TODAY, the Government has announced £8.5 million of investment for Harlow. The funding will be spent on a new Technical and Professional Skills Centre at Stansted Airport run by Harlow College, and investment in Harlow’s road infrastructure.

The new Harlow College centre will bridge the skills gap in aircraft engineering and technical skills. It will offer training in everything from customer service to logistics to engineering, to provide all the necessary skills needed for the airport’s future employees. The Government has granted the new Harlow College centre £3.5 million to achieve this.

Gilden Way will be extended by a new link road to the junction. The investment will widen Gilden Way to create two westbound lanes and one eastbound lane, accommodating any increase in traffic. There will also be an improved pathway for pedestrians and cyclists, and access to new housing.

Robert Halfon, MP for Harlow, said:

“I’ve worked hard to secure this huge Government investment in our town so that we can continue to build an even better Harlow and champion apprenticeships and education.

Harlow College’s Stansted Airport Skills Centre will mean more jobs and apprenticeships for Harlow residents. The centre will give our young people the necessary skills and training take the first step on the ladder of opportunity and open up opportunities and jobs for their futures. Harlow College is a beacon of light for skills and education, being one of the best colleges in the country. I’m delighted they will be able to continue their great work at this new centre too.

Following on from the support for J7a, I am delighted that the Government has also announced an extra £5million of funding for Harlow’s roads and is serious about fixing the traffic problem in our town. I’ve worked hard to ensure that Harlow gets the investment it needs. This money is about making sure that Harlow has the right infrastructure before we get the new junction so we make sure our roads can fully support it.

I thank the Leader of Harlow Council, Cllr Jon Clempner and the Chief Executive, Malcolm Morley, for all of their support on this. I must also say a massive thank you to Essex County Council, particularly Cllr Kevin Bentley, Cllr Rodney Bass, David Sprunt, and Andrew Cook and the rest of his team, for all the hard work they have put in to make this junction possible.

Whilst I realise that this junction is a difficult decision for some, it is incredibly important for the future of the whole of Harlow. It will unlock more housing and unlock more money to rebuild our town centre. Alongside Harlow College’s new Skills Centre, it means more jobs and apprenticeships, more businesses and more prosperity, all which will help build an even better Harlow.”