Local Authority

TENANTS are enjoying their newly-refurbished rooms at a modernised sheltered housing block in South Harrow.

The work to update kitchens and bathrooms at Meadfield, a collection of 30 one-bed flats in Stiven Crescent, was the first project since landlord Harrow Council embarked on a new procurement process designed to give occupants more say in the design and look of their homes, and offer better value for money for taxpayers.

TENANTS are enjoying their newly-refurbished rooms at a modernised sheltered housing block.

The work to update kitchens and bathrooms at Meadfield, a collection of 30 one-bed flats in Stiven Crescent, South Harrow, was the first project since landlord Harrow Council embarked on a new procurement process designed to give occupants more say in the design and look of their homes, and offer better value for money for taxpayers.

A DRIVER escaped without serious injury after his car crashed and landed on its roof, and then caught fire.

The Peugeot 406 finished upside down after colliding with a lamppost and knocking over a bollard on a traffic island in Kings Road, South Harrow, at the junction with Newquay Crescent at 8.20am on Monday.

SOUTH HARROW: A three-storey block of flats could be built at land at the Arches off Roxeth Green Avenue with the exact same footprint and dimensions as an approved office block for which only the foundations have been laid.

Applicant Filebrick Ltd said it could not find a company to take over the commercial space and so proposes five one-bed and two two-bed flats because there is more demand instead for new homes.

Three flats can be created out of the empty ground floor commercial unit at Eastcroft House in Northolt Road, and other external alterations can take place, Harrow Council's planning committee agreed on Wednesday .
Applicant Bellway Homes said it had had no interest from businesses wanting to rent the shop space during the last four years during the predominance of residential use on the site.

Bridge Dental Practice, which serves 8,000 patients, could relocate from a first floor office in Northolt Road to a ground floor former health and beauty boutique just along the road due to the problems of access for less mobile customers at its current location.
Harrow Council's planning committee approved yesterday evening the change of use of the vacant shop at 271 Northolt Road after hearing two petitions in support of the plans were received containing 69 and 84 signatures respectively

THE FINAL phase of a major overhaul of the borough's largest social housing estate was approved last week.

It was the last part of a £100million scheme to revamp Rayners Lane Estate in South Harrow by Home Group, the housing association behind the project. It saw permission granted by Harrow Council's planning committee on Thursday.

The four existing vacant Resiform blocks of flats, built in Eliot Drive in the 1960s, will be replaced with a mix of 82 houses and flats within two, three and four storey buildings while there are also plans for a communal open space.

It will provide five two-bed houses, 27 three-bed houses, 13 one bedroom flats and 37 two bedroom flats.

Having originally been built in the 1960s, the estate was in desperate need of an overhaul, resulting in the ambitious multi-million pound masterplan put forward more than 10 years ago.

The regeneration scheme proposed the demolition of the poor quality buildings and replacing them with a mix of homes for rent and sale with energy efficient homes with private gardens.

Despite revisions being made to the plans in 2006, setting back the project, by 2014, Home Group will have supplied 450 properties for rent and over 300 properties for sale that are used to cross-subsidise the affordable homes.

The scheme also incorporates a comprehensive range of community facilities, including new shops, public open spaces and a state-of-the-art community centre.

As part of the latest application, the mini-roundabout on Rayners Lane will also be removed, to help ease congestion, while the proposed flats will have 90 car parking spaces across the development.

The go ahead for the final stage follows the opening of the Spectrum development, another series of energy efficient homes on the estate, earlier this year.

Following the unveiling, Harrow West MP Gareth Thomas praised the regeneration for 'transforming the lives of every family in the area'.

HARROW MP Gareth Thomas said regeneration in Rayners Lane has 'transformed the lives of every family in the area' as he unveiled new homes.

The MP for Harrow West was joined by Mayor of Harrow, Councillor Mrinal Choudhury, for a tour of the homes at the Spectrum development on Friday, January 20.

Mr Thomas said: "The regeneration of the Rayners Lane Estate has transformed the lives of every family in the area. This simply would not have been possible without the partnership and collaboration between Home Group, Harrow Council and the local community.

"There is still much work to do to ensure that everybody is moved into new, affordable and suitable accommodation but I know Home Group are working hard to make sure the redevelopment continues to be a real success."

The new phase of the development offers energy-efficient one and two-bedroom flats and two and three-bedroom houses and has a children's play area, traffic calming measures and landscaping.

The homes have solar panels for hot water, grey water harvesting and green roofs to help reduce water retention.

By 2014, Home Group will have built 450 properties for rent and over 300 properties for sale and once completed will provide new shops, public open spaces and a community centre.

A limited number of properties are also available through First Buy, a government funded scheme launched in 2011 designed to help first-time buyers purchase a new property.

The Mayor said: "I am delighted to have been asked to officially open this new phase of apartments and houses at The Spectrum. This regeneration programme is transforming the estate, replacing poor quality homes with modern, quality units we can all be proud of."

LIBRARYGOERS will be able to use free wi-fi internet and modern computers as part of proposed investment in Harrow's cultural facilities.

Other changes include reviewing branch opening times, relocating Hatch End Library a short distance from its current building into Harrow Arts Centre in Uxbridge Road, Hatch End, and seeing if a new premises can be found for Rayners Lane Library in Imperial Drive, South Harrow.

A MAN in his 30s was taken to hospital on Friday morning last week with head injuries following a collision between a car and a lorry in Rayners Lane.

London Ambulance Service sent a single responder and ambulance crew to the site at around 9.30am after the collision between a red Ford Fiesta and a grey goods lorry on Imperial Drive at the junction with The Ridgeway.

The driver of the Fiesta man was treated at the scene but was taken to Northwick Park Hospital as a precaution with injuries not thought to be life threatening.

Part of the road was cordoned off as police recovered both vehicles but was reopened by 11.25am the same morning.

No one has been arrested or charged in relation to the accident.

The same stretch of road was the scene of a fatal accident this time last year in which Faraj Hassan Al-Saadi died when he was sent crashing from his motorbike