A new open-plan retail and food court is coming to Harrow town centre after proposals to give the current premises a revamp were given the go-ahead.

Units at 80-84 St Anns Road will be merged, with Harrow Council granting permission for a new storefront to be installed.

The plans include several retail kiosks and a bar, with seating areas in the middle. 

These will be in addition to the current St Ann’s Shopping Centre and St George’s Shopping Centre in the town centre.

Although the exact retailers are yet to be revealed, plans show that there are ten kiosks to be filled. Surrounding the units is the food court, seating areas and tables capable of accommodating more than 100 customers.

Alterations to the exterior of the building include the installation of a new black cladding shop front, replacing the existing windows with full-height glazed windows, and the installation of three new backlit ‘Market Place’ fascia signs.

Due to the building’s proximity to The Royal Oak pub, which is a listed building, the applicant is required to assess the scale of any potential harm the redevelopment would cause to the heritage site. 

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Agent Firstplan, acting on behalf of Harrow Holdings Ltd, states that the works will remain “in-keeping” with the character of the town centre and, therefore, “not have a detrimental impact” on any views of the listed building.

Harrow Council’s planning officers determined there would be “no impact” as the changes proposed are “only cosmetic”.   

Approval was granted on December 22, however, limitations on working hours were imposed by the council in order to minimise any adverse effects of the building operations.

Therefore, building work will only be carried out between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays.