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 NPPF aims to strengthen the local planning regime by providing clearer guidance and mandatory requirements for housing delivery, green belt development, and strategic planning. Key changes include restoring the five-year housing land supply rule, introducing “grey belt” land designations, and emphasizing “golden rules” for green belt development. These changes are intended to drive local authorities to update their plans and deliver more housing while addressing specific community needs.
Good to see a government’s helpful move being recognised, otherwise the present Harrow council administration shies away from appreciating the Labour government policies and provisions to benefit the public. For example, no enthusiasm about:
The government has announced a new crackdown on fly-tippers, with tougher sentences of up to five years in prison for those found illicitly transporting waste.
Under the new powers to local councils to combat fly-tipping, councils will work with the police to identify, seize and crush vehicles of waste criminals. Drones and mobile CCTV cameras will be deployed to identify cars and vans belonging to fly-tippers so they can be destroyed.
Harrow administration lead for environment Cllr Pritesh Patel was asked how this would help the council to combating fly-tipping – he was not able to respond!
Five schools in South Harrow, Hatch End, Wealdstone and Stanmore to benefit from the £1.2 billion of funding for school infrastructure through the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) funding, announced some days before.
Cllr Hitesh Karia, Harrow administration’s education lead, was asked for comment regarding this vital government funding for Harrow – he has not been able to respond.
Approximately 15,000 properties in Harrow will receive the energy price cut through the government announced Warm Home Discount expansion.
“We look forward to seeing how the Warm Homes Discount expansion, in addition to the rolling out of free school meals, breakfast clubs and childcare support, helps support families in Harrow” prompted labour group leader Cllr David Perry.
But Harrow council administration is silent!

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 concerns that the Met Police investigation into what led to the “avoidable” tragedy in 2017 which claimed the lives of 72 people, including 18 children and representing wider diversity, is still ongoing despite public demand, from the beginning, to know why it happened.(2017video)Many families and survivors believe the tower should stay until there are criminal prosecutions, but in September, work will begin to take down the 23-storey building, so this year’s eighth anniversary is especially moving.
Therefore, several London councils have meaningfully marked the anniversary, like by light up town halls green.
But in Harrow, the Harrow council only had a brief mention of the ‘tragedy’ on the Facebook which has 31 likes, including by few good-hearted Conservative councillors but not by the Conservative group leadership. Likewise, there is no Grenfell public statement by the leadership (as of 16/6 at 14.40 am). The council leader’s PR letter is days away!
Many in Harrow have strong feelings for the Grenfell victims, being from the same diverse background.
It looks, Harrow administration’s response to diversity-specific disturbing matters, varies.

NHS waiting list falling

The NHS data published on 12 June 2025 show that NHS waiting list has fallen to its lowest level in two years as health chiefs hailed staff for continuing to tackle demand and drive progress for patients.
The waiting list has fallen to 7.39 million, down from 7.42 million – the first time the waiting list has seen a reduction in April in 17 years (excluding the first year of the pandemic).
The NHS in London is also making progress in reducing the treatment waiting lists, with a growing proportion of patients waiting less than 18 weeks.
In May 2025, 61.1% of Londoners awaiting treatment were on the waiting list for less than 18 weeks. This is the highest proportion since November 2023. The NHS is working towards the 92% 18-week standard by March 2029.
In the local context, hopefully the London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, which operates four hospitals including Northwick Park, Ealing, and Central Middlesex, and where most of the Brent and Harrow patients go for hospital treatment, would be able to reduce the waiting list.
The Trust has been identified as having some of the longest waiting times for operations in London. A significant portion of their patients (over half) are waiting more than 18 weeks for treatment.
Commenting on the falling waiting list, Gareth Thomas, Labour MP for Harrow West, said: “After the Tories left waiting lists at a record high and patient satisfaction at a record low, hundreds of people across the borough were stuck left waiting for treatment”.
“That’s why falling waiting lists across London and across the country is such good news, as this Labour Government puts the NHS on the road to recovery”, he added.

Harrow land use needs rethinking, ‘putting residents first’!

