A disused children’s care home will be converted into nine new flats to help “address Harrow’s housing needs”.

Harrow Council’s planning committee unanimously agreed that the proposed scheme, at Atkins House, in Marshall Close, would be a positive move.

The site, which used to house a children’s care home, is currently vacant, and planning officers viewed it as a good opportunity to introduce more housing to the borough.

There were some concerns raised about the lack of affordable housing in this project, with Cllr Sachin Shah describing it as a “real shame”.

But Cllr Keith Ferry, chairman of the planning committee, noted that rent collected from these properties could ultimately have a “positive knock-on effect”.

Any potential stumbling blocks, including the issue around affordability, were superseded by the fact that it will still provide housing.

And officers pointed out that, by transforming the disused building into a set of flats, the attractiveness of the wider area will be significantly improved.