NEAREST LIBRARIES TO HATCH END

Hatch End library closed on Saturday 13 June. The closest libraries for Hatch End residents are now: Pinner library at Marsh Road (0203 714 7718), Stanmore at 8 Stanmore Hill (0203 714 7728) or Gayton library at Garden House, 5 St John’s Road (0203 714 7731/7732) .
For more information, visit www.harrow.gov.uk/libraries.

Meeting 19 March 2015

Bernard Wainewright and Julian Maw attended a meeting with Harrow Council officers to discuss the Equality Impact Assessment (EqiA) for changes to the library service. The HEA comments were accepted by the officers and would be taken into account in the final EqiA.
The Report on the Consultation including the EqiA was anticipated to be presented to Cabinet in March.
It should be noted that while the Budget proposal presented to Cabinet on 19 February includes the savings for library closure this decision can be changed by Cabinet and the saving planned taken from Budget reserves.

As part of its budget cuts, Harrow Council is making changes to the library service. Proposed closures include Hatch End, North Harrow, Rayners Lane and Bob Lawrence libraries. Consultation sessions with the Council took place in November and December 2014 at various libraries and in Hatch End on 5 January 2015. This consultation process ended on 19 January. We will now have to wait for the Council’s final budget proposals to know what its intentions are. The long-term future of the four proposed closures are still up for discussion including making Hatch End library a pilot self-service library. The HEA will stay involved with the process and keep you informed of developments via the website.

Please see below PDF of the HEA response to the Council’s proposals to close four libraries in the borough including Hatch End.

Library_consult_HEA_response

Harrow-Libraries-Consultation

Libraries_Consulting_Services_POSTER

Red Parade by Luca Platon

Secret Garden by Siddarth Singh

Terrific Tower & Golden Grass by Kierat Basi

Ketchup Guards by Alice Law

Just Missed The Train by Jasmine Ismael

Electrifying Ride by Ellie Morgan

This summer Grimsdyke School held a photographic competition for the pupils of all years. It was sponsored by Harrow Heritage Trust and judged by the Hatch End Association on behalf of the Trust. The judges were Anne Swinson, Sheila Reid and Tony Allen. The brief for the competition was Heritage in Hatch End and Pinner, with subjects ranging from St Anselm’s Church and Hatch End station to the Memorial Park and St John’s Church in Pinner. The winners and highly commended of each category received a prize on 21 July at the school’s assembly from Martin Verden, chair of Harrow Heritage Trust, which donated the funds for the prizes. The winner of Category 1 – Lower School – was Luca Platon of Reception with Red Parade. The winner of Category 2 – Upper School – was Raabiya Khan of Year 6 with A Secret Paradise. Highly Commended winners in Category 1 were Siddarth Singh of Year 1 with Secret Garden and Alice Law of Year 2 with Ketchup Guards. Highly Commended winners in Category 2 were Jasmine Ismael of Year 3 with Just Missed The Train, Kierat Basi of Year 4 with Terrific Tower & Golden Grass and Ellie Morgan of Year 5 with Electrifying Ride.

A Secret Paradise by Raabiya Khan

FUTURE OF PINNER PARK FARM: REPORT ON THE FIRST CONSULTATION
On 27 November Harrow Council published a report by Bidwells on the first consultation on the future of Pinner Park Farm which was undertaken last spring. See the link below. Having considered the report carefully, the Council has asked Bidwells to work on a proposal to create an open country park similar to one at Greenwich. The proposal will also allow the Council to restore and protect historic buildings on the site but, it would appear, will involve new housing on this Green Belt site.

SUMMER CONSULTATION 2014: HATCH END ASSOCIATION RESPONSE  (8 July 2014)
The Hatch End Association have no objection in principle to greater access on foot or cycle by members of the public to the green belt/open space at Pinner Park Farm, insofar as it is practicable within the arrangements of a working farm. But we cannot support the two options in the Future of PPF Public Consultation Summer 2014.

