£46m regeneration plan for Harlow town centre approved
Brand new tower blocks could rise above dilapidated parts of the town centre
Last updated 30th Oct 2022
Tower blocks of nearly 600 new flats could rise above a run down Essex town centre now a £46million plan have been approved.
Harlow Council hopes the 578-home scheme will boost the regeneration of the town centre, parts of which are abandoned.
Permission to tear down disused buildings near Market Square and the former Odeon theatre to build six blocks, the largest of which being 16 storeys tall, was granted to applicants Strawberry Star Group at a meeting on October 26.
But opposition councillors criticised the development’s lack of affordable housing and contributions to infrastructure of health and education.
Speaking on behalf of the applicant, planning agent Freya Turtle said the heights of the towers had been reduced from 27 storeys since the bid was first launched, and the scheme had also seen a reduction in housing numbers from 837.
She said: “This application before you is the culmination of two and a half years of close working and positive working with Harlow Council, Essex County Council, the quality review panel and other stakeholders.
“We have really listened and been reactive to the council’s newly-adopted Harlow town centre masterplan framework.”
In addition to the homes, the development will include 3,000 square metres of commercial, retail and community space, an east-west pedestrian boulevard and 6,250 square metres of improvements to the town centre streets including 83 newly planted trees.
Councillor Dan Swords (Con, Bush Fair) said the plans represented a £46m investment from the private sector, which would aid efforts to regenerate the town centre.
He said: “Harlow’s town centre has for too long been neglected. The northern end is largely derelict and the once great bustling and thriving pride of the town is now abandoned.”
But others rallied against the scheme’s lack of affordable housing. While agreeing over the need for regeneration, Councillor Jean Clark (Labour, Little Parndon and Hare Street) raised “serious concerns” at the meeting.
She said: “The lack of affordable housing has shocked me beyond measure, that there isn’t one affordable unit in the entire presentation.”
The council has a policy that at least 30 per cent of housing developments should be affordable homes. However, the applicant is arguing this would not be viable.
An independent viability assessment was carried out and also concluded the scheme had viability issues, according to the report.
This has also affected the Section 106 agreement with the developer, which binds developers into financially contributing to the local community in order to mitigate the effects of their schemes.
However, the viability will be reviewed as the development progresses. According to the report, the final block is due to be completed by the first quarter of 2030.