in the written word.
The page 40 of the Civic Ceremonial Handbook, History and Guidance for Mayors, Councillors and Officer(3) clearly says that “the deputy only has a civic, legal and Royal status in the absence of the Mayor”, and therefore the self-disciplined role of the deputy mayor sitting with the mayor at the council meeting, is to quietly observe.
Mayor’s charity
The mayor chose London’s Community Kitchen ‘L.C.K Reg Charity No. 1198839 (4)’ his charity which is a CIO not subject to company regulations whose accounts for the charity commission were overdue(5) at the time, and which has £45 reserves as per its financial accounts at the commission.
The convention is that the deputy mayor, being the potential mayor, informs the chosen charity months before, so that the soundness of the charity must be ascertained.
Furthermore, Harrow mayor’s webpage(6) on the Harrow council website has been less transparent in that it failed to provide the basic information about the charity, like its governance and charity number (now corrected 12/01/2025 after our intervention) [don’t see this information on the London’s Community Kitchen website(7) either].
Our probing worked and now (seven months after the mayor being in place) at least the  ‘L.C.K Reg Charity No. 1198839 (4)’ has appeared on the mayor’s page – the L.C.K is not an abbreviation for London Community Kitchen but stands for the London’s Community Kitchen, a CIO.
However, still no such information could be found on the London Community Kitchen/ London’s Community Kitchen website(7) as of today.
According to the Charities Act 2011 the charity law requires publicising the charitable status of a registered charity(8), making sure that the charity number and name is displayed on the charity’s documents and website, so that members of the public are clear that they are dealing with a charity, and could check the charity, like its governance, accounts etc.
Uncertainty about the Mayor of Harrow’s Charity Fund, makes some think whether their donation to this mayor’s fund are worth.
[the Mayor of Harrow’s Charity Fund charity number 219034 (9) not displayed on the mayor’s webpage page(6)]
Mayor’s Charity Ball
This year, the Mayor’s Charity Ball, a Harrow civic feature, cancelled.
Click a link (1) (1)  (2)  (3)  (4)  (5)  (6)  (7)  (8)  (9)

Harrow council marking Srebrenica genocide

Harrow will be marking the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica, Bosnia genocide at the Holocaust Memorial Day 2025 on 28 January at the Harrow Arts Centre – attendance In-Person and Streamed Live.
The event is likely to be publicised by Cllr Paul Osborn, leader of the Harrow council, in his email shot MyHarrow@news.harrow.gov.uk.
In 2018, remembering the Bosnian genocide, the Harrow council (then Labour) organised a flag-raising ceremony outside the civic centre, which was attended by several councillors and the council’s interim chief executive.
“Following this summer’s far-right anti-Muslim & anti-immigrant riots and rise in Islamophobia, we welcomed the opportunity to discuss the importance of strengthening community ties to tackle hatred & the importance of learning lessons from the Bosnian genocide – the worst atrocity on European soil since the Second World War” said Dr Waqar Azmi OBE, the Chair Remembering Srebrenica, in his New Year’s message.
Harrow had its share of far-right targetting last year (they marked Harrow though didn’t come, but Harrow seems to have some far-right sympathisers).  
More than 8,000 Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) boys and men, were killed by Bosnian Serb forces in Srebrenica, a town in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, in July 1995. In addition to the killings, more than 20,000 civilians were expelled from the area – a process known as ethnic cleansing.
Earlier in July 2024, Stephen Doughty MP, Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office), on behalf of His Majesty’s Government hosted the UK National Srebrenica Memorial Day organised by Remembering Srebrenica.
Remembering Srebrenica is part-funded by the UK Government and is committed to using the lessons from Srebrenica to tackle hatred and intolerance to help to build a better, safer and more cohesive society for everyone.
Holocaust Memorial Day: For a Better Future | Harrow

Harrow deputy mayor’s ‘incivility’ brushed aside

The Local Government Association Model Member Code of Conduct published by the Local Government Association in May 2020, says that the code requires a councillor to “treating other councillors and members of the public with civility” – civility, the LGA defines as the politeness and courtesy in behaviour, speech, and in the written word.
Within the scope of the code, the Harrow deputy mayor’s incivility at the council meeting on 23rd October 2024 [heckling, banging the Mayor’s gavel on the bench, and harshly directing words as well as a finger towards a councillor] was reported to the council.
But the Conservative council monitoring officer did not find anything wrong with the Cllr Anjana Patel’s incivility and rather justified it in her letter to us: “Councillor Patel tells me that she was trying to assist the Mayor with the smooth running of the meeting. I understand that the Mayor is not offended by her actions”. The monitoring officer judgement based on these collaborative statements is insecure, because the research shows no such protocol for a deputy mayor!
On the other hand, the page 40 of the Civic Ceremonial Handbook, History and Guidance for Mayors, Councillors and Officer clearly says that “the deputy only has a civic, legal and Royal status in the absence of the Mayor”.
The role of the deputy mayor sitting with the mayor at the council meeting is to quietly observe, as previous council mayors would confirm.
Difficult to ignore that the Conservative Cllr Patel is known to be a good friend of the mayor, who chose her his deputy despite Cllr Patel being in the unfavourable headlines (links below). Cllr Patel is also a potential mayor of Harrow from the Conservative administration.
Commentary:
From 2.40.51 to 2.41.09 the timeline of the council meeting on 23rd October 2024 shows the deputy mayor’s ‘disrespect’ and an overreaching of her duties, undermining the mayor’s role.
“It is not uncommon for Councillors to be interrupted and heckled during speeches. During my own contribution to the meeting, I was interrupted at various times” reported Cllr David Perry, leader of the Labour group on the council, after the council meeting.
But “following the meeting, I received verbal complaints from three past Mayors of Harrow who raised the disrespectful and inappropriate behaviour of the Deputy Mayor during proceedings by heckling and banging the Mayor’s gavel on the bench” Cllr Perry said.
Councillor Anjana Patel, deputy mayor selected by the Conservative group for the year 2024-25 and formalised by the mayor, is likely to progress to become the Harrow mayor this May, which is concerning given the following:

