FAQs

The Government's Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC) have given London Borough of Harrow £7.1 million to improve the Harrow metropolitan town centre area. The grant is part of the Future High Streets Fund.

It was originally earmarked for a new footbridge in connecting Harrow View East to Wealdstone Town Centre but that scheme could not be delivered within budget or the timeframe set to receive the grant from the Levelling Up Fund.

The Future High Streets Fund aims to renew and reshape town centres and high streets in a way that improves experience, drives growth and ensures future sustainability.

The Future High Street Fund money will be supplemented by £1.1million Borough funding from the Community Infrastructure Levy scheme. 

We want to create a town centre which focuses on sustainable modes of transport such as walking and cycling to improve the health and wellbeing of residents, increase accessibility and contribute towards a cleaner environment. The Council supports sustainable modes of transport wherever possible but will ensure disabled parking bays continue to be provided in the town centre.

As part of our aims of improving the town centre, we will also be working to improve disabled access to the taxi rank outside St George’s shopping centre. This will make access to the Town Centre easier for people with disabilities. 

Signage for parking areas will also improve, providing greater clarity on parking options. 

To create more space for walking we are proposing to take away five parking spaces on Junction Road, and eight spaces on Greenhill Way. This will allow us to widen the pavements and add planters, creating a greener, safer space for pedestrians. 

HVM stands for 'Hostile Vehicle Mitigation' measures, which are often used in areas where there could be conflict between vehicles and high volumes of pedestrians, such as in busy town centres. 

We are proposing to install HVM measures at key locations on St Anns Road to help improve safety for people using the town centre. 

The HVM measures will be mainly bollards to meet certain standards, however, we will be exploring options for integrated seating and planters to enhance the look and feel of St Anns as part of the overall town centre project. 

The street furniture could include bollards or other safety rated items which could include benches, or planters

SUDS is a shortened term for 'Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems'. SUDS are designed to manage high levels of rainwater locally, by mimicking natural drainage processes through careful selection and design of plants, permeable surface materials and drainage channels. 

We are proposing a mix of formal and informal pedestrian crossings Some of the most common types are detailed below. 

Formal / controlled crossings are managed by traffic lights or other signals. Some of the most common controlled pedestrian crossings in the UK include:

1. Zebra crossing: Zebra crossings have flashing amber lights (beacons) and zigzag markings on approach and exit. The crossing is marked by white painted stripes on the road. There are no traffic lights to stop cars but the Highway Code states that motorists must give way when someone has moved onto the crossing. 
2. Pelican Crossing: This type of crossing has traffic lights and a button that people can press if they wish to cross, then wait for the green man to show it is time for them to cross. The green man has a set time it stays on for. 
3. Puffin Crossing: Similar to a pelican crossing, but with sensors that detect when people have crossed the road and then adjust the timing of the traffic lights accordingly.
4. Toucan Crossing: Similar to a puffin crossing, but wider and with a shared cycle path.

Informal crossings means any part of a road that is established for the use of a cyclist, mobility vehicle user or pedestrian to cross the road; but is not indicated by traffic signs, signals or road markings. Informal crossings may include lowered (dropped) kerbs, tactile paving, central refuge islands, and different road surfacing such as coloured tarmac or paving stones. Informal crossings have no form of control (e.g. traffic lights) for pedestrians to gain priority over drivers, but they do indicate to drivers that they need to slow down and be aware of pedestrians. 

When using any type of crossing you should. always check that the traffic has stopped before you start to cross.

Harrow Town Centre is near other projects in the area, and we understand the need to tie in with other, nearby projects to create a wider area that is consistent with our aims. The ‘Meanwhile Space’ at Greenhill parking is a project we are aligned with when redeveloping the Town Centre.  

The council is currently planning on creating a 'meanwhile use' for part of Greenhill Way carpark, which will provide temporary space that includes studio, leisure, retail, and exhibition spaces. This will be complemented by landscaping and temporary structures, all for a defined 5-year period, with the option for an extension. The proposal consists of a leisure anchor tenant with a public-facing presence, a café, creative maker studios, and a collection of 10 workspace incubator units for local micro and small businesses.

The proposal has been submitted as a planning application; we will add a link to the planning application once it is live on the planning portal here. More details will also be available at our public exhibitions.

We have been working with existing kiosk owners and the Harrow Business Improvement District (BID) to replace the two existing kiosks with new ones, which will be more modern and better equipped for today's needs. The proposals are to increase the number of kiosks from 2 units to 7. A planning application has been made, and we will add the link to it when it becomes available. More details will also be available at the public exhibitions.

The borough of Harrow has taken steps to ensure Harrow Town Centre is an accessible and attractive location for people with disabilities. We want everyone to feel equally welcome to visit and spend time in our Town Centre. As part of our engagement programme, we will host a consultation with an organisation representing people with disabilities to better understand the difficulties they face and ensure Harrow Town Centre is inclusive.  

The borough of Harrow recognises the diverse community in the area, and we aim to include the views of the wider society through our wide engagement process. While final designs are currently incomplete, we will ensure the Town Centre improvements look to incorporate these communities the best they can.

The council will enter into long term maintenance agreements with suppliers to ensure plants and green space are maintained.