Building more affordable homes, reducing inequalities and tackling climate change are some of the key aims in Harrow Council’s latest draft borough plan.

It outlined its strategy for the next ten years at a council meeting on Thursday (February 27), which was approved by the Labour majority.

Cllr Graham Henson, leader of Harrow Council, said he was “proud” of the vision set out in the plan but said the borough will continue to be affected by the level of funding from central government.

The plan for 2020-2030 includes ambitions to build 3,000 more affordable homes as Harrow currently has the second lowest proportion of social housing in London.

The council also seeks to reduce the gap between rich and poor, noting “there are significant differences in our local communities with some areas amongst the most deprived in the country, while neighbouring streets can be amongst the most affluent”.

It also wants to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by the end of this decade in line with the timeline set out when it declared a climate emergency last year.

And there are plans to “improve towns for living, shopping and entertainment” in the borough’s towns while keeping crime levels low.

According to a council report, there are “target areas” in the borough, such as Edgware and Wealdstone, though all parts could benefit from portions of £1 million used to support street cleaning, enforcement and community projects.

Cllr Paul Osborn, leader of Harrow Conservatives, welcomed a new strategy in the borough but questioned the likelihood of it being met based on previous performance.

He took aim at the administration’s regeneration policy – including the fact that it promised a new civic centre by now – and suggested Cllr Keith Ferry, responsible for regeneration, planning and employment at Harrow Council, had “built nothing”.

He pointed out that the council is “deeper in debt” and criticised the recent choices made in the budget for 2020/21 that will see council tax rise by 3.99 per cent and services cut by almost £4 million.

But Cllr Henson praised the council’s work over the past five years and said it could have achieved even more had it been “properly funded”.

“Am I proud of what we’ve done? Yes, I am. Am I proud of what we’re going to do in the future? Of course, I am,” he said.

“We’ve achieved as much as we can under the circumstances available and we will continue to look at where we can do better.”