Last week I met with Mr and Mr Aveyard, an elderly couple who live in Pinner, who were recently threatened with legal action by Harrow Council if they didn't remove a fence which Harrow Council itself put up.

Mrs Aveyard, who is almost 80, was shocked when she received a letter from the council's planning department ordering her to remove the fence because it was built without planning permission; this despite the fact that it was the council's very own highways department which had built the fence after the council destroyed both Mrs Aveyard's hedge and her conifer trees.

Mrs Aveyard, whose health has deteriorated since receiving the letter, was told to tear down the fence before March 12 or be taken to court.

Mrs Aveyard told me how Harrow Council workers repaved her street in 2006 and ended up destroying her hedge in the process. She reported it to the council but it then took 18 months for them to replace the hedge with a fence. Just two weeks later, the Aveyards were sent a threatening letter demanding they tear the fence down or face court action. Mrs Aveyard rang Harrow Council to ask if they could apply for planning permission but were told it probably wouldn't be granted it anyway.

Harrow Council needs to sort this out. If ever one incident encapsulated the incompetence the Audit Commission referred to in its scathing recent report on Harrow Council, this is it. One part of the council is clearly not talking to the other part of the council. The council has got to break down these barriers and make sure departments stop making excuses and communicate with each other. Long-term Harrow residents such as the Aveyards should not be let down again by Harrow Council incompetence.

Also last week, I was delighted to meet with Schools Minister Jim Knight MP to discuss the future of Harrow schools with a delegation of headteachers from across the borough.

Parents and pupils in Harrow would like Harrow schools to be the same as those in neighbouring boroughs, a primary system that ends at age 11 and a secondary system from ages 11 - 18, with sixth forms as well as college provision.

The Harrow Sixth Form collegiate is beginning to provide the post-16 provision but currently pupils transfer to their secondary schools at age 12.

At the meeting Harrow headteachers had the opportunity to stress to the Schools Minister that the proposal to change the transfer age has support from across the education system in Harrow and would bring Harrow into line with the National Curriculum age structure.

Mr Knight was sympathetic to Harrow's case and was keen to visit Harrow in the near future to find out more.

I am proud of the achievements of Harrow's schools and will continue to work with Harrow teachers to get the increased investment they need to secure the most effective school organisation in Harrow for the 21st Century.