The Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Harrow Council met on Wednesday 09 October 2024 to discuss the proposed version of the New Harrow Local Plan for pre-submission consultation. The committee received a report detailing the plan's policy guidelines for new development and infrastructure in the borough over the next 20 years. The committee noted their comments and referred them to Cabinet for consideration.

New Harrow Local Plan - Proposed version for Pre-submission (Regulation 19 stage) Consultation

The committee received the New Harrow Local Plan – Proposed version for pre-submission (Regulation 19 stage consultation ) Consultation Report. This report outlines policy guidelines for new development and infrastructure in the borough for the period 2021-2041. The plan had previously been considered by Cabinet on 15 February 2024, when the draft was approved for a first round of formal consultation (Regulation 18 stage consultation ).

The committee was informed that a further round of consultation on the revised draft Plan (Regulation 19 consultation ) is planned for November and December 2024, before the draft Plan is submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination in mid-2025. Formal approval to undertake this second round of consultation will be sought from Cabinet on 15 October 2024 and from the full Council on 23 October 2024.

During the discussion, several points were raised by the committee:

• Consultation Process: Concerns were raised about the clarity and benchmarking of the term reasonable engagement used in the consultation process. Officers explained that engagement followed good practice with a mix of online and in-person methods, including events on weekends to maximise participation. While reasonable engagement was based on officer judgement, further explanation and quantitative data could be provided.
• Data Collection: A question was raised about data collection from communities where English is not the first language, and whether this could lead to exclusion. Officers stated that specific data was not available for the meeting but could be extrapolated from responses later.
• Development Heights: Citing Chapter 11 of the report, the committee inquired about proposed developments with twice the height of existing buildings. Officers clarified that the Plan focuses on design and context, and that indicative capacity numbers were based on a high-level design exercise consistent with the London Plan's design-led approach.
• Policy Risks: The committee expressed concern about potential policy changes and whether these had been factored into considerations. Officers confirmed that risks were a possibility and that external legal counsel had been engaged to advise on potential policy changes following a recent election. Risks were currently assessed as amber .
• Transport for London (TfL) Endorsement: The committee noted concerns that TfL had not endorsed the Plan's parking standards. Officers stated that the Administration disagreed with TfL's assessment on parking standards for Harrow and some aspects of the Mayor's London Plan.
• Community Facilities: Queries were raised about community facilities, with members being referred to Chapter 6 of the Plan.
• Protected Views: The committee asked how protected views would be safeguarded in the future. Officers confirmed that any development compromising protected views would be refused.
• Timescales: The significance of March 2026 was questioned, with officers explaining it was when the London Plan would become out-of-date. The current London Plan target for Harrow is 802 new dwellings per annum, which would default to a higher government standard methodology figure in the absence of an updated Local Plan.

The committee resolved that their comments be noted and referred to Cabinet for consideration regarding the local plan process, the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the consultation arrangements, and the reporting of consultation outcomes in early 2025.