No reason for or explanation of the termination of the present activity is given, such as inadequate operation of the farm, a drain on the Council’s finances, or an inability to find other ways to maintain the listed buildings. That such maintenance might emerge as a by-product of the proposed options is not a justification for them. In any event, whether all of the listed buildings are worth artificial reconstruction in view of their decrepit condition is arguable.

The consultation paper’s attempt to influence support for a country park by showing attractive illustrations of Hylands Park at Chelmsford is grossly misleading. That park spreads over 570 acres, compared with the 230 at Pinner. It is based on what was a substantial 18th century private estate with a significant mansion. Twenty years of investment have created a large area of landscaped parkland, with formal gardens, etc, as well as a year-round leisure and entertainment venue and a sports and events programme up to and including a weekend rock festival (tickets up to £100).

It might be premature for the Harrow/Bidwells schemes to attempt detailed business plans for their two options. But councillors and public are expected to take on trust the underlying assumption that either option would yield initial and continuing receipts which would cover the costs of the immediate redevelopment and the continuing management and maintenance of the site in perpetuity. There is no clue as to the price range of the residential units which would provide the starting finances; no clue as to potential labour costs; and not even the broadest indication of what kind of numbers of visitors and vehicles are envisaged.

There are other points about the options which will be of concern. These range from the scattering of parking places around the perimeter to the nature of the miscellaneous activities envisaged. Among the most important are the appearance and environmental aspects of the central housing units, which would be no more appealing – gated or not – than present structures in the middle of the green belt (leave aside how the residents might react to the visitors, school parties, etc that  would be rambling around the perimeter of their properties). Traffic and transport to and from the site are among other issues.

We understand that consideration may be given to the re-designation of the area from green belt to metropolitan open land. This is a potential worry as in recent years the loss of land (mainly to housing) from MOL has been markedly greater than that affecting green belt (CPRE London Member Briefing, 2014).

PICKWICK WALK PLANNING APPLICATION

On 10 June 2013, Harrow Council’s Planning Committee refused the application for change of use at Pickwick Walk from small units to a retail shop and café. The Hatch End Association made a representation opposing the scheme and our three ward Councillors were in the back bench at the meeting and also opposed the change of use. About 500 residents and businesses had signed a petition against the application too. It went to appeal. But in April 2014 the Planning
Inspectorate approved the change of use. The Hatch End Association regrets this decision
which will mean the loss of many small businesses to the area.

Harrow Council will be holding a public consultation at Harrow Arts Centre, 171 Uxbridge Road, Harrow, HA5 4EA on:
Wednesday 25 June at 1pm-5.30pm
Thursday 26 June at 1pm-9pm
Friday 27 June at 1pm-8pm
Representatives of the Council will be on had to share the ideas and answer questions on a one-to-one basis. The exhibition will provide an opportunity for residents to find out more about the proposals and to leave written comments to enable the Council to prepare a Master Plan for Pinner Park Farm. The exhibition will be teamed with a website consultation on the Council’s Your Say page on its website where you will be able to view drawings and make comments. This will go live on 25 June.

Harrow Council is considering options for Pinner Park Farm. Its aims are to increase public access to green spaces and to provide sustainable use of the listed building and ancient monument. The main constraints are that the area is Green Belt, is a heritage site with an ancient monument, has listed buildings and is an archaeological priority area. The council has commissioned Bidwells, property consultants, to advise on this matter. Bidwells have suggested two options.

Option one is to provide more public access to a country park with basic facilities, such as car park and toilets, with the area being grassland. The existing farm buildings would be converted into housing to provide revenue to help to fund the project. Buildings that are not protected or used for housing would be demolished. Under this option there would be no new buildings, only conversions.

The second option would be an extension of the first in that the public park would have higher specifications, such as a visitor centre, pathways and tracks, fitness paths, games area and a café. To fund this there would be redevelopment of additional areas. The additional residential housing would be in the existing footprint of the current buildings on the farm. In discussions with Bidwells, option one is unlikely to provide sufficient revenue to cover the costs of the development of the park so that the most likely option would be the second one or some variant of it.