PLANS to demolish Old Harlow Police Station are set to go before planning committee

The plans propose for the “Demolition of the existing building and the erection of 31 Retirement Living apartments for older people (comprising 20 no. 1-bed and 11. no 2-beds) including communal facilities, access, car parking and landscaping (revised description).

The proposed development is to demolish and remove the existing buildings within the site and erect a three-storey ‘T-shaped’ building that would be externally clad with a mix of red brick and white-painted brick, with a concrete plain tile-clad roof. The central section of the building would be three-storeys in height with the two wings of the building either side having a two and a half-storey form with roof accommodation, with 3 front dormers on each wing.

The nearest existing residential properties to the proposed development are understood to be no. 115 East Park directly west of the site on the opposite of London Road, and Primrose House and the Telephone Exchange dwellings that are located approximately 30 metres away to the north. Slightly further away are the rear gardens of the two-storey dwellings of Chippingfield, approximately 40 metres to the east of the site.

The original submission contained 32 retirement living apartments for older people. The alterations to the roof design resulted in a reduction of proposed units to 31. A guest room is also proposed which can be booked by residents for visitors. A central pedestrian and vehicular access point would serve the site with 6 parking spaces provided to the north and south of the access point in the frontage of the site (12 in total). Two sections of communal amenity areas would be located either side (north/south) of the rear projection to the rear of the site.

The building would comprise of a mix of one and two-bedroom apartments, which would allow occupants to have independent living, but within a building that has communal facilities and access to healthcare support on site if needed. The development is a private- led scheme which would not contain an affordable housing provision or commuted sum.

For more details, go the planning section of Harlow Council’s website and look for HW/FUL/22/00297

The meeting will be held on Wednesday December 7th at 7.30 pm at the council offices.