The Planning Policy Advisory Panel met to discuss the Harrow Town Centre Masterplan and the implications of the draft London Plan. The panel received an update on the masterplan's baseline findings and next steps, and heard concerns about the potential impact of new national and regional planning policies on the borough's green belt and town centre development.

Harrow Town Centre Masterplan

The panel was presented with the findings of the baseline report for the Harrow Town Centre Masterplan, which aims to guide future development and investment in the area. The report highlighted the town centre's strong retail core but also identified fragmented public spaces, poor connections to surrounding green areas, and high office vacancy rates. Concerns were raised about safety, particularly in the evenings, and the need to diversify uses beyond retail to create a more vibrant town centre.

The masterplan is being developed by Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners and will involve extensive stakeholder and community engagement. Key messages for the masterplan include encouraging town centre living, creating a network of green spaces and legible routes, diversifying uses to support the evening economy, improving frontages and legibility, enhancing climate resilience, and protecting and reusing heritage assets. The council is currently progressing the masterplan as informal planning guidance, with the option of adopting it as a supplementary plan being kept under review.

Draft London Plan Consultation

The panel also received a verbal report on the draft London Plan, which proposes significant increases in housing targets for Harrow. Councillors expressed considerable concern about the potential impact of these proposals, particularly the suggestion of releasing green belt land for development. Councillor Marilyn Ashton, Deputy Leader of the Council, stated, We will not go down without a fight. We will object. The panel noted that the draft London Plan, along with the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), could lead to increased pressure for development, potentially overriding local policies and concerns about the loss of green spaces.

The draft London Plan suggests releasing green belt land within a 1,200-metre radius of certain stations, including Headstone Lane, Hatch End, and Pinner, which could lead to the development of thousands of homes. This proposal was met with strong opposition from councillors, who emphasised the value of Harrow's green belt and the need for family-sized homes, which they believe would not be met by the high-density, one and two-bedroom flats likely to be built.

Concerns were also raised about the proposed changes to the definition of tall buildings, with the draft London Plan suggesting an increase from six to ten storeys, which councillors felt was misaligned with building safety regulations and the council's vision for Harrow. The issue of viability was also highlighted as a major barrier to development, with councillors arguing that both the government and the Mayor of London had missed the core problem of the high cost of building.

The panel agreed that the council would formally object to the draft London Plan and the NPPF, making their concerns known publicly and to the relevant authorities. The masterplan process will continue, with engagement planned to gather further public and stakeholder views.