ALERT: Is Brent Council clearing the way for development of 776 & 778 Harrow Road in Barham Park?

 

776 and 778 Harrow Road

The Barham Park Trust Committee is a curious beast as it consists entirely of members of the Brent Cabinet and last year was chaired by Council Leader Muhammed Butt.

During the year the potential development of numbers 776 and 778 Harrow Road into flats became a matter of hot controversy and in the end the application to demolish the houses and build flats was withdrawn. LINK 

The two houses are actually within the park grounds. The restricting covenants on that properties played a key part in the campaigns against development.

Some cynics said the developer would be back when things quietened down but it appears that Brent Council may itself ease the way for a developer.

A report LINK going to the Barham Park Trust Committee from the Director of Regeneration and Environment makes the following recommendation to the Committe:

2.8 To authorise the Operational Director for Environmental Services to enter into discussions with the owners of 776-778 Harrow Road to explore the possibilities of reaching agreement to amend the restricting covenants on that property for the benefit of the Trust.

Later in the report he sets out the argument:

3.16 776 -778 Harrow Road consist of two cottages within Barham Park that were subject to a freehold sale some years ago. The restrictive covenant in the sale required that the site be retained as two residential units. Planning applications have been received in the past and more recently to re-develop the site with multiple residential units namely a block of flats. This was subsequently withdrawn. The Trust is reminded of the restrictive covenant should a similar application be received again and it may be prudent for the Trust to provide a steer as to how such re-development proposals, which include seeking to amend the terms of the restrictive covenant, should be considered in the future as the site appears to be attracting the interest of developers. As set out in the recommendation in paragraph 2.8 of this report, if members of the Trust Committee are minded to explore the possibilities of amending the current restrictive covenants for the financial benefit of the Trust in discussions with the owners of 776-778 Harrow Road, there is the option to delegate authority to the Operational Director for Environmental Services to enter into such discussions.

The Trust Committee would have to make a decision or delegate a decision to officers in future as to whether to amend the restrictive covenant in respect of 776-778 Harrow Road and on what terms and for an application to be submitted to the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) to amend and modify the terms of the said restrictive covenant.

 

 The 'financial benefit' to the Trust may in many eyes be outweighed by the potential damage to the park land of a block of flats.