Harrow & Wealdstone has a sizeable population of just under 10,000, according to the 2011 census, and the neighbourhood has a varied composition of residential, commercial and educational space. Spanning the stretch of railway between Headstone Lane (a National Rail station) and Harrow and Wealdstone (both National Rail and London Underground pass through here – in fact, it’s the last stop on the Bakerloo line) the neighbourhood has good transport connections into central London and a good number of local amenities. The north of the area is predominantly residential, lined mostly with typically suburban dwellings, while to the south of the neighbourhood are local shops and other conveniences. Near Harrow and Wealdstone station there is also a leisure centre, which is popular with local families with children. Clustered around Headstone Lane can also be found a number of large retail outlets and hardware centres. Overall, the area’s unique asset is the ability to be on the end of a tube line to central London, arriving at Euston in 26 minutes, whilst at the same time being mere minutes away from London’s green belt and open spaces!

The history of the local area starts with the name. It is believed that the name Wealdstone came from the sarsen stone which originally marked the boundary between Harrow Weald (a nearby parish) and the rest of the Harrow Parish. Equally, it could refer to the surname ‘Stone’ of a man who lived at or near the stone in the 1500’s – such is history that many threads and avenues are possible! Nonetheless, the Weald Stone still sits outside the Bombay Central Restaurant in the neighbourhood. Wealdstone, which existed for most of the last millennium as a rural outpost, saw its growth as a district following the opening of the London and Birmingham Railway line in 1937. The gradual growth of its population echoed the suburban development occurring elsewhere, which was often stimulated by the arrival of railways. In fact, when the railways arrived the area was mostly still made up of a patch work of fields.

The most famous residents hailing from Wealdstone are probably the professional football team Wealdstone FC. Sharing more than just a name, Wealdstone FC has a long association with the area dating back to 1899. ‘The Stones’ as they are affectionately known as by fans, used to be homed in the nearby College Farm (from 1903-10) and also at Belmont Road (1910-22). Unfortunately, they went through a period of homelessness, when in the process of searching for a new ground. Luckily, in 2008 the club found its new home after acquiring Ruislip Sports and Social club, and still continues to please its passionate fans.

‘You’ve got no fans!’ and ‘I’ll give it ya’ are just two of the famous catchphrases of the internet sensation ‘The Wealdstone Raider’. Gordon Hill, a resident of Harrow and ardent support of the Wealdstone F.C, became an internet-hit when he was unknowingly filmed humorously mocking football rivals at a football game in 2013. Surprisingly, the video of Hill gained millions of views and overnight ‘the Wealdstone raider’ became an internet sensation. Hill got the last laugh, though, and has since released a charity single off the back of his fame and raised thousands for charity through its sales.

Unfortunately, Wealdstone does have some downsides. The area known as the ‘Wealdstone Corridor’ is regarded as a transport hub, and as such, anti-social behaviour has been more prevalent in this area than others. According to the Metropolitan Police, Wealdstone has some of the highest crime rates in the borough. Despite this, there has been a concerted effort from local police forces to tackle this issue, in which they have been mostly successful. The police team which was set up, the Wealdstone Antisocial Behaviour Partnership (WASP), provides a reassuring extra presence for local residents. The outlook for the area is mostly optimistic too, with multiple community youth projects in action to help improve the opportunities available for young people. The Cedars Youth and Community Centre is one example of this: managed by Watford FC’s Community Sports & Education Trust, the granting of £4.2 million in 2008 by Department for Education’s MyPlace Fund was down to the efforts of the local community and young people in the area ‘to realise a joint vision of providing a safe, secure and positive environment for all members of the community.’

Harrow has been at the focus of targets to fulfil London’s high requirements for affordable housing, receiving special designation from the GLA with Harrow Housing Zone. In 2017, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, used for the first time since becoming Mayor his power to ‘call in’ planning applications which have previously been rejected. The Mayor called in the application for 186 residential units at Palmerston Road, which is near Harrow and Wealdstone station. This was approved after negotiations resulted in a 41% affordable housing ratio, compared to the previous proposal which offered only 9% affordable housing. The scheme will also provide a number of commercial and business spaces, to help in the wider regeneration efforts in Wealdstone, hopefully delivering a boost to the local economy too.

Harrow is high on the agenda for the Mayor of London, thanks to its excellent transport connections to central London and wider connections to northwest London. This is reflected in the Mayor’s Outer London Fund, which has given £472,000 for Round One and £1.8m for Round Two, (which will be matched by £1 million from Harrow Council) for wide-ranging improvements to Harrow Town Centre. The borough on the whole is set for a total rejeuvenation too, with the £690m ‘Building a Better Harrow’ scheme in conjunction with Wates Residential, set to bring 1,500 new affordable homes, a civic centre, numerous new commercial spaces, as well as plenty of new and improved green space over the coming ten years. Wealdstone is at the heart of these developments and improved transport infrastructure will be coming to the area in order to cope with the increased demand around Poet’s Corner, Byron Park, and Peel House car park, as well as £2.25m secured to invest in high street improvements. There is also the recent Palm House development right by the station, which will offer 222 co-living studio apartments alongside co-working and shared spaces, as well as a gym, spa, cinema and cocktail bar. The Harrow and Wealdstone Heights project has also recently completed, bringing 186 new flats to Palmerston Road.