Harrow Council is “very unlikely” to move into its new civic centre by the originally scheduled date of 2020, its leader has admitted.

Cllr Graham Henson noted that things have changed as the council’s regeneration programme is “regularly reviewed”.

The Labour administration was criticised by opposition councillors for “failing to deliver” on the proposals, which would have seen the civic centre relocated to Wealdstone.

Cllr Henson explained that various factors – including the scale of the project – had led to delays.

“I think we need to understand the size of the regeneration programme – it takes a lot of time to develop and you have to make sure you have everything in place,” he said.

“We have to make sure everything ties up and we can afford to deliver it before we start. We’re not going to put a risk against this council just to move something forward.

“We don’t have the reserves other councils have to progress things as quickly as we would like, and we have to make sure it is completely viable before we start.”

He described this as the “right approach” given the “changing financial climate” and the uncertainty surrounding Brexit.

The civic centre move is linked to development at the current site in Station Road, which is set to form part of a wider housing project.

Cllr Henson noted that things are unlikely to be fully completed within months though he added, with tongue-in-cheek, that “you never know”.

As well as questioning the regeneration progress, Conservative councillors have previously criticised the new civic centre’s design.

Cllr Stephen Greek said the green ceramic building will “stick out like a sore thumb” and hit out at parking arrangements when it was brought before the planning committee last year.

He also urged the Labour administration to engage in cross-party talks over major regeneration projects in the future – something Cllr Henson agreed to.