Vandalised Box Tree pub in Harrow Weald can be replaced by 14 affordable homes

Origin Housing, based in Euston, north London, won permission from Harrow Council's planning committee for the new horseshoe-shaped three-and-a-half-storey building on Wednesday (Jan 12) evening.
The affordable homes would be two three-bed houses and two four-bed houses flanking a block of eight two-bed apartments, a one-bed flat and a six-bed flat.
They will replace a pub that has stood vacant ever since the police shut the premises in January 2007 and in the past three years at least two suspicious fires have broken out, the last in July 2009.
John O'Shea, of Boxtree Lane, objected on behalf of himself and other neighbours.
He wrote to the committee: "We do want the pub redeveloped but not as a large housing block.
"We would prefer semi-detached houses with front and rear gardens in keeping with the surrounding areas."
Mr O'Shea also mentioned concerns about the parking provision and traffic implications.
Objector Brian Lawrence, of Parkfield Crescent, Harrow, who is campaigns officer for his branch of the Campaign for Real Ale, better known as CAMRA, said: "We live in the real world and we accept our economic situation with pubs closing before these latest development and if businesses aren't making any profit they have to close.
"What I said on behalf of CAMRA was at least some effort should be made to let pub companies know this pub is lying empty and you just never know, there may just be somebody willing to take it on."