Harrow council budget, opposition concerned

Untitled-3Harrow council cabinet has recently approved raising Council tax by 4.99% in the coming year.
The opposition Labour group is concerned that  “this will take the total increase in Council Tax until 2027 up to 20% since 2023”.
Furthermore, along with the stakeholders in the voluntary sector, the opposition group has opposed the proposed £1.3m cuts, stressing the “huge impact” on vulnerable groups.
“This cut has received overwhelming opposition from the local voluntary sector, including Citizens Advice Harrow and even Council frontline staff have argued that this budget could increase poverty, neglect, deprivation, and mental health issues” said Cllr David Perry, leader of the Labour group.
He has urged the council to reverse the cuts to most vulnerable families, who will be negatively impacted by this budget.
Regarding the impact of the financial decisions on vulnerable in the borough, Cllr David Ashton, lead executive member for the finances, said: 
“We are protecting those in the vulnerable category. We are also establishing a £250000 hardship fund to assist those in particular need”.
He informs that they are facing huge increases in the Adult social care area and Homelessness. Both are statutory requirements.
“Labour shout about council finances and the council tax support scheme and yet meanwhile the Government cuts winter fuel payments with no equalities impact review or consultation” he added.

Guidance for Harrow mayor’s charity seen inadequate!

UPDATE: Despite pointing out the requirement to display the charity number of the mayor’s charity is not being met, we don’t see the display of the London’s Community Kitchen charity number 1198839 on their website https://www.londonscommunitykitchen.co.uk/  nor on the Harrow mayor’s webpage at https://www.harrow.gov.uk/elections/mayor-harrow/2  (as of 16/12/2024 10.10pm – later our intervention worked and on 02/01/2025 London Community Kitchen charity number 1198839 appeared on the mayor’s page) –  our readers wonder why not?
Why not let the donor to the Harrow mayor’s charity know that they are funding a registered charity?
They also seek clarification of a further confused situation where the Harrow mayor’s charity on his webpage is London Community Kitchen, which when searched takes to a London’s Community Kitchen, a registered charity.
Is the London Community Kitchen a registered charity? Would the mayor’s charity funds go to London Community Kitchen bank account or to London’s Community Kitchen account, or both labels are the same and have the same bank account?
More evidence is emerging about the quality of the guidance given to the mayor regarding his selected charity.
In the public interest, Harrow mayor’s charity fund regime must be seen being transparent.
Harrow mayor Cllr Salim Chowdhury, a hotelier by business and introduced as the ‘Harrow’s first British Bangladeshi Mayor’ by the Harrow council, has selected London Community Kitchen that provides ‘free or affordable food’, his charity for 2024-25.
Our attention was drawn to the Harrow mayor’s charity appeal page at the Harrow council website that shows no charity number for the mayor’s charity. Neither the display of the London Community Kitchen charity number could be seen on the charity’s website. (screenshots at the end, and more to come).
The Harrow council legal professionals would know that charity law requires publicising the charitable status of a registered charity, making sure that the charity number and name is displayed on the charity’s documents and website, so that members of the public are clear that they are dealing with a charity. Not only this but the charity number enables to find about the trustees, financial standing of the charity etc – google blessing! (The Charity Commission encourages the public to report any irregularities.)
In the public interest, we enquired from the Harrow council (a) whether Harrow council, like many other councils, has published criteria for the Harrow mayor’s chosen charity, particularly that it must be a registered charity, and confirmed so by a council officer (b) charity number of the mayor’s selected charity London Community Kitchen.
After days (most probably waiting for a circular from the mayor’s office), Harrow Monitoring officer said, “it is a charity “LCK” – charity number 1198839”.
Why the London Community Kitchen charity number 1198839, known to the mayor’s office, has not been displayed on either on the mayor’s page on Harrow council website or on the London Community Kitchen website (screenshots as of today 12/12/2024 6pm)?
What was asked in  (a) above has not been answered.
Because of all this, it is reasonable to sense that the council guidance for the mayor charity is inadequate, as is the transparency of the Harrow mayor’s charity appeal.
Hope the council would helpfully address the above inadequacies, and cultivate good understanding that the mayor’s office is a respectful office.
Screenshot12122024
CC2
CC3

