Harrow London Borough Council Explained

Harrow London Borough Council
Coa Pic:Coat of arms of the London Borough of Harrow.svg
Coa Res:150
Logo Pic:London Borough of Harrow logo.svg
Logo Res:200px
House Type:London borough
Leader1 Type:Mayor
Leader1:Salim Chowdhury
Party1:
Conservative
Election1:16 May 2024[1] [2]
Leader2 Type:Leader
Leader2:Paul Osborn
Party2:
Conservative
Election2:24 May 2022
Leader3 Type:Managing Director
Leader3:Alex Dewsnap
Election3:May 2023[3]
Members:55 councillors
Structure1 Res:250px
Political Groups1:
Administration (31)
  • Conservative (31)
    Other parties (24)
  • Labour (23)
  • Voting System1:First past the post
    Last Election1:5 May 2022
    Next Election1:7 May 2026
    Session Room:Elliott Hall, Harrow Arts Centre.jpg
    Session Res:250
    Meeting Place:Harrow Arts Centre, 171 Uxbridge Road, Pinner, HA54EA

    Harrow London Borough Council, also known as Harrow Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Harrow in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Conservative majority control since 2022. Full council meetings are held at the Harrow Arts Centre and the council's main offices are at the Council Hub in Wealdstone.

    History

    The first elected local authority for Harrow was a local board, established in 1850 covering the central part of the ancient parish of Harrow on the Hill.[4] Such boards were reconstituted as urban district councils under the Local Government Act 1894.[5]

    The urban district was significantly enlarged in 1934, at which point it was renamed from 'Harrow on the Hill' to just 'Harrow'. Harrow Urban District was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1954, governed by a body formally called the "Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Harrow", generally known as the corporation or borough council.[6]

    The London Borough of Harrow and its council were created under the London Government Act 1963, with the first election held in 1964.[7] For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing Harrow Borough Council, which covered the same area. The new council formally came into its powers on 1 April 1965.[8] The council's full legal name is "The Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Harrow".[9]

    From 1965 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by the Greater London Council. The split of powers and functions meant that the Greater London Council was responsible for "wide area" services such as fire, ambulance, flood prevention, and refuse disposal; with the boroughs (including Harrow) responsible for "personal" services such as social care, libraries, cemeteries and refuse collection. As an outer London borough council Harrow has been a local education authority since 1965. The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to the London Boroughs, with some services provided through joint committees.[10]

    Since 2000 the Greater London Authority has taken some responsibility for highways and planning control from the council, but within the English local government system the council remains a "most purpose" authority in terms of the available range of powers and functions.[11]

    Powers and functions

    The local authority derives its powers and functions from the London Government Act 1963 and subsequent legislation, and has the powers and functions of a London borough council. It sets council tax and as a billing authority also collects precepts for Greater London Authority functions and business rates.[12] It sets planning policies which complement Greater London Authority and national policies, and decides on almost all planning applications accordingly. It is a local education authority and is also responsible for council housing, social services, libraries, waste collection and disposal, traffic, and most roads and environmental health.[13]

    Political control

    The council has been under Conservative majority control since 2022.

    The first election was held in 1964, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 1 April 1965. Political control of the council since 1965 has been as follows:[14] [15]

    Party in controlYears
    1965–1971
    1971–1974
    1974–1994
    1994–1998
    1998–2002
    2002–2006
    2006–2010
    2010–2013
    [16] 2013–2014
    2014–2022
    2022–present

    Leadership

    The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Harrow. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1965 have been:[17] [18]

    Councillor Party From To
    Charles Jordan 1965 1968
    Edward Buckle 1968 1971
    Cyril Harrison 1971 1974
    Harold Mote 1974 May 1977
    Edward Buckle 19 May 1977 May 1979
    Brian Clark 17 May 1979 May 1984
    Donald Abbott 17 May 1984 12 May 1987
    Ron Grant 12 May 1987 21 Oct 1991
    Donald Abbott 21 Oct 1991 1994
    Chris Noyce 1994 27 Apr 1995
    Andrew Wiseman 27 Apr 1995 25 Apr 1996
    Chris Noyce 25 Apr 1996 May 1998
    Bob Shannon 20 May 1998 28 Feb 2002
    Archie Foulds 28 Feb 2002 13 Oct 2004
    21 Oct 2004 May 2006
    Chris Mote 25 May 2006 8 May 2008
    David Ashton 8 May 2008 May 2010
    Bill Stephenson 25 May 2010 8 Nov 2012
    Thaya Idaikkadar 8 Nov 2012 16 Sep 2013
    16 Sep 2013 May 2014
    David Perry 12 Jun 2014 19 May 2016
    Sachin Shah 19 May 2016 24 May 2018
    Graham Henson 24 May 2018 May 2022
    Paul Osborn 26 May 2022

    Premises

    The council has its main offices at the Council Hub on Kenmore Avenue in Wealdstone. The building was purpose-built for the council in 2022.[19] Full council meetings are held at the Harrow Arts Centre in Hatch End, which also houses the mayor's parlour.[20] [21]

