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Councillors approved 104 co-living units despite objections about the height. The scheme's £161,000 planning contribution is well below what council policy expects.
Key facts
- 104 co-living units approved at the former Post Office on College Road, Harrow
- Harrow Council planning committee granted permission on Tuesday 6 October
- The new rear block is part 5 storeys and part 10 storeys
- £161,000 Section 106 contribution is well below what council policy expects
Harrow Council’s planning committee has approved 104 co-living units on the site of the former Post Office on College Road in Harrow town centre. The decision was made on Tuesday 6 October, despite objections from neighbours about the height of the scheme.
What the College Road Post Office plans include
Two buildings behind the listed former Post Office will be knocked down to make room for a new block. Part of it will be 5 storeys high and part 10. The scheme also includes shared facilities for residents.
The listed building itself will be kept. Its ground floor will become a cafe that anyone can use, with room for events or co-working. The two floors above it will become co-living rooms.
Planning officers considered the objections but decided the development was acceptable and would help regenerate the area. The council described the scheme as a “substantial redevelopment and intensification of an underutilised site” within Harrow Metropolitan Town Centre.
The permission still needs Section 106 approval. Officers pointed out that the developer’s £161,000 contribution is well short of the amount the council’s policy expects.
Objections over height, light and privacy
One objector, whose name was redacted, said the tower would be an eyesore in the town centre. They said more than 100 new homes would bring heavy congestion, and that people in Percival Square would lose light and the views they had paid a premium for.
The Harrow Town Centre Business Improvement District lodged a formal objection in February 2026. It raised the effect on the town’s character, the density of the town centre and the loss of privacy for neighbours. The BID said the rear block would be overbearing and too big for College Road, adding: “The height and massing would dominate neighbouring properties.”
Key questions
What has been approved at the old Harrow Post Office?
Harrow Council’s planning committee approved 104 co-living units on College Road. Two buildings behind the listed Post Office will be demolished to make way for a block of part 5 and part 10 storeys.
What will happen to the listed Post Office building?
It will be kept. The ground floor will become a cafe anyone can use, with room for events or co-working, and the two floors above will become co-living rooms.
Why did people object to the College Road plans?
Objectors complained about the height, congestion, loss of light and views, and privacy. The Harrow Town Centre BID said the block would be overbearing and out of keeping with College Road.
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