Council buys derelict land to build new council homes for Harlow families
News / Wed 13th Jul 2022 at 05:30am
HARLOW Council has completed the purchase of derelict land on Parnall Road to use as part of its major council housebuilding programme.
The council plans to use the land to build seven 3- storey, 3-bedroom town houses. All houses would be council-owned and allocated to Harlow families on the Housing Needs Register.
The land, on the corner of Risdens and Longbanks and opposite Stewards Academy, was formerly a builder’s merchant and offices but has been vacant since 2006. It is now overgrown and a fly-tipping hotspot.
The council made the decision to move ahead with the purchase of the land at its Cabinet meeting in January 2022.
Councillor Dan Swords, Deputy Leader of Harlow Council, said:
“Buying this land – without borrowing any money – is a significant step forward for the regeneration of Staple Tye and will support our council housebuilding programme. Currently, this land is an eyesore and brings absolutely no benefit to the local community or the town. This purchase will change that and is a major boost to our house-building plans as it means we can build even more council homes to meet local housing need.
“The new council homes that we build here will be of the highest quality using the very latest technology to make them carbon neutral.
“Our housebuilding programme is all about building the right homes in the right places to the highest standards so that we can truly improve the lives of Harlow families. I would like to thank council staff who have worked hard to secure the purchase of this site.”
The purchase has been funded using section 106 funds received by the council from the development on the former Churchgate Hotel site. This money was secured specifically for the provision of new affordable housing in the town.
Work is now taking place to confirm the plans for the development ahead of a planning application being submitted later this year. The council is also planning to build new homes in Staple Tye on the former Lister House site and the Staple Tye Depot on Perry Road.
Jerry
2022-07-13 05:57:46
And the house will be allocated to people on benefits as the council (as my son found out) they will not house people who work for a living.
gary roberts
2022-07-13 08:18:44
Seven homes? A major development? A dent in the housing needs list? Another photo shot? Do me a favour! Could I suggest that a flat block is more in keeping with this area and ideal for the younger demographic section on the housing needs list. As for the comments by Jerry perhaps a serious head wobble is needed.
Nicholas Taylor
2022-07-13 08:38:55
Credit where credit is due, this brownfield site has been an eyesore for 15 years. It is a pity that the Conservatives continue to propose the building of houses rather than bungalows. The former will no doubt be sold to sitting tenants in the years to come, building the latter, near to shops, bus stops, the library and as well as 'fitting in' with the bungalows nearby would have been a better use of what rightly can be described as a 'windfall' site. I understand Jerry that applicants must have an income of less than £41k per year, presumably your son and or his family members earn more than this. With the rapid increase in house prices to buy or rent, this figure if I am correct, should be significantly increased.
A
2022-07-13 10:49:40
Jerry - the majority of folks receiving welfare are in-work, often working in those low-paid but in absolutely vital roles. Let's not rehash the myth of 'scroungers' from a decade ago again...
Citizen
2022-07-13 11:18:04
Great more houses! This town is being swamped!! The infrastructure simply can't take much more! Harlow hospital has the worst waiting times in the country! (Yes I know new hospital will be built in God knows how many years)...schools have doubled in sizes, my childs primary class has over 40 kids in! When I was at school it was half that! We dont want more people taking hospital beds, doc appointments, school places (and no the answer is not to build more schools) the anwser is to do what the east end did 40 years ago and move them somewhere else!!
Mr Grumpy
2022-07-13 11:43:21
New houses for "Harlow people". Heard it all before. Pull the other one!!
Scared for future
2022-07-13 11:45:37
I have to agree with most comments but specifically infrastructure. Harlow Council may be building 7 houses (wow (not)) but looking around the town significant builds which are not reflected by support services hospital can't cope now doctors are a joke and some in special measures (which is long overdue) police ambulance can't cope now with issues day to day. You can't build houses or flats and not all other services. There is a perfect storm brewing with these issues and our politicians local and national of all party's are failing the majority and pandering to the minority.
peter henegan
2022-07-13 12:45:33
Harlow Labour-you need to explain why the Conservatives are able to do this whereas you did not.
Rasp
2022-07-13 13:03:53
Citizen, I could not agree more....
Alan Leverett
2022-07-13 14:53:19
Are the Conservatives going to be transparent to its council tax payers and provide details of the cost of purchase of the site and that it will be value for money. This applies to this site and Ocassio House recently purchased for developement of social housing.
Daniel Long
2022-07-13 15:09:07
Yeah, Yeah, i bet they will be for the Harlow residents, not. They will be for people who live in the likes of Turnmanus house and the red stone building who are mainly former London residents anyway or for those who live in London, to move into. These will not be for the likes of the Harlow residents who have been on the Harlow housing waiting list for ten years plus. I don't have any trust or have faith in this Tory administration party of Harlow when it comes to this subject and most definitely do not have trust or faith in the former Labour administration party of Harlow when it comes to this subject.
Tony Durcan
2022-07-13 16:17:22
This site came back on the market several months ago for the first time for a number of years. The owner was simple banking land to make profit. The council made a bid for the land from money being generated from other opportunities but we’re out not successful. It now appears the successful bidder then chose to resell and as the council were the second bidder they were offer the site. This is good news and will be welcomed by the local residents as it been a tipping ground for all types of rubbish. Pleased the council remains committed to building council homes regardless of politics Agreed that infrastructure is critical including sorting out local services such as Lister house and PAH first.
peter henegan
2022-07-13 17:05:20
Thanks for that info Tony. Just shows the absurdity of the current system whereby land can be allowed to become an eyesore rather than be forcibly used to the benefit of the town. Is the old Square site in the same situation?
Kim Oconnor
2022-07-13 18:52:02
There strategy was to build build build thousands an thousands of unaffordable housing estates, and squeeze in council property s, on small pieces of land. Which still doesn't add up to hundreds and hundreds of council houses that Dan swords mentioned. This has all been done round the wrong way, 5OOO on waiting list, local people first and foremost.
James Leppard
2022-07-13 19:29:08
Kim O’Connor, the Council cannot build on land it does not own. This seems always to be catch 22. If they build, it is the wrong, place, wrong design (bungalows v houses v apartments, etc.). Then there are those that say it is not enough, whilst others complain with equal vehemence that it is too much and we are losing our green spaces. Then there is the argument presented by Cllr Durcan that the necessary infrastructure needs to accompany new builds - public or private. This is correct, but much of the ‘infrastructure’: medical services, schools, etc do not full under Harlow Council’s direct remit. This Council is trying to deliver on the housing need, but let us not forget that Harlow has one of the highest population densities in the Region, only have about 11 sq miles of territory. There are no spaces to build the neighbourhood estates of the 1950s/60s. It seems from, many of the comments, to be a no win situation. That said, this Council will continue with its house building plans.
Nicholas Taylor
2022-07-13 19:57:42
The thing is James, even at the time the Local Plan was going through the process leading to December 2020, the Council was already reporting there was already 1600 more homes being planned for than the number required by Government, the highest 'uplift' as it is known in the country. Since then, windfall sites have pushed this up to about 3000 and your Parties long term plans for unaffordable homes will push this much higher. The problem of course is that probably only 10% of all the homes built will be Council owned, which is where the real housing need is. The Council should continue to seek to buy other sites, including office conversions which in turn could be converted in to proper homes for Harlow people, ending the misery for those having to live in rabbit hatch sized homes.
James Leppard
2022-07-13 20:49:56
Kim O’Connor, the Council cannot build on land it does not own. This seems always to be catch 22. If they build, it is the wrong, place, wrong design (bungalows v houses v apartments, etc.). Then there are those that say it is not enough, whilst others complain with equal vehemence that it is too much and we are losing our green spaces. Then there is the argument presented by Cllr Durcan that the necessary infrastructure needs to accompany new builds - public or private. This is correct, but much of the ‘infrastructure’: medical services, schools, etc do not full under Harlow Council’s direct remit. This Council is trying to deliver on the housing need, but let us not forget that Harlow has one of the highest population densities in the Region, only have about 11 sq miles of territory. There are no spaces to build the neighbourhood estates of the 1950s/60s. It seems from, many of the comments, to be a no win situation. That said, this Council will continue with its ambitious council house building plans.
Elisa Larch
2022-07-14 04:26:48
Building bungalows would be a great idea as there are plenty of pensioners that would give up their large homes with high heating bills for an affordable bungalow. Close to all amenities too. So long as the houses are then allocated to families born and schooled in Harlow. Rather than the residents dumped in the town buildings by London councils.
Nicholas Taylor
2022-07-14 07:53:47
Elisa, this is one of the key policies of the Harlow Alliance Party. Another benefit is that if done correctly, they cannot be sold under the tenants Right To Buy. Building Council HOUSES does nothing to help with the housing crisis in the long term, they will be sold in the coming years just as with any Council house can and there will be no space left to build more council homes. The Tories simple do not understand or do not want to understand that the Council need to make best use of what little space can be built on without ruining the town in the future. James, I note that you have not responded to my point that plans are already in hand to build thousands more homes than required by the government. This will place unnecessary strain on public services just as the conversion of offices to flats has. Totally unplanned for.
James Leppard
2022-07-14 14:30:49
Nick, I am checking this with Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, who is responsible for new house builds.
Nicholas Taylor
2022-07-14 16:22:19
James, Much of what I have stated was of course before Dan came on the scene and the only Councillor who attended the Local Plan Examination sessions from your Party was Cllr David Carter. The Inspector needed to be convinced that there was a robust new housing supply in the first 5 years of the Plan and that the total number required would be reached. The Council supplied a document which listed all the schemes known at that time and it totalled 1664 more that required by the Government. Much of these are now well advanced but since then of course many more have come to the fore and these are known as windfall sites. To date these total some 1400 homes, taking the total to about 3000. This was part of the case we made to the Inspector of the EFDC Local Plan, that is that building 3000 homes on the Green Belt around Harlow within the HGGT area should not take place. There is far more to this than I can put in this post.
TJ
2022-07-14 17:52:11
Ah... the housing waiting list. It's the same across the country. Thatcher gave social housing tennants the right to buy and brought in legislation that forbade councils to build any more. Relaxed bit now. But as George Osborne and Dave Cameron once said... no money for new social housing because it breeds 'socialists'. While Harlow continues to vote Tory whose ministers manage to get round Labour legislation on new developments include affordable homes, you deserve the government we have.
Jackie
2022-07-15 05:00:21
Jerry your point is brief but also accurate and to A your point is also correct BUT if you are not entitled to benefits because your income is slightly above the threshold you are forced to privately rent and buying is out of the question so you do not stand a chance of getting council housing .
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