At the Pinner Association Half Yearly Meeting on 19th November, Chief Inspector Nigel Crane of Harrow Police asked for feedback on the attitude of Pinner residents to Pinner Fair, and for their ideas on how the Fair may be brought in line with today’s Health & Safety and Policing requirements.Chief Inspector Crane was the “Silver Tactical Commander” for the 2009 Pinner Fair and as such was personally liable for any incident that may have occurred in breach of Health & Safety.He had been concerned that should a major incident occur at the Fair then the emergency services may not be been able to operate effectively due to the size and scale of the equipment and the number of persons attending the Fair.A major consideration was that the Metropolitan Police would in future be charging the organisers of commercial events for the full costs of the policing of such events.If the Showmen’s Guild had been charged on this basis in 2009 the fee would have totalled £138,000, which would be far too high a cost for the Fair to be profitable.Chief Inspector Crane had gone back to the original Royal Charter granted by Edward III in 1336 and had found that the terms of this Charter were no longer adhered to by the current Fair, as the date had been changed from those originally allowed.He suggested therefore that further changes could be made to the Fair, to bring it up to date with the more restrictive requirements with which the Fair must now comply.Chief Inspector Crane would like anyone with a view about the future of Pinner Fair to let him know:
1. whether it should continue at all 2. if it continues, in what form and where in Pinner 3. who may take over the organisation of a fair should the Showmen's Guild decide that they can no longer afford to come to Pinner 4. and any other aspect of Pinner Fair that may be commented on. CI Crane may be contacted directly via:Met Phone 773199 ;Telephone 0208 721 3199 ;Mobile 07770581226;Email . Planning for Development in Harrow Borough up to 2026
A very important consultation is underway on the document which will determine the shape and scale of development all around Harrow Borough for the next 15 years.The Local Development Framework Core Strategy Preferred Option may not sound like the most exciting bedtime reading, but it is the document that will determine how Pinner and the other areas of Harrow will look by 2026, and what employment opportunities, essential infrastructure, transport and retail facilities may be available. Harrow Council are organising a series of “open day” events during November and December, at which anyone can drop-in with no appointment needed to ask Council Officers to explain the Core strategy and answer any questions about it.A LDF Core Strategy “open day” will be held at Pinner Library, Marsh Road, Pinner on Monday 7th December from 10am to 1pm. The consultation closes on 11th January 2010.
Comments can be submitted by email to or by post to FREEPOST RLZL-GTTG-YBTG, LDF Consultation, Harrow Council, Civic Centre, P.O. Box 21, Harrow, HA1 2UJ.
More information may be obtained from the Harrow Council LDF Team on 0208 736 6165 or email
The LDF is a suite of documents with the Core Strategy at its heart.It sets the context for all other LDF documents, sets out the picture of Harrow will look like in 15 years – “the strategic vision”, provides the strategic objectives and policies to deliver the strategic vision, and is the primary means to implement Council's and its strategic partners strategies.It is only means by which to recognise, protect and enhance those aspects of the borough communities value, respond to change and identified needs and bring about real change.
The Preferred Option is now:
Identification of a Harrow and Wealdstone Intensification Area (IA) providing:
- a distinctive new urban form respecting the setting of Harrow-on- the-Hill
- realisation of the opportunities afforded by Wealdstone's accessibility to Euston and central London
- industrial areas around Wealdstone to be locations of choice for industry and small and medium enterprises
- better linkages with local colleges and higher education to deliver the skills to meet labour market needs
- a much improved Station Road - reinforcing its role as the gateway between and to the main town centres
- coordinated development providing a coherent built form that reflects strict design principles, high environmental standards and is supported by infrastructure
- Harrow town centre to be the focus of retail growth and a consolidated but well supported office offer
- improved accessibility to public transport and transport hubs
Within the IA “urban design” would require development to achieve a high quality new urban realm form in accordance with design principals and manage the height, form and density of development to ensure impacts of bulk and scale, as well as on view shafts and the local and wider setting are minimised
For the whole of the borough the Core Strategy would provide:
- opportunities for redevelopment of sites within district and local centres in support of their role and function
- a range of housing that meets identified local needs in the right locations
- a statement that the valued qualities and the character of suburban areas are to be safeguarded and infill and back garden development resisted
- a network of functional open spaces forming part of an extended green grid that residents could enjoy, in which biodiversity could thrive, and that address the impacts of climate change and intensification
- enhanced public transport links between Harrow, west and central London as part of a transport hub and spoke model
Outside of the IA, development would conform to local context in terms of scale, design, historic or architectural characteristics providing an area identity, and encourage the retention and maintenance of scheduled buildings.
New development is to be coordinated and phased with provision of social and physical infrastructure.Developers will be required to demonstrate sufficient capacity is available or will be provided to serve new developments.Contributions towards infrastructure will be secured through planning obligations, and development of infrastructure will be permitted where it is needed to serve existing and new development, provided adverse impacts of provision are mitigated.
Licensing Law and the Band Concerts Following licensing difficulties which resulted with the cancellation of the Band Concert on 23 August, steps have to be taken to ensure that similar problems do not arise in the future. Such events will include the annual Pantomime Evening.
Toilets in Chapel Lane The Pinner Association has been campaigning for years to have the toilets in the Chapel Lane car park restored. As it has been decreed that they cannot be repaired, they have now been demolished. Regrettably the Council says that it is not feasible to replace them on this site, rather, if and when they can afford to do so, they favour putting them in the gardens at the bottom of the High Street. We do not understand why they cannot go back where they were. There they serve both the park and the shops. And, if you are a stranger, you generally expect to find a public toilet in a car park. The Association continues to press for the existing site to be used. The saga continues.
Dangerous Uxbridge Road Junctions For many years the Association has been pressing for action to be taken to reduce the risk of accidents at the Uxbridge Road junctions with Paines Lane and Waxwell Lane.
Lloyds Court Open Space Decontamination and restoration of the grassy area adjacent to Lloyds Court has not yet happened despite pressure from local residents, Councillors and the Pinner Association. The land and the River Pinn were contaminated as the result of a diesel spill by the Council's contractors, Kier are to restore the green areato its former condition.
The Commemorative Tree on Church Green Many months ago the tree on Church Green, planted by a former Mayor to commemorate the completion of the High Street Improvement Scheme (organised by the Association), was felled illegally. The Police have been unable to find the culprit. A replacement tree is to be planted in the same location and will be rededicated by the current Mayor of Harrow.
Starbucks The enforcement notice served on Starbucks in Pinner High Street for contravening their planning consent has yet to be enforced. The Association continues to press the Council to resolve this issue.
Current Issues
