A housing developer wants to support the “squeezed middle” of first-time buyers with a new town centre scheme.

Pocket Living presented a project to Harrow Council’s major developments panel that it says will provide 149 new one-bed homes on the site of Halfords in Sheepcote Road, Harrow.

Joe Arthur, development manager at Pocket, said there is a need for high-quality, affordable housing in Harrow and that this brownfield site presented an ideal opportunity.

He added that this scheme would help “moderate earners” – those who earn too much to qualify for social housing initiatives but are also priced out elsewhere – to get on the housing ladder.

The development is set to be built across five to nine storeys, which Pocket say is in keeping with the surrounding area.

It added that the building’s design is set to take inspiration from nearby interwar shopping arcade façades and will be complemented by outdoor communal areas to “encourage social interaction and foster a sense of community”.

To qualify for one of these properties, buyers would need to prove that they live or work in Harrow and do not own a home.

Pocket explained that, at an indicative price of £28,000, those who put forward a ten per cent deposit of £2,800 would be able to afford a flat on a £37,000 yearly income.

Mr Arthur added that there are intentions to submit a planning application later this year which, if approved, would lead to construction in spring next year and completion in summer 2023.