Hundreds attended a ceremony to celebrate the start of the building of a new community centre.
Construction workers began the ground-breaking to kick off the £8million Salaam Centre build on Sunday at the North Harrow Assembly Halls that it will replace in Station Road, North Harrow.
The centre, funded by the Battlers Well Foundation charity, has been in the pipeline for 12 years and will bring facilities including four badminton courts, a cafe, a prayer area and a library alongside 30 parking spaces.
Project lead for The Salaam Centre at the Battlers Well Foundation, Nizar Merali, said: “I really think this project sets the standard for the future.
“We are working to provide an environment where we will enable warmth, thought and creativity through the open interaction of users of The Salaam Centre.”
Labour’s Headstone South ward councillor Sasikala Suresh attended the event along with the Mayor of Harrow, Councillor Nana Asante, and Tory council leader Susan Hall.
Mr Suresh said: “I am extremely pleased that the construction of The Salaam Centre is underway.
“It’s a fantastic project that will bring together communities.
“It’s essential for local residents that there is a space where different communities can mix and, in particular, where young people can get involved with local projects and events.”
The project was approved by Harrow Council’s planning committee in 2011, despite objections by neighbours who had concerns about parking and potential traffic problems and reservations over the Islam-inspired design.
