Notes on Guest Speaker at HRA AGM held at North Harrow Methodist Church on 29 June 2011
David Sklair is Regeneration Project Manager at Harrow Council working within the four-person Economic Development Unit (EDU). Part of the role of Economic Development is to help deliver the Council's corporate priority of "supporting our local shopping centres and businesses". David spoke about the work the Council is doing in North Harrow District Centre and how the local community can become more involved.
Prompted by the realisation that one in five shops in North Harrow centre was empty, many remaining empty for months or years, Harrow Council set up a Regeneration Project team to improve the appearance and the facilities of the area and attract businesses.
Two “North Harrow Traders” meetings were held to which all the local shop-keepers and owners, the long-standing North Harrow Traders Association and ward councillors were invited to discuss issues. As a result, the team decided to develop a wider North Harrow Shopping Centre Partnership also involving representatives from the police, schools and residents organisations. The shopping area must be made attractive to local residents.
The team was
* seeking funding from outside sources
* seeking advice from other London shopping districts
* creating a promotional business profile of North Harrow
* offering business advice, such as how to reduce energy costs
The team aims to develop a working partnership which will then be run by local people.
Question and Answer session
Q A recent Financial Times article [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f70cb3c2-9aef-11e0-bab2-00144feab49a,s01=1.html] stated that one in five shops in North Harrow was vacant. The ‘fake shop’ had cost about £2,500.
The biggest problem is council tax. Businesses are struggling. The council does not listen to residents; the Gilbert Square flats [on the old Safeway site] North Harrow Assembly Halls. Might North Harrow library close when Harrow Childrens' Services moves out of the building?
Q We need a bank and a supermarket
A Business rates are set by a valuation agency and central government. There is a small business rate reduction available, which has recently been extended. See a recent article by the BBC’s Business Editor Robert Peston [“British 'rebalancing' brings pain to the High Street” www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13941964]
Town centres have continuously changed their roles and are still doing so. The council’s Estates Department will know more about the library building.
Q Eastcote is “buzzing”; can’t we make the North Harrow shopping area more attractive?
Q North Harrow shops are boring, just a computer shop, fast food, 24/7 shops and hairdressers. We would use a supermarket.
Q We need to get the customers into the existing shops. No-one is there, even at lunchtime. We need parking facilities, an increased amount of free parking time.
Q Can’t part of the bus stop lay-by be converted into car parking?
Q Why the fake shop?
A To improve the appearance of the area and get publicity. It’s been done elsewhere. Empty shops have to pay business rates after three months.
Q Being denied a supermarket was the downfall of the area. It would need a safe place to cross Pinner Road to the car park with trolleys.
A The council is aware of the effect of the closure of the supermarket and Lloyds. There is a legal dispute between Genesis Homes [the Gilbert Square developer] and Megabowl about the lease of the ground floor.
Q The HRA gave its consent to the Gilbert Square development on the understanding that there would be a supermarket. We feel let down.
Q It’s a grotty area, coming out of North Harrow tube station. The place must look right. This has a long-term impact. Even the mock florist has cleaned the place up. The closed Hinton and Bloxham [estate agents shop by the closed entrance to the tube station] looks messy.
A The council has been talking to owners TfL about this.
Q It’s local people who are not using local shops.
A Part of the point of the Business Partnership is to understand why.
Q North Harrow has changed; the country has changed. There’s very little the council can now do. Small shopkeepers say it’s essential to retain the half-hour free parking. There’s a computer repair shop but nowhere nearby to park while you leave or collect your computer.
A Not aware of any plans to remove the half-hour free parking.
Q Mayor of London Boris Johnson has made funding available to regenerate Outer London town centres. What does he mean by a “town centre”: Harrow? North Harrow?
A In the first round, the council has applied for funds for both Harrow and North Harrow.
Q Will Tfl contribute to a Pinner Road crossing?
A There needs to be evidence of usage. The council will look again at the scheme.
A The nature of town centres is changing so the council is looking at relaxing some areas of planning permission; new uses, more flexibility, granting five-year leases of use.
Q North Harrow is uninviting. Rayners Lane and South Harrow have flower beds but not North Harrow.
Q Shops are suffering because of the double yellow lines.
A The council must strike a balance between competing issues. There had been a problem with buses not being able to get through.
Q In the old days, there were individual kinds of shops. There’s no urge to shop there anymore. The council used to monitor to ensure there was no overlapping of businesses.
A The idea of a wider partnership is to include the whole community. As well as shop-owners there are representatives of residents, schools, police. The first meeting will be on Friday 1 July.
Q How will the residents find out about it?
A The council will put it online.
Q Many residents are not online.
A It will be opened to the wider public concentrating on 1km / 1 mile radius of the shopping centre on the assumption that this covers most use. There are questionnaires. The Partnership and its meetings are for “stakeholders”, not open to the public but the HRA has a representative.
Q Can the questionnaire be handed out at North Harrow tube station?
A If there are volunteers. It can be put on the HRA website.
Q Will the partnership take into account the Kodak site development?
Q Is the EDU talking to large businesses?
A Not yet, but it has produced an investment guide about the local population and its spending power. It has spoken to some supermarkets about Gilbert Square.
Q The council act as facilitators. A Café Nero or similar would bring in business.
Q In straitened times there is not a lot of money. Different groups will have different ideas on how the council should spend its money.
Councillor James Bond:
There had been a promising business lead to occupy Gilbert Square but Cllr Bond had had difficulty in interesting Genesis Homes
The card shop [Love and Best Wishes on Broadway Parade, Pinner Road] was going out of business. A cosmetic laser surgery had been granted Change Of Use permission at the shop for five years. However, businesses may not be willing to invest in premises for only five years.
Is the North Harrow Traders Association (NHTA) to be reborn?
Childrens’ Services was to relocate to the Civic Centre but he had heard that the library was safe.
Q Harrow is making a better job of it than Brent
Q Would the NHTA include Pinner Road shops between Pinner View and Devonshire Road?
A No, the West Harrow shops are not included
Last Updated on Thursday, 07 July 2011 12:28
