5th Studio – appointed through a competitive tender via the GLA’s ADUP II Framework – is leading a multidisciplinary design team to produce a concept masterplan for Harrow Road and its environs. Following on from the masterplan, the team will develop detailed design for three strategic sites, working closely with residents and stakeholders, to be delivered via the GLA’s Good Growth Fund.
The project seeks to transform and revitalising the high street and canal to bring forward much needed improvements to the area. Public realm projects at Maida Hill Market – the heart of the high street – and Westbourne Green and Canal Terrace (Queen’s Park) – the intersections of the high street and canal – are due to be implemented in 2022.
5th Studio is leading a consultant team that includes regular collaborators Jonathan Cook Landscape Architects (JCLA), Studio Dekka, Expedition Engineering, Accertum, Daisy Froud (leading the consultation work) and Waterway Projects. The team has recently worked with the Council on ‘Paddington Places’, the public realm and connectivity strategy for neighbouring North Paddington.
Harrow Road has a diverse and close-knit community but suffers from severances caused by the Westway and the railway corridor. Its inclusion in the North Westminster Economic Development Area recognises that regeneration and growth is required to improve employment and social opportunities. The Council and the community have established four objectives for the Harrow Road Place Plan: create a 21st century high street; improve access to public open space; ensure a socially sustainable future; benefit from future development. This next phase, particularly the delivery of the three key public realm projects, aims to be a catalyst for wider regeneration and investment to meet these objectives.
Cllr Matthew Green, Cabinet Member for Business, Licensing and Planning, said:
"Local high streets have been lifelines for our communities during the Coronavirus pandemic and none more so than the iconic Harrow Road. As retail and hospitality emerges from the Covid crisis, the Council is providing unprecedented levels of support to shopping areas across our City. On Harrow Road, we will ensure that the street responds to the needs of its communities while sustaining commercially successful businesses that are sources of jobs and revenue for local residents.
Improving access in the Harrow Road area while delivering better public spaces and more greenery will help to create a 21st century high street. Working alongside the local community, we will co-design a scheme that will increase opportunities for both businesses and residents alike."
Image credit: Oliver Goodrich