Marylin Ashton’s comments on planning for Harrow shred some light on why there is such a misfit between residents’ expectations of good building design and the buildings we see, which make many parts of Harrow what it has become, a place without heart or soul. Owning the site, developers appear to take nondescript designs from a catalogue of shapes which can be seen anywhere in the UK.

Examples include the “Milton Keynes” development by Harrow Churches at the end of Richards Close and Becker Fold and, similarly, the block of flats in Elmgrove Road, those in Wealdstone High Street and buildings opposite the Civic Centre. All these buildings meet a purpose but none have a connection with the architecture or present an aspiration of design which once made Harrow the place to be.

The Land Securities picture of the Kodak factory to illustrate what is seen as a high standard of design must have been a mistake because Andy Martin is right. “Wealdstone is run down and shabby” and, I contend, follows the pattern seen elsewhere in Harrow which is why there has been little inward investment in the area. Contrast Harrow with Watford where new build commercial and retail developers are falling over each other to invest in the area. Watford Council has set out its objectives and the intense competition for companies to show off its architectural prowess can be seen. New jobs have been created and this has generated the prosperity which follows. Unfortunately, here in Harrow, few care and the political aspiration to meet the needs of particular voters results not only in all loosing out but those who can, moving out.

Christopher Langley
Mayfield Avenue, Kenton