Policy information sourced from the Harrow and Wealdstone Area Action Plan
AAP1: Development within Harrow town centre
Development within all three sub areas of Harrow town centre will be required to strengthen its character, legibility and role as a Metropolitan centre. Proposals should have regard to the general design principles identified in paragraph 4.3 and should:
- Contribute to meeting the needs of the town centre in respect of new and enhanced retail, office, leisure, community and residential uses in accordance with the strategic objectives of the Area Action Plan and each sub area;
- Provide distinctive, high quality and contemporary design, showing creativity and responsiveness to the local context in a way that contributes to the Metropolitan character of the town centre at every scale including the appearance of the town centre from further afield, the town centre skyline, the sub area, and the street;
- Enable comprehensive development of large sites;
- Be of a massing, bulk and scale appropriate to the centre’s Metropolitan status and make a positive contribution to the immediate site surroundings and wider context;
- Incorporate a mix of ground floor uses, including retail, leisure, cultural and community uses to increase the vitality of the Harrow town centre;
- Differentiate uses between different levels within a development;
- Provide for an adaptable building form at ground and first floor levels, encouraging the reuse and conversion of building space over time;
- Re-establish a capillary network of walkways through sites, increasing the permeability of the town centre for pedestrians;
- Contribute to a vibrant and attractive public realm;
- Where appropriate, make on-site provision of public art; and
- Contribute to planned transport improvements.
Within the Harrow town centre west sub area, proposals should also:
- Maximise opportunities to redefine the image and character of the sub-area as an integral part of the town centre by providing a strong pedestrian amenity and pedestrian links to, from and across the sub area, particularly east-west connections; and
- Engage directly and carefully with the streetscape at all sides.
Within the Harrow town centre east sub area, proposals should also:
- Create a transition between the town centre and surrounding residential development through appropriate scaling of development at the town centre boundary edge; and
- Improve pedestrian links to the primary shopping area and to Harrow-on-the-Hill Station and Harrow Bus Station.
For more information please see the Area Action Plan