    Prior to 2022 the council was based at Harrow Civic Centre on Station Road in Harrow, which had been purpose-built for the council, being completed in 1973.[22]

    Elections

    Since the last boundary changes in 2022, the council has comprised 55 councillors representing 22 wards, with each ward electing two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[23]

    Councillors

    As of 5 May 2022, the composition of Harrow Council is 31 Conservative councillors to 24 Labour councillors:

    Harrow Councillors[24] !Ward!Councillors!Party
    BelmontMina ParmarConservative
    Anjana PatelConservative
    CanonsAmeet JogiaConservative
    Amir MoshensonConservative
    CentenaryDavid AshtonConservative
    Govind BharadiaConservative
    Salim ChowdhuryConservative
    EdgwareNicola BlackmanConservative
    Nitin ParekhLabour
    Yogesh TeliConservative
    GreenhillGhazanfar AliLabour
    Sue AndersonLabour
    Aneka Shah-LevyLabour
    Harrow on the HillStephen HickmanLabour
    Eden KuligLabour
    Harrow WealdRamji ChauhanConservative
    Stephen GreekConservative
    Pritesh PatelConservative
    Hatch EndMatthew Goodwin-FreemanConservative
    Susan HallConservative
    HeadstoneSimon BrownLabour
    Natasha ProctorLabour
    Sasi SureshLabour
    Kenton EastChetna HalaiConservative
    Nitesh HiraniConservative
    Samir SumariaConservative
    Kenton WestVipin MithaniConservative
    Kanti RabadiaConservative
    MarlboroughVarsha ParmarLabour
    David PerryLabour
    Antonio WeissLabour
    North HarrowChristopher BaxterConservative
    Janet MoteConservative
    PinnerKuha KumaranConservative
    Paul OsbornConservative
    Norman StevensonConservative
    Pinner SouthJune BaxterConservative
    Hitesh KariaConservative
    Jean LammimanConservative
    Rayners LaneThaya Idaikkadar Conservative
    Krishna SureshLabour
    RoxbourneGraham HensonLabour
    Maxine HensonLabour
    RoxethPeymana AssadLabour
    Rashmi KaluLabour
    Jerry MilesLabour
    StanmoreMarilyn AshtonConservative
    Phillip BenjaminConservative
    Zak WagmanConservative
    Wealdstone NorthShahania ChoudhuryLabour
    Phillip O'DellLabour
    Wealdstone SouthKandy DolorLabour
    Dean GilliganLabour
    West HarrowAsif HussainLabour
    Rekha ShahLabour

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Council meeting, 16 May 2024 . Harrow Council . 17 May 2024.
    2. Web site: Cllr Salim Chowdhury, Harrow's first Bangladeshi Mayor . Harrow Council . 17 May 2024 . 16 May 2024.
    3. News: Mitchell . Chris . Harrow Council appoints new Managing Director . 12 April 2024 . Harrow Online . 19 May 2023.
    4. Book: Lawes . Edward . The Act for promoting the Public Health, with notes . 1851 . Shaw and Sons . London . 264–265 . 11 April 2024.
    5. act. Local Government Act 1894. 1894. 73. 12 April 2024.
    6. Web site: Harrow Urban District / Municipal Borough . A Vision of Britain through Time . GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth . 12 April 2024.
    7. act. London Government Act 1963. 33. 16 May 2024.
    8. Book: Youngs, Frederic . Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England . I: Southern England . 1979 . Royal Historical Society . London . 0901050679.
    9. Web site: Insurance London Consortium Agreement . Sutton Council . 12 April 2024.
    10. act. Local Government Act 1985. 1985. 51. 5 April 2024.
    11. Book: Leach, Steve . Local Government Reorganisation: The Review and its Aftermath. 107. Routledge. 1998. 978-0714648590.
    12. Web site: Council Tax and Business Rates Billing Authorities. Council Tax Rates. 8 April 2020.
    13. Web site: Local Plan Responses – within and outside London. 12 November 2015 . Mayor of London. 9 April 2020.
    14. Web site: Compositions calculator . The Elections Centre . 3 March 2023.
    15. News: Harrow . 2010-05-08 . . 19 April 2009.
    16. Web site: Tories get control of Harrow Council after Labour split. 18 September 2013. 5 June 2023. BBC News.
    17. Web site: Council minutes . Harrow Council . 5 July 2022.
    18. Web site: London Boroughs Political Almanac . London Councils . 5 July 2022.
    19. Web site: Harrow's regeneration business plans approved . London Borough of Harrow . 12 April 2024 . 26 January 2024.
    20. Web site: Browse meetings: Council . London Borough of Harrow . 12 April 2024.
    21. News: Williams . Grant . Harrow Council's town hall will be demolished and turned into housing . 12 April 2024 . My London . 1 February 2023.
    22. Book: London's Town Halls . 1998 . Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England . London . 109 . 12 April 2024.
    23. si. The London Borough of Harrow (Electoral Changes) Order 2020. 2020. 72. 12 April 2024.
    24. Web site: 2004-01-01. Your Councillors. 2020-06-23. www2.harrow.gov.uk. en.