I was interested if not a bit incredulous to read Councillor Marilyn Ashton's self-congratulatory letter on the local listing of St George's vicarage (Letters Harrow Observer, 'Vicarage deserves listed status', November 27.)
We should be reminded that this is the same Mrs Ashton who removed the locally-listed status of
the original Vaughan School and in an act of vandalism then had it demolished. It deserved local listing as much if not more than the Vicarage.
As far as St George's vicarage is concerned, Mrs Ashton may need reminding that a request by myself and local residents in my ward Headstone South to locally list the building was turned down by officers as they did not have sufficient staff to do any local listing.
It was the same Mrs Ashton who ignored a council motion proposed by myself and Councillor Navin Shah to set up a committee with interested residents, for example, with Harrow Heritage Trust to proactively locally list a far greater number of lovely buildings in Harrow which are increasingly coming under threat.
I am delighted that the vicarage has at last been locally listed.
The planning department still remains woefully understaffed and does not even currently have an urban design planner.
As the old saying goes, one locally listed building does not a heritage champion make.
COUNCILLOR BILL STEPHENSON
Headstone South ..SUPL:
