Planning officers initially recommended approval of the scheme, stating it would provide additional housing in the borough while retaining an active commercial frontage within Stanmore Town Centre.
However, the proposal attracted objections from The Stanmore Society, which argued the additional floors would be out of keeping with the surrounding area.
In its objection letter, the society said: “The addition of two storeys will make this prominent building disproportionally tall and dominant having regard to the adjacent low-rise buildings.”
The society also raised concerns about the quality of the proposed accommodation, stating: “The design of the residential accommodation is of poor quality: there is no provision for disabled access; no parking provision; layouts of the flats are contrived with awkward shaped, narrow, spaces with little or no natural lighting and ventilation, including the communal stairway.”
According to planning documents, the applicant argued that family-sized homes were not practical within the building because of the site’s constraints, including the lack of parking, no lift access and limited opportunities to provide outdoor amenity space.
Despite the officer recommendation, Harrow Council ultimately refused planning permission for the development on 1 June 2026.
https://harrowonline.org/2026/06/04/plans-for-six-flats-above-former-stanmore-lloyds-bank-rejected-by-council