News  Dear Members, This is the second of our regular ‘Members Updates’. The Committee are keen to keep you informed of what we are doing as we continue in our aim of ‘making Stanmore a better place to live’.   We hope that you have all enjoyed reading the Spring Newsletter which was circulated to you last month. This was the first of our ‘new look’ quarterly seasonal newsletters, and you may have attended some of the events that were highlighted in that Newsletter. We look forward to seeing you at more events over the summer, in particular our annual Stanmore Summer Fete. Do look out for details (on upcoming posters and on https://www.stanmoresociety.org.uk). The Fete will take place on Sunday 30 June, in Bernays Gardens. More on this in the Summer Newsletter!   We extend a warm welcome to our new Business Members: ‘Happy Chalet Stanmore Nursery’ a home-based mini-nursery https://happychalet.co.uk/ and Everest Abercorn Restaurant https://everestabercorn.com/ - and there are more coming on board!    It is a key priority to expand our Individual Membership, as well as to work with local businesses and local organisations. We are very appreciative of the help and support from Bernays Hall, Bernays Gardens, Stanmore Library and Sainsburys. Please do encourage any family and friends who are not yet members to join us. We are also always on the look-out for new Committee members and volunteers. If you care about Stanmore, and are interested in coming along to one of our monthly Committee meetings (without obligation), please do let us know. We really would be delighted to see you (and we have biscuits!).   An important event in April was our evening meeting about the new ‘Harrow Local Plan’. This was chaired by our Chairman Virendra Adhikari, with Alex Dewsnap (Managing Director of Harrow Council, Viv Evans (Chief Planning Officer) and Councillor Marilyn Ashton (Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Planning and Regeneration). There was lively Q&A from our members! We learnt that a Local Plan guides decisions on future development of the area and covers topics such as housing, employment, shops. Harrow’s existing Local Plan is now more than 10 years old. The new Local Plan shows future development being concentrated in Harrow town centre, and restricted in Harrow’s ‘suburbs’ such as Stanmore.    We keep a watching brief on local conservation area matters and planning applications. For instance, we are currently progressing a request to the Council for the roads of Old Lodge Way Estate to be included in the category of ‘Local Area of Special Character’ (LASC).  This category is an important part of the heritage protection system. We make written comments on planning applications and one of our committee members attends the Conservation Area Advisory Committee (CAAC) which helps the Council in managing and protecting Stanmore’s historic environment. We are particularly concerned about what is happening with Regent House 17 Church Road: this is a listed building, possibly the oldest in Stanmore; fortunately one of the Council's Enforcement Team noticed that work was underway, and called in to stop further work proceeding. As well as all this, we subscribe to the London Green Belt Council which is an independent voluntary umbrella organisation for groups and individuals with a concern for protecting and preserving the Metropolitan Green Belt.   We hope that you like what we are doing on the Committee; and we thank you all for being Members and supporting the Stanmore Society. Stanmore Committee 07771 833843

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