Harrow Civic Centre building to be turned into housing

From midway through February, residents will have to go to Greenhill Library for day-to-day services, located a mile away from the current headquarters.

The Civic Centre in Station Road is already largely empty, as most people interact with the council digitally.

The council says the new offices are “much smaller and much cheaper to run”, at a time of immense pressure on its finances.

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A Harrow Council spokesperson said: “It’s served us well but now no longer meets our needs. It’s too large, inefficient and very expensive to run. The site on which it sits has huge potential and can be far better used to benefit our borough.

“Most people won’t notice the closure of the Civic Centre because 99% of our customer interactions are already online or over the phone. We’re busy preparing two sites in the town centre that will help us deliver 21st century customer services.” 

Harrow Civic Centre will be turned into housing after its closure this month (Image: Newsquest)

The Civic Centre building is to be demolished, with the site being converted into “a new neighbourhood of high-quality housing”, according to the council.

The council spokesperson said: “The proposed scheme for the site was placed under review by the incoming Conservative administration after May’s election, together with the other council-owned regeneration sites being managed in partnership with Wates Residential.

“A new plan for the site will shortly come forward. This will propose a scheme with reduced height, when compared to the previous plan, which would have seen a development rising to 17 storeys.”

Council services will be split between a number of sites, with urgent housing and social care enquiries moving to Gayton Road and the offices next door becoming Citizens Advice Harrow.

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Most council staff will work from an office building at the council’s depot on Forward Drive.

Registering births, deaths, and marriages will be carried out from ‘The Pavilion’ – an office next to Greenhill Library – as well as civil marriage and citizenship ceremonies.

The Mayor’s Parlour, a small ceremony room, will be relocated to Harrow Arts Centre and Council on Uxbridge Road.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service has been told that the move will be carried out in stages, with the main reception closing in mid-February and the registry office moving a week later although an exact date has not been provided.

This action will close the Civic Centre as a public building.

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