Policy information sourced from the Harrow and Wealdstone Area Action Plan

AAP6: Development Height

The appropriate height of development of Opportunity Sites within the Heart of Harrow will be guided by the parameters sets out for each site in Chapter 5 and the relevant policies below.

For all other development proposals, the Council expects buildings heights to be of a scale consistent with the site’s surroundings, including nearby sites, having regard also to the need to achieve a high standard of development in accordance with Policy AAP4, the context of the site, and the delivery of the AAP objectives.

Proposals for taller buildings that project above the prevailing height of the surrounding area must be justified in community benefit as well as urban design terms and should conform to the following general design requirements:

  • Be of a high standard of architectural quality and design;
  • Protect and preserve existing important views and conserve and enhance the significance of heritage assets and the wider historic environment that would be sensitive to taller buildings;
  • Be sensitive to, and engaging with the street environment, and designed to encourage use of the street by pedestrians;
  • Provide for an articulation of the prevailing parapet height of adjacent buildings, even in instances where development proposals would exceed this; and
  • Avoid a canyon effect.

Proposals for tall buildings will only be considered acceptable if they represent ‘landmark’ buildings. Such proposals will be considered in accordance with the criteria set out in the London Plan and should:

  • Be located to draw attention to locations of civic importance, major public transport interchanges; and areas of important public urban realm;
  • Be of the highest architectural quality and design;
  • Accord to the principles and limits set out in Policy DM3 of the Development Management Policies DPD: Protected Views and Vistas;
  • Be slender and elegant in design, tiered and stepped where necessary to further reduce bulk, and not slab like when viewed from any direction;
  • Create a simple and legible building profile that enhances and adds visual interest to the skyline;
  • Contribute to the overall townscape, both during the day and night, and achieve a positive relationship with surrounding topographical features and buildings at all sides;
  • Protect and preserve existing important views and conserve and enhance the significance of heritage assets and the wider historic environment that would be sensitive to tall buildings;
  • Ensure that the façade, treatment and material articulation of the building is well proportioned, visually interesting and well designed with high quality materials, maintaining its attractiveness over the lifetime of the building, and contributes to its overall elegance and legibility;
  • Ensure that fenestration is generous, well proportioned and contributes to a sense of coherence and simplicity of form;
  • Incorporate a high quality urban realm fronting the tall landmark building; and
  • Secure a complete and well designed setting at street level, including active ground floor uses,and positively define the character of the public realm.

Where a proposal for a tall landmark building includes the development of other buildings on the site, the height of all other buildings shall be significantly subordinate to the tall landmark building.

Proposals for or resulting in clusters of tall landmark buildings are inappropriate within the Heart of Harrow and will be resisted.

Development of inappropriate height and proposals for tall landmark buildings that conflict with London Plan, the findings of the Harrow Views Assessment (2012) and local criteria will be refused.

For more information please see the Area Action Plan