Since Harrow council administration is participating in a review of London’s green belt led by Sir Sadiq Khan’s office, would they be rethinking about the Harrow’s Core Strategy and Local Plan?
This becomes pertinent as the review aims to assess and potentially revise the green belt designation in London, including areas within Harrow.
The mayor of London says current rules prohibiting development on green belt land are “wrong, out-of-date and simply unsustainable”, as the demand for housing increases.
Harrow’s Green Belt covers around 11 square kilometres (1088 hectares), equivalent to eight Hyde Parks and about one fifth of the Borough’s total area, given rise to an imbalance where there are ample green areas but inadequate housing.
Harrow is experiencing a severe housing crisis characterized by insufficient affordable housing, high rents, and increasing homelessness, resulting in a growing number of residents in temporary accommodation, causing a significant pressure on the Harrow council budget.
In 2024, Harrow had 2,163 households on their social housing waiting list, with an increased number of those deemed homeless.
In the context of local planning, a core strategy document is a key document in a local plan that sets out the overall vision and strategic direction for a local authority’s area, guiding future development and land use. It serves as the foundation for other local development documents like Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).
In view of the Harrow’s changed population profile and many inner-city indicators, local town and country planning could do with a well-balanced and realistic approach between retaining green areas in the borough and meeting the local needs, including the housing demand, within the context of ‘putting residents first’!

Harrow’s green belt and homelessness!

Good that, unlike the rest of the Tory London councils (four), Harrow is participating in a review of London’s green belt led by Sir Sadiq Khan’s office. The review aims to assess and potentially revise the green belt designation in London, including areas within Harrow.
The mayor of London says current rules prohibiting development on green belt land are “wrong, out-of-date and simply unsustainable”, as the demand for housing increases.
Harrow’s Green Belt covers around 11 square kilometres (1088 hectares), equivalent to eight Hyde Parks and about one fifth of the Borough’s total area.
Harrow is experiencing a severe housing crisis characterized by insufficient affordable housing, high rents, and increasing homelessness. This crisis has led to a growing number of residents in temporary accommodation and a rise in the demand for information and advice services.
In 2024, Harrow had 2,163 households on their social housing waiting list with an increased number of those deemed homeless.
Therefore, the Labour opposition on the council welcome a boost to Homelessness Prevention Grant and Household Support Fund from central government – £2.6 million assigned to Harrow as Household Support Fund renewed for an unprecedented extra 12 months.
“Grant funding is desperately needed as Harrow has endured 223% increase in risk of homelessness” they said.
Labour Group Leader, Councillor David Perry, said they are relieved to hear that the Labour government has taken action to tackle the cost of living and homelessness crisis currently gripping Harrow and many parts of London with the recent £10m of grant funding.
“During the past five years, homelessness has ballooned in our capital, forcing thousands of people into temporary accommodation. I am pleased our most vulnerable families will get much needed financial support over the coming 12 months thanks to this package of support” he said.
Leader of the council, Cllr Paul Osborn has informed that the government’s Household Support Fund will continue to fund free school meals during the holidays and set money aside for pensioners on council tax support who will miss out on winter fuel payments as well as to provide food aid and fund a homelessness outreach team.

Could new powers for councils to combat fly-tippers help Harrow waste ‘crisis’?

The government has announced a new crackdown on fly-tippers, with tougher sentences of up to five years in prison for those found illicitly transporting waste.
Under the new powers to local councils to combat fly-tipping, councils will work with the police to identify, seize and crush vehicles of waste criminals. Drones and mobile CCTV cameras will be deployed to identify cars and vans belonging to fly-tippers so they can be destroyed.
Labour group on the Harrow council welcome new powers for councils to combat fly-tippers, amid Harrow’s ongoing “waste crisis”.
On 27 APR 2023, MyLondon reported there have been more than 10,000 reports of fly-tipping in Harrow since April 2022, and the hotspots included Vaughan Road in West Harrow (leader of the Harrow council road).
Since then, the number of incidents has rocketed to a record 12,413 over 2023/24.
The Harrow council Labour group leader councillor David Perry applauded the announcement of tougher enforcement, punishment and sentencing for those who illegally dump waste in Harrow and contribute to our town getting dirtier, but said, “While the Conservative-led Harrow Council have talked a big game on enforcement, unfortunately we are yet to see results on a local level”.
Despite fly-tipping has been on the rise in Harrow over recent years, the Conservative administration shows no enthusiasm about the new powers to tackle fly-tipping.
There is also a serious question whether Harrow council could benefit from the new powers, given the inconsistency of the environment portfolio, very thin enforcement team and seemingly lukewarm relationship with the local police.
Nationally, the Conservative opposition, bewildered by the Reform gains, seem more interested in political point scoring rather than focussing on how best the new powers could be deployed: “And with statistics showing that of the 50 worst local areas for fly-tipping, 72% are Labour controlled, it is clear that voting Labour gets you rubbish and rats” said shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins.

