- Labour Councillors have slated Harrow Council for their decision to hold a grand opening for a new Art Park in Greenhill Way Car Park last month, which has sat mainly unused since.
- Harrow Council have been accused of making the site too expensive by local artists, leading to units either remaining empty or being rented by business outlets.
- Over 20 parking spaces were removed from the Car Park to make room for the Art Park, while hundreds of pounds are lost monthly to keep the lights on despite no-one being home.
Conservative-led Harrow Council have been slated this week by local Councillors and residents alike for their botched opening of a new Art Park in Greenhill Way Car Park. While the Leader of the Council and others were pleased to hold a grand opening for the park in early June, nearly a month later the site remains largely unused.
A lack of planning and co-ordination on the Conservative-run Council’s part means that no artists are currently in residence at the park, despite the Council calling it a “a bold new project dedicated to creativity, community and collaboration.” Instead, local artists have reported that the rents are too high for them to afford, as well as the units being too hot and unsuitable for creative endeavours, leading to the premises currently being inhabited by businesses including a cake and rug shop. Local artists also report that they have reached out to the Council to offer to fill rooms, but have hear nothing back, calling the endeavour “a waste of opportunity and space”
Over 20 parking spaces were removed against local shoppers’ wills by the Council to make space for the Art Park, with residents and potential artists reporting problems finding parking spaces as well as parking attendants regularly patrolling, creating an uninviting atmosphere.
Greenhill Ward Councillor (in whose ward the Art Park is situated), CIIr. Aneka Shah-Levy, said of the botched unveiling
“While I and my fellow ward Councillors will always celebrate a new avenue for artists being opened in Harrow, I am disappointed to see that Harrow Council have once again failed to launch an initiative that costs taxpayers thousands. While the site sits unused due to Harrow Council’s inability to plan and co-ordinate effectively, hundreds of pounds in taxpayers’ money is likely being wasted on keeping the lights on all day, every day.
Harrow Council really need to get their act together and provide full transparency for residents as to why the site is not being used for its intended purpose, and what work is being done to get the Art Park operational as soon as possible. Otherwise, to residents it just looks like the lights are on, but nobody’s home.”