Harlesden Charrette
Introduction
THE two-day event on Friday 19 and Saturday 20 March 2010 was an opportunity for anyone concerned about the future of Harlesden town centre to join in discussions about what needs to be done to improve it. A wide range of local people took part, some dropping in for a while, a few staying for most of the two days. Brent Council officers attended.
A town team for Harlesden (a group of local people – including community, amenity and business interests – who are willing to take a continuing responsibility for planning future action) will discuss these proposals further in open forums, and take the lead in making things happen. This process, initiated by Brent Council, is not the usual sort of consultation. The Harlesden town team will take the lead itself, and decide for itself what its priorities are.
Harlesden has many active communities with an interest in improving the town centre, but they are not used to working together. The town team could be an opportunity for them to work together more effectively.
Summary of the discussion
• Care should be taken to ensure that improvements to Harlesden town centre should not lead to unacceptable gentrification. Existing residents should be able to enjoy the benefits.
• Although Harlesden has problems, its poor image is to a large extent undeserved. Action needs to be taken to improve outsiders’ perceptions of Harlesden.
• Temporary projects in public spaces (or potential public spaces) can help to change people’s attitudes to what can and should be done. Willesden Junction station, Craven Park Road and the Plaza car park are possible venues for temporary projects.
• Street improvements should include widening pavements, and improving or creating new public spaces.
• The places that serve as gateways to the town centre should be made particularly pleasant, noticeable and informative. They could be suitable for a range of mixed uses and as public space.
• Craven Park Road, already a successful space in many ways, has considerable potential for being improved.
• Cycle routes in the town centre should be improved.
• Pollution levels in the town centre constitute a real threat to health. They should be monitored and compared to recommended standards.
• The town centre needs better community facilities.
• The town centre needs many more trees.
• The alleyway from the High Street to the Plaza is an important pedestrian route and needs to be made more attractive.
• Harlesden’s rich mix of cultures and cultural activities lack public spaces for parades, shows, performances and activities relating to exchange, celebration and relaxation.
• New public art should be considered.
• Harlesden Plaza (currently the car park behind Tesco) could be a potential public space at the heart of the town centre.
• Traffic management needs to be improved to make more pleasant streets for people on foot, to reduce pollution and to increase safety.
• The mix of shops should be improved.
• The town centre should be made more pleasant and interesting for families.
• Links to the canal should be improved.
• Consideration should be given to making Tavistock Road and Crownhill Road into shared space.
• The community use of school grounds should be considered.
• Better use should be made of empty buildings.
• The ambition should be to make Harlesden beautiful.
• People should be encouraged to take public transport.
• Harlesden’s strengths include its good transport links, its specialist shops, its beautiful buildings, its communities and its streetlife.
• Its weaknesses include the congestion, traffic, pollution, undeservedly bad reputation, lack of public space and lack of activities for families.
Next steps
The town team decided to focus on a four-point vision, and a set of proposals for shorter-term and longer-term action. These will all be discussed and developed further by the town team with the support of Brent Council in the coming weeks.
The vision
The vision focuses on four themes:
Quality of public space and place
Health and safety
Image and perception
Making it happen (the roles of the town team and Brent Council)
Shorter-term action
• Communicate ideas: engage the community
• Harlesden’s image and perception
• Temporary transformational projects (Willesden Junction Station, Craven Park Road, Plaza car park)
• Street improvements - widen pavements and public spaces
• Legibility at gateways
• Craven Park Road improvements
• Cycle routes
• Pollution levels
• Community facilities
• Tree planting
• Improve alleyway from high street to Plaza
• Gateways to town centre
• Cultural uses
• Public art
Longer-term action
• Civic space at the Plaza
• Traffic management
• Mixed uses and spaces at gateways
• Enhance mix of shops
• Art facility
• Significantly reduce air pollution
• Make town centre more family-oriented
• Link to canal
• Shared space at Tavistock Road/ Crownhill Road
• Community use of school grounds
Information needed
It was agreed that answers were needed to the following questions:
• What is the ownership of car park? What are the lease arrangements?
• Are there known plans to improve Willesden Junction tube station and its approach?
• Are there any records of empty properties in the town centre?
• Has the former Brent Adult and Community Education Service (BACES) building been sold? Are there any know plans for its future use?
• What properties does the council own in the town centre?
• Can lorries be re-routed or banned from Harlesden town centre for certain hours?
• Is it possible to limit vehicles by size or weight restrictions?
• Do we know if there are pollution measurements already taken for the town centre?
• What pollution standards apply to Harlesden?
• Do we know traffic counts and how much of it is through traffic?
• Which roads does TfL have authority over?
Town team meeting
Monday, 29 March, 6.30pm
Salvation Army Hall
32 Manor Park Road
At the first meeting months ago there was a suggestion to ban vehicles driving from the Jubilee Clock to the Library.
ReplyDeleteIt was pointed out that this would inconvenience bus passengers trying to shop.
A better solution is to pedestrianise it plus allow buses in a bus lane, so helping people arriving in buses.
This could easily be put in place, once "normal" buses return to the 18 route.
If pedestrianised it would allow plenty of room for a second bus lane going "south" from the library to Tavistock Road, then all buses would follow their normal route.
The very wide part of Craven Park will allow space for two extra bus stops there, one each way, so helping people even more.
Manor Park Road was two-way for hundreds of years, until they made it one way in order to let cars drive faster. If it returns to two-way then pedestrianisation is possible.
Manor Park Road could have an extra light controlled pedestrian crossing at "the top of Tesco". This would help pedestrians and people catching buses.
It would also slow down the fast flow of traffic, encouraging it to go elsewhere.