Local Authority

A WATER leak that "caused chaos" during the morning rush hour in Edgware was fixed the same day, a utility company said.

Thirty people signed a petition objecting to an application to turn an empty estate agents in Honeypot Lane, Stanmore, into a minicab office.
The submission to Harrow Council was made by applicant Kumarsamy Indrachith, who said that three permanent jobs could be created along with 10 self-employed driver positions.
A decision will be made on Wednesday March 25 by the authority's development management committee.

Councillors will decide whether to put a curb on the way the Abercorn Arms in Stanmore Hill is run after a neighbour complained disturbances were making her life a misery.

A review of the Stanmore venue's premises licence will be held on Thursday at 7pm after resident Mrs Serra, of Stanmore Hill, formally requested one.

In her submission to the council, she claimed: "The number of incidents of public nuisance and alcohol-related anti-social behaviour in the small hours of the morning have now become a regular feature at this establishment."

Fellow resident Mrs Nathan, of Stanmore Hill, raised concerns about the lack of security staff monitoring the rear car park, the strong food smell and the dumping of empty beer kegs.

Harrow Police's licensing officer Sergeant Carl Davis noted that he has received complains about "shouting and screaming, arguments and other disturbance and disorder" outside the premises and reminds councillors about objections he raised to previous applications from Abercorn Arms' management team.

Evidence from Harrow Council's environmental health team reveals that a warning letter about "loud and unreasonable" noise was sent to the pub after a visit from officials in November. A second letter was despatched in January after more complaints.

The Abercorn Arms is currently allowed to sell alcohol between 10am and midnight Monday to Saturday and until 11.30pm on Sunday.

On November 7, Harrow Council granted the licence holders 10 temporary event notices for dates ranging from November 22 to January that would allow the pub to stay open until 3am the following day.

The premises licence review will be conducted at Harrow Civic Centre before a three-man panel of councillors who can modify the conditions of the licence, prohibit the pub from providing certain activities, remove the designated premises supervisor, suspend the licence for up to three months or even withdraw the licence altogether.

Young people across Harrow are to benefit from impressive new sports facilities now that the borough has secured a £4.2million grant.

A multi-use sports hall, gym, IT suite, art room, recording studio, cafe and outdoor pitch will be constucted on the Cedars Estate in Harrow Weald thanks to the project, entitled The Pitch, A Place to Go.

It was announced on Tuesday that Watford FC's Community Sports and Education Trust would work with Harrow Council to develop the idea, after the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) gave the multi-million pound grant the go-ahead.

If planning applications are approved it is hoped yougsters between 11 and 19, as well as disabled people up to the age of 24, will steer clear of antisocial behaviour and use the club to socialise and hone their sporting skills.

But far from just being a centre for children to enjoy football, council chiefs say the site will offer a diverse range of activities, including karate, basketball, art, music and cookery.

It is anticipated that the council and Watford FC will also look to use the facilites to help improve young people's health, diet, fitness and social skills, as well as provide important information on issues ranging from education, training, sex and mental health.

Speaking after the announcement Paul Clark, the council's corporate director of children's services, expressed his delight at securing the money.

He said: "This grant is fantastic news. Young people helped us choose the design and shape of this application so we will be delivering facilities they have actively been asking for.

"Over the next few weeks we will be working with residents, voluntary and private groups, and young people to ensure we put the right planning application forward and secure approval for what I am sure will prove to be a great legacy for Harrow."

Chris Norton, Chairman of Watford's CSE Trust, said: "We are delighted to receive this grant, which will now allow us, working closely with Harrow Council, an opportunity to make a real difference through sport and learning outside of the Watford area.

"We are honoured to be able to help deliver a project of this scale, demonstrating the expertise within, and the development of our community trust."

A record number of youngsters flocked to polling stations this year, wanting to ensure their favourite candidate was elected to the UK Youth Parliament.

More than 7,000 young people voted at more than 20 polling stations across Harrow in the week leading up to the announcement - almost 2,000 more than in last year's election.

Harrow's two places in the UK Youth Parliament were won by Aakash Bharania, and Rhiya Pau, both 15, while Amar Chandarana and Mahek Metha claimed deputy spots.

The budding Gordon Browns and Boris Johnsons, who had all been nominated for the posts by their peers, were given the results at the Civic Centre last week and will now join members drawn from all over England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) was set up nine years ago as a way to improve youth participation in decision-making.