Christine Bednell, well-reasoned Harrow politician, will be missed

ChristineHarrow councillor Christine Bednell, a calm and well-respected Conservative politician, died on 3rd December 2024.
The council meeting, on 19 July 2018, awarded Honorary Freedom of the Borough (‘Freedom of Entry to the Borough’) to councillor Bednell.
Presentation of the Scroll was to mark the appreciation of the forty-seven years service by councillor Bednell to the London Borough of Harrow.
Since the creation of the London Borough of Harrow in 1964, no other councillor has given such long and diligent service. Those that the council previously conferred Honorary Freedom of the Borough upon included Horace Cutler (1977) and the late Sir Roger Bannister (2004).
Miss Bednell, a Conservative councillor for Stanmore (1986-2018), was first elected to the council in 1968 from the then Wealdstone North ward.
She was Harrow deputy mayor in 1985 and mayor in 1986 and served on various council committees including Cabinet and held the Portfolios for Children’s Services.
During her councillorship, Christine Bednell ceremonially unveiled Katie statue, a Harrow Town Centre icon, in May 1987.
Previous Harrow councillor Husain Akhtar, coordinator of the Harrow Monitoring Group who worked with Cllr Bednell at various levels since 1984, said “Christine was a pleasant, well-reasoned and friendly past colleague. Her wisdom and calm approach to even difficult socio-political issues was remarkable. Christine will be missed”.

Planning supremo Harrow councillor’s 25 years on the council recognised

MA1Councillor Marilyn Ashton received a presentation marking her 25 years on the council at the council meeting on 28 November 2024.
First elected to the council in 1998, Stanmore councillor Marilyn Ashton, deputy leader of the council and planning and regeneration executive at the Harrow cabinet, has served on various council committees and panels as well as represented the council on numerous outside bodies, but her particular focus has been on planning with measurable achievements.
As the chair of the Harrow planning committee and lead Member for the town development work, both in the pre-2010 Conservative administration and now, Cllr Ashton has provided skilful and challenging leadership. Few examples are:
Pre-2010: Dandara 19-storey town centre development plans to build blocks of flats at the old post office site in College Road Harrow were rejected because of scale, mass and bulk of the development, blocking picturesque views of St Mary’s Church.
Despite toxic public objections and design complexity, the planning application for the Salaam Centre in North Harrow, which has cutting edge design to create unique architectural landscape in Harrow, progressed well at the planning committee chaired by Cllr Ashton, and was eventually granted permission.
[Recently,  the Salaam Centre has won the Best Future Design at British Beacon Mosque Awards 2024]
Now: wisdom in understanding the difficulties in the completion of the Safari cinema site development after the previous builder ‘went broke’ before completion which could have left the project “derelict”, and therefore agreeing the changes to the original plan under Cllr Ashton leadership has enabled the project to complete.
[The original art-deco exterior of the former Safari Cinema has been restored and its original name, Dominion, will be used when it reopens – the Dominion Cinema first opened on Station Road in 1936]
The current planning and development challenges for Cllr Ashton include to accomplish the regeneration of key council-owned sites in Harrow as well as the housing and industrial development plans which Cllr Ashton describes as “an important step in ensuring Harrow’s future growth is balanced, sustainable, and responsive to the needs of our residents”.

A Harrow community centre design wins award

The Salaam Centre in North Harrow is the Winner of Best Future Design at British Beacon Mosque Awards 2024.
The centre, a unique architectural design and project in Harrow, has been awarded the prestigious award in celebrating the centre’s innovative approach to creating a multi-faith community space that harmoniously blends Islamic architectural heritage with contemporary British design.
Salaam Centre2The project, at the cost of about £27m (mostly community donations), when completed, would be the remarkable fulfilment of the leading trustee Dr Nizar Merali’s over 20 years dedication and hard struggle.
The award recognises the centre’s pioneering vision of what a modern Muslim community space can be – a cultural embassy that welcomes people of all faiths while making a bold architectural statement. The centre is committed to architectural excellence and community integration.
Previously speaking, Ali Mangera of Mangera Yvars Architects, explained the philosophy behind the project: “In the UK, mosques should be seen as embassies to a faith, and as such they need to provide ‘architectural outreach’ and to create buildings that inspire and contribute to the cityscape while providing an inviting spiritual home open to all, regardless of faith.”
The planning application for the centre helpfully progressed during the Cllr Marilyn Ashton’s pre-2010 chairmanship of the planning committee.
“I remember deferring the decision, as the initial officers’ recommendation was to refuse. Then it returned a while later recommended for grant and was then approved” recalls Cllr Marilyn Ashton.
“I am delighted that this has won a design award, and that I was able to play my part in the approval of the planning permission,” said Cllr Ashton, chair of the Harrow council planning committee and deputy leader of the council.