Some Harrow councillors feel the changes would make it easier for developers (Photo: Newsquest/Pexels) Labour politicians in Harrow have criticised the Government’s intentions to overhaul England’s planning system, suggesting it will result in the public having less of a say on proposed developments. According to research carried out by the borough’s Labour Group, the changes would result in thousands of planning applications bypassing proper public scrutiny. Under its ‘Planning for the Future’ project – described by Prime Minister Boris Johnson as “radical reform unlike anything we have seen since the Second World War – the Government seeks to streamline the national planning system by “cutting red tape”.
Harrow Civic Centre (Photo: Newsquest) Low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) in Harrow will “only stay if the majority of residents want it to” and there is “no agenda” around the schemes, councillors said. In a residents’ newsletter, West Harrow councillors Adam Swersky, Christine Robson, and Kareema Marikar (all Lab) explained public opinion “matters most” and will influence any future decision on the schemes. And they urged those living and working in the borough to share their thoughts on the programme in the run-up to a “final review” in June. LTNs were introduced under the ‘Streetspace’ scheme, which, utilising funding from Transport for London, sought to improve walking and cycling routes, while also reducing traffic along residential streets, as part of a plan to improve active travel in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Harrow Council said it had been left with no option but to raise council tax again (Photo: Newsquest/Pixabay) People in Harrow will face a 4.99 per cent increase to their council tax bills as the borough’s latest budget was approved by councillors. Harrow Council approved the tax hike – of which three per cent will be ringfenced for adult social care services – alongside the management of a funding gap of around £8 million at a full council meeting yesterday (Thursday, February 25). Cllr Adam Swersky (Lab, West Harrow), who is responsible for finance at Harrow Council, explained it had been forced to make “tough decisions” due to £50 million worth of funding cuts from central government over the past decade.
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