FAQs

London Borough of Harrow is preparing a Masterplan for Harrow Town Centre. The masterplan seeks to define and describe the future of Harrow Town Centre. The plan is to adopt this as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) so that it is a material consideration in determining planning applications.

We need to take a proactive approach towards the future of the town centre, considering the rapid changes that have occurred in recent years. These changes include the increasing popularity of online shopping, the evolving role of the town centre and high street, the shift in consumer spending patterns due to e-commerce, and most recently, the changes in work and lifestyle patterns resulting from the pandemic.

There have been significant changes to Harrow Town Centre in recent years, including:

• a gradual loss of office space due to conversion to residential, resulting in a decrease in the number of daytime office workers

• an increase in the resident population of the town centre due to conversion and new residential buildings in and around the town centre

The local economy is changing due to the increased population in the town centre, as well as the new ways of working that have emerged after the pandemic.

To address the challenges facing Harrow Town Centre today and in the near future, specific guidance should be established to define a vision for what the town centre could become. This includes 

• determining its physical appearance, 
• identifying the types of uses and activities that should be encouraged, and 
• exploring how different types of developments and activities can work together cohesively.

Providing specific guidance for the future of Harrow Town Centre would offer greater clarity throughout the borough regarding the ambition, purpose, and function. The SPD will provide specific clarification on the types of businesses, uses, and activities that should be encouraged within the defined boundary.

 The masterplan will establish a clear narrative for how Harrow Town Centre will operate and function within the borough, as well as how it will relate to and interact with,

• Other town centres within the borough.
• Key regeneration projects in the immediate surrounding area.
• Key streets and spaces within the masterplan area.

 The vision will provide recommendations on the hierarchy and urban structure of the town centre, defining the hierarchy of key streets and spaces within it. 

It will include recommendations for the types of uses and activities that should be encouraged in the town centre. These recommendations will provide guidance and instil confidence in the Council regarding the future of the Town Centre.