Harrow wins £31.3 million for regeneration

The Greater London Authority (GLA) has announced that Harrow Council has been awarded a total of £31.3 million to transform and regenerate the borough.

The money will be used to build 1,679 new homes, almost 40 per cent of which will be affordable. This is part of one of the most ambitious housing developments seen in the area since the 1980s.

Public facilities are also on the list of planned improvements. The council will build two new primary schools and two town squares, along with redevelopment of the Kodak site, College Road, sites in Wealdstone and council buildings, including the Civic Centre.

Overall, the building programme is set to create over 500 jobs in the borough, and it is hoped that Harrow’s strong transport links will make it a prime area for business development in the near future.

The award was made as part of the Housing Zones project, which was created by Mayor of London Boris Johnson to create 50,000 homes and 100,000 jobs in 20 carefully chosen areas of the capital over the next ten years. The total funding available through the scheme was £400 million.

The council’s member for business, planning and regeneration, Keith Ferry, said: “Receiving this funding is great news for the people of Harrow and this will allow us to kick start our ambitious regeneration plans. In the next decade we will be building 5,500 much needed homes, which will go someway to addressing the chronic housing shortage in our borough.

“This level of investment from GLA is a testament to the strength of our bid and recognition of our development plans for the borough. Over the coming months we will be speaking to residents about these plans to ensure they are given a say on the future of Harrow.”

Mr Ferry is referring to the £1.75 billion Heart of Harrow plan, which is set to run over the coming ten years.

Published 13th March, 2015

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