Harrow Council to press Boris for step-free access to Harrow on the Hill Station

A boost has been signalled to campaigners for step-free access at Harrow on the Hill underground station.

Leader of Harrow Council Susan Hall (Conservative) met with the Deputy Mayor of London Sir Edward Lister, who was shown first-hand the difficulties many people experience on a day-to-day basis when visiting or leaving the station.

Sir Lister was on a fact-finding mission as the council is proposing to invest more than £3 million into developing a new step-free solution for the station – if Transport for London and the Greater London Authority will commit to the plans.

The proposal has been welcomed by Harrow Association for Disabled People (HAD) who have been campaigning for step-free access to be introduced at all stations in the borough for many years.

Ann Groves, chair of trustees at HAD and who was awarded for her work with the charity at the Harrow’s Heroes ceremony last week, said: “I would very much welcome on behalf of everyone at HAD any effort to bring step-free access to stations in Harrow.

“You do not have to be disabled to be inconvenienced by the lack of step-free access. You only have to have a minor problem, or a suitcase of a baby in a buggy and it is not even going up the stairs that is the only problem – you have also got to go back down on to the platform.”

Ms Hall lobbied for action to be taken during Sir Lister’s three-hour stay in Harrow.

“The issues around Harrow on the Hill station for people with mobility issues are well documented,” Ms Hall said.

“It is only fair that, as we encourage more people to live, shop and visit here, we make the process of actually getting into Harrow town centre as easy as possible.

“The Deputy Mayor was very open to our arguments and I am hopeful we may hear some good news from City Hall soon. I will keep pressing the case for step-free access at Harrow on the Hill station, and this council is ready to get on with the job.”

The visit comes after Harrow and Brent Assembly Member Navin Shah (Labour) launched his petition to introduce step-free access at Rayners Lane station in October.

He said: “It is scandalous that the station of such importance is not step-free.”

Campaigners have also petitioned in the past for better disabled access at Stanmore station, however, the Mayor of London Boris Johnson maintains that the slope there legally constitutes disabled access.