November 2009 Archives

A STRING of five houses at a busy crossroads in Sudbury Hill could be torn down to make way for 64 flats - the fourth bid in nine years to redevelop the land.
The owners of numbers 1 to 5 Sudbury Hill, all detached residences, have clubbed together to apply for planning permission from Harrow Council for the demolition of their properties and the construction of the apartments.
And it turns out 1 Sudbury Hill is in the possession of none other than Harrow Council.
Since the millennium, three previous schemes have been submitted to the authority concerning the more or less same row of five homes on the border of Harrow and Ealing.
The first, in 2000, was refused - a decision upheld on appeal - the second in 2003 was withdrawn by the applicants and the third was thrown out when it was considered a year ago.
This latest submission is for a three-storey block of flats with basement parking that will aim to replicate the brick walls and pitched roofs of nearby properties.
In design statements lodged with the council, the architects say: "The urban grain is maintained and the building will form a well mannered and meaningful statement on this prominent corner."

ST MARY'S Church in Harrow on the Hill has been voted to be featured in a celebratory set of 'London Landmark' 2012 Olympics pin badges.
Residents from across the capital participated in a web vote for which building they would like to represent their borough on the brooches.
The poll took place in September and the results were announced in the run up to the 1,000 days to go milestone on Saturday October 31.
Reverend Tim Gosden, the vicar of St Mary's Church in Church Hill, said: "I think it's wonderful news that the people of Harrow have voted for this church."
St Mary's Church beat off competition from Headstone Manor in Pinner View, Harrow, Harrow School, High Street, Harrow on the Hill and Harrow Arts Centre, Uxbridge Road, Harrow Weald.
In Brent, Neasden Temple in Neasden succeeded against the only other shortlisted location, the Grand Union Canal, which runs through the borough.

Quiz to be held at St Dominic's College, Harrow on the Hill on Saturday 14th November
Doors open at 6.30 for 7pm start. Tickets £11 which includes Supper, wine and soft drinks

A BAR-cum-restaurant on the Hill can stay open longer at the weekends - despite complaints about noise and disturbance from residents, and Harrow School.
The owners of Cafe Cafe in High Street had asked to operate until 1.30am seven days a week but Harrow Council's licensing panel decided on Monday (02/11) that the business should only be allowed an extra hour of trading on Friday and Saturday until 1am, with last orders 30 minutes beforehand.
Objector Patricia Bawcombe, of High Street, who said she twice called police over incidents at the venue, described the panel's decision as "not a bad outcome".
David Massey, of Coniston Court, told councillors in a letter: "Granting a late night licence will only encourage many more drinkers."
Trevor Gray, estates bursar of Harrow School, had had concerns about the pupils who live in a boarding house 20m away from Cafe Cafe, calling the proposal "unacceptable" due to the noise pollution, while resident Robert Williams, of Coniston Court, said: "The borough should not allow it to deteriorate into a late night drinking area."
Inigo Woolf, company secretary of Coniston Court (Residents) Ltd, said: "Cafe Cafe would appear to run their business responsibly but the problem occurs with the behaviour of individuals after they leave the premises.
"Often they can be hard singing in the street or calling people on their mobile phones and as there is little traffic from midnight onwards, the nature of the street layout tends to funnel any noise upwards such that we can hear individual conversations."
A South Harrow police spokesman wrote to the committee: "I believe this late hour will have a detrimental effect on local residents."