Would Harrow deputy mayor behaviour improve when mayor?

Civic responsibility like the mayor or deputy mayor of a borough is a respectable role to be carried out in a dignified manner, like the deputy only has a civic and legal status in the absence of the Mayor.
But in Harrow, after the council meeting on 23rd October 2024, the leader of the opposition Cllr David Perry reported that “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”.

“I hope the Deputy Mayor will reflect on this behaviour and ensure in future the position she holds is held to the highest standards in public meetings” Cllr Perry said.
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, Harrow Monitoring Group reported Harrow deputy mayor Cllr Anjana Patel’s incivility at the council meeting on 23rd October 2024, to the council [see short video clip of her heckling, banging the Mayor’s gavel on the bench, and harshly directing words as well as a finger towards a councillor].
It looks the ruling Conservative group on the Harrow council has taken a notice of all this and has only narrowly selected Cllr Anjana Patel as their mayoral candidate to be ratified at the council meeting in May 2025 along with the challenger for the office who will now be the deputy mayor, as the Conservative have a majority vote at the council. But in public, they would of course ritualistically support her at the mayor-making in May.

Call for investigating dumping at site near Harrow Leisure Centre that needed £348,000 to clean-up

Good that clear up of the site adjacent to Harrow Leisure Centre, which had become a dumping site for illegal fly tippers for over 18 months, is nearing completion.
The site remained unused by the council since August 2023 when the Special Needs Transport vehicle fleet depot was relocated.
However, the Labour group is not satisfied with the site clear up, accelerated after their intervention, claiming that the job will only be finished when those responsible for the illegal dumping of waste on the site are held to account and prosecuted.
“I am pleased to see that, after 18-months of neglect from this Conservative-led Council, the Leisure Centre dumping site is finally being cleared”  the leader of Harrow Labour Group, Cllr David Perry said.
But he is disappointed that the site was ever allowed to get into such a state, fly tippers not prosecuted and that Harrow taxpayers have had to bear the brunt of the £348,000 clean-up cost.
“Harrow Council still have work to do; while the site is cleared, those responsible for illegally dumping on the site have got away scot-free. I and my fellow Labour Councillors are therefore calling for an investigation into how this site was allowed to get into this state by the Council, why their enforcement and securing of the site was so weak, and how they intend to prosecute those responsible” Cllr Perry said.
Hitting back, deputy leader of the Harrow council Cllr Marilyn Ashton said: “The Labour Group know full well that the CCTV did not show any identifiable information on the vehicles used as the number plates were untraceable. In addition, the police were called but failed to turn up”.
“So, Labour’s comments on this are merely designed to keep the story running and are therefore political and nothing else” Cllr Ashton added.

Harrow council administration condemns cemetery vandalism but not overtly

The police are investigating criminal damage after 85 graves, mostly children’s, were vandalised in the Muslim section of Carpenders Park cemetery in Watford last week, and are treating this as Islamophobic crime.
The cemetery next-door to Harrow is owned by Brent Council but is widely used by the neighbouring boroughs.
Such targeted attacks do not take place in vacuum.
The recent far-right extremism in Britain stirs up nationalistic feelings for political gains, including by tarnishing the image of some in Britain.
Media, social media and the far-right politicians very effectively recycle such worked out negative image.
In reassuring the community, leader of the Brent council, Cllr Muhammed Butt said: “The desecration of graves is a distressing and unacceptable act. I confirm that the incident was reported to us on Saturday, and that a full investigation by Hertfordshire Police is currently underway. Council officers have been in regular contact with the police since the report was made, and we are providing full cooperation to support their enquiries”.
Despite that a vast majority of the Harrow Muslim community uses the cemetery and many vandalised graves have Harrow dead, there appears to be no public statement by the Harrow council leadership though privately they are liaising with Hertfordshire police and have contacted a mosque where they enjoyed a Ramadan iftar party last.
[40 minutes after this article and 4 days after the wicked crime that he calls ‘events’, the leader of the Harrow council issued a Facebook statement saying “I am deeply shocked and appalled by the events“!! Facebook is not widely read by the Harrow residents, anyway – to-date his statement is not on the Harrow council website – now it is, again after prompting!]
While the Harrow administration’s lack of an immediate response and low profile regarding such a wicked crime is disturbing, it is understandable in the political sense as the council election is next year and the administration apparently can’t take the risk to upset some in its group or at the ballot box next year.
Unsettled Conservative Party fears Labour less but more the “renegade nationalist conservatives”.