[This article is written with reference to the Harrow Council website’s information titled Harrow speaks up about Violence Against Women and Girls] Harrow Council’s recent work on violence against women and girls shows good intentions, but the substance remains thin and the impact hard to see. Its most concrete achievement is commissioning Cranstoun to deliverContinue reading “Harrow talks tough on violence against women – but the action still doesn’t match the message”
Tag Archives: Harrow council
Is Harrow really ‘putting residents first’ – or just leaving vulnerable children behind?
The administration-designed Harrow Council slogan, “putting residents first,” sits increasingly uneasily alongside the persistent problems in its children’s services. The departure of yet another Director of Children’s Services – requiring the Managing Director to assume the statutory role on an interim basis – underscores ongoing instability at a time when the service remains under aContinue reading “Is Harrow really ‘putting residents first’ – or just leaving vulnerable children behind?”
From ULEZ to police stations: Harrow Tories revive costly anti-Khan warfare
Harrow Council’s 27 November meeting became the latest stage for a familiar political drama, as the borough’s Conservatives once again used local issues to fuel an anti–Sadiq Khan campaign – likely under growing pressure from Reform UK. During debate on their motion opposing the closure of Pinner Police Station’s volunteer-run front desk, Tory leader CllrContinue reading “From ULEZ to police stations: Harrow Tories revive costly anti-Khan warfare”
Harrow Conservatives drift right as Reform looms
The two motions before Harrow Council on 27 November may appear unrelated – the Conservative motion attacking Sadiq Khan over the closure of Pinner Police Station’s volunteer-run front desk, and Labour’s motion condemning national suggestions of deporting legally settled migrants – but together they expose a clear political trend. Harrow’s Conservatives are increasingly echoing theContinue reading “Harrow Conservatives drift right as Reform looms”
Harrow children’s services plunged back into instability as another director departs
Harrow Council is facing renewed turmoil in its children’s services following the departure of the Director of Children’s Services, prompting the emergency appointment of Managing Director Alex Dewsnap as interim DCS. The statutory role, required under the Children Act 2004, is now being filled on an interim basis “to ensure continuity of leadership” while theContinue reading “Harrow children’s services plunged back into instability as another director departs”
Harrow must step up as PCCs are scrapped
The government’s decision to scrap Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) by 2028 has closed the book on a system that never quite worked. Brought in twelve years ago under David Cameron’s “Big Society” vision to make policing more accountable, PCCs were supposed to give the public a greater say in how their communities are policed.Continue reading “Harrow must step up as PCCs are scrapped”
Harrow’s new Station Road paving fails within months – costly design and engineering oversights under fire
The decorative block-paved surface installed on a section of Station Road in Harrow Town Centre was visually appealing when first completed, though concerns were raised at the time about its long-term durability. Just months later, those concerns appear justified: the latest photographs show damaged bricks, widening gaps, and clear signs of subsidence across the recentlyContinue reading “Harrow’s new Station Road paving fails within months – costly design and engineering oversights under fire”
Harrow police station closure – local concern or political theatre?
On the face of it, Harrow Council administration’s decision to launch legal proceedings against the Mayor of London over the planned closure of the borough’s last remaining police front desk seems like a bold defence of local interests. Council leader Paul Osborn has called the move “short-sighted” and “unacceptable,” arguing that closing the Pinner andContinue reading “Harrow police station closure – local concern or political theatre?”
Harrow renters win major protections as the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 becomes law
Harrow West MP Gareth Thomas has today declared: “A promise made, a promise delivered” after the landmark Renters’ Rights Act received Royal Assent. The reforms mark a significant shift for renters across Harrow, a borough where around 88,000 households rent privately and where high London rents, bidding wars, and insecure tenancies have long created pressureContinue reading “Harrow renters win major protections as the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 becomes law”
Another blow for Harrow: Ombudsman exposes failures in children’s services
Harrow Council’s crisis-hit children’s services have been dealt another blow after the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) found serious fault in the way it handled a family’s complaint about respite care. The ruling, published in July 2025, comes amid continuing fallout from Ofsted’s “inadequate” judgement and a government improvement notice that has placedContinue reading “Another blow for Harrow: Ombudsman exposes failures in children’s services”
Harrow Monitoring Group 
You must be logged in to post a comment.