HARROW Council's Wealdstone regeneration advisory panel has dismissed a proposal to rename the area's shopping centre "Wealdstone Village".

At a meeting on Thursday last week, the panel heard that a consultation paper sent to 117 traders in High Street in November had failed to achieve even a 25 per cent response rate. Only 12 people had supported the idea, with 17 votes against.

The residents' association Wealdstone Active Community had also rejected the suggestion.

Susan Hall, the new chairman of Wealdstone Traders' Association, said at Thursday's meeting: "Everybody I have spoken to thinks the idea is absolutely ridiculous."

Panel chairman Councillor Keith Burchell (Labour) admitted that there was "obviously no enthusiasm" for the new name and decided not to take the idea any further.

Later he added: "The idea came from a group of residents in the first place, but as there was no enthusiasm among traders we didn't want to pursue it."

Conservative panel member Councillor Marilyn Ashton said: "The Conservatives have been telling the Labour Party for the last few years that the only way to regenerate Wealdstone is to open the High Street to passing traffic.

"At the moment, people don't know anything is down there."

Spencer Road resident Barbara Shelley, who has lived in the area since the 1940s and is a former member of WAC, was vehemently opposed to the idea when she saw the survey letter last year, describing it as "bloody ridiculous".

On hearing the news of its demise, she added: "What they are doing with their plans for 'affordable housing' is making Wealdstone Harrow's dormitory.

"This is not a village. Soon there will be no shops here, and there will be nothing going for Wealdstone. There will be everything going for Harrow instead."

The proposal that Wealdstone High Street should be re-opened to through traffic was adopted by the panel, and Councillor Burchell agreed to refer it to the council's traffic and road safety advisory panel, at its next meeting on March 3.