Harrow had previously been allowed just one elected Member of Youth Parliament (MYP) on the UKYP and one deputy, but has been asked to elect two of each for the past two years.

An internet class that helps Muslim women detect the tell-tale signs of extremism in their children has been praised by government officials.

The Harrow Council scheme, launched earlier this month, was one of three Harrow-run projects up for awards in the Prevention of Violent Terrorism awards, held last Tuesday.

Labelled the E-safety training workshop, the idea saw off competition from Brent, Hounslow and Lambeth in the best women's project category.

The class aims to cover safety advice on the use of internet messaging, social networking websites and chat rooms, but also helps to alert Muslim mothers about teenagers who might be enticed to look at websites which promote terrorism or extremism.

The event, which was organised by the Government Office for London and the London Prevent Network, was hosted by minister for London and Harrow East MP, Tony McNulty.

Harrow was also shortlisted for prizes in the best youth project and innovation categories.

Councillors are supporting the campaign for Gurkhas' rights and encouraging the public to get behind the ex-servicemen.

Harrow Council has put forward a motion that will urge local MPs to support the campaign and write to the Prime Minister to demand help for retired British Gurkhas.

Labour group head Bill Stephenson, council leader David Ashton (Conservative) and the Liberal Democrats' head Chris Noyce have all backed the plans.

The council is also asking its chief executive Michael Lockwood to look sympathetically at street collections in aid of the ex-servicemen who have been suffering financially.

Mayor of Harrow Councillor John Nickolay said: "I hope we are speaking for 99-100 per cent of the public when I say the Gurkhas are so grateful for what they do have and that they deserve to be treated with respect.

"They are from Nepal, but they are so patriotic for Britain."

Chairman of the Royal British Legion Harrow branch John Stelfox said: "We will obviously help in any way that we can.

"We have 15 Gurkha members in the Harrow British legion and I do know a lot of them are suffering financially, so any support we can give them we will."

The motion was heard at a council meeting last Thursday.

Former Harrow mayor Graham Hines has died at home at the age of 80 after suffering several months of illness.

Mr Hines spent 24 years as a Conservative councillor and was deputy mayor in 1974/75, becoming mayor the following year, and chaired the education and highways committees.

Present Mayor of Harrow, Councillor John Nickolay, said: "I knew Graham Hines for more than 50 years.

"He was responsible for recruiting me into politics, after knocking on my parents' door, and he was a great example to follow.

"Graham was particularly interested in education and highways and, of course, served with distinction as mayor. He was an inspiring figure and we will miss him greatly."

Mr Hines was living in Hereford, Herefordshire, at the time of his death and is survived by his sister, wife, two married sons and five grandchildren.

The funeral is being held on Tuesday, February 24 at 2pm at Much Birch Church, in Much Birch, Hertfordshire.

Donations, in lieu of floral tributes, can be made to Marie Curie Cancer Care, and sent to the undertakers Bayley Brothers Hereford Ltd, 1719 Cotterell Street, Hereford HR4 OHH.

Harrow Council is to take back the management of Honeypot Lane Children's Home and sell surplus places to other councils.

The authority's 2009/10 budget reveals dumping the voluntary organisation which runs the home at present will save £25,000 and offering vacant spaces to other councils to place their youngsters there will raise £75,000.

No more details have been made public at this stage about the proposal for the premises, which lies in Honeypot Lane, Stanmore.

Harrow residents are being urged to inform on graffiti artists in a bid to tackle problem spots across the borough.

Harrow Police are asking community members to take a close look at the vandals' work to see if they recognise the spray painters' images or tags.

Sergeant Paul Culver, at Rayners Lane Safer Neighbourhood Team, launched the project at Churchill Court in North Harrow last Thursday.

He said: "It is an ongoing problem. We had a rise over Christmas, so it suggests it might be young people who were off school.

"People do not like it. Whenever we do surveys and ask people what concerns them, they always say graffiti.

"If someone has pebble-dashed their wall and then they get someone spraying a lot of graffiti it is not very nice.

"It is the first time we have done anything like this. We want to eradicate graffiti and show the public we are taking it seriously."

Graffiti has affected areas across the borough, including Harrow bus station and allotments in west Harrow.