Letter to Editor: Harlow Common Tory asks “Are you for or against Harlow Town?”
Politics / Mon 2nd Jan 2023 at 02:34pm
HARLOW Common councillor Stacey Seales has responded to questions raised by The Green Party regarding developments in the town.
Councillor Seales said: “The greatest illustration is confusion created from those who TALK to developing Harlow Town without a plan or any desire let alone action except expertise to criticising real actions.
There are always risk in every endeavour so shall we continue to folding our hands whilst years on over decades we make promises of a better town without any action? Will this not be deception of promises made across all parties over years to the people of Harlow on what they say they wanted to see? Well finally it is no longer TALK but ACTION so what are we now debating here.
In time not too distant, the reality is that without care or a plan Harlow Town was left to decline into the state all complaint about way before Covid-19 and a Tory administration. A town with no plan, direction or clarity of how to rebuild or help it’s residence leaving many to move out of Harlow. It is only NOW very evident to see the unfolding of a plan, care and clarity of the direction Harlow Town will take- History in making to be precise.
Change can be receptive , hard to adjust to and resisted simply due to lack of vision. I understand the concerns shown can be part of this above on the contrary change is what Harlow Town needs.
Question? Over the last decade Why did all those businesses uproot themselves out of Harlow when the economy was stable if everything was all in working order?? Or perhaps we should debate or refer to the decline of services and closures of building in the last 10 years and lack on local employment.
The action taken by the council under a Tory administration, to listen and deliver in such a short time span, the effective changes needed to fulfilling the promises made to the people of Harlow over decades should be credited not criticised.
This intentional act of bravery is the best thing that can happen to Harlow Town , the regeneration of it to creating stability, development, financially benefits for businesses and Harlow residents which will eventually create an environment of growth aspiration for local people to dig deeper and achieving whatever they dare to believe they can.
Considering there are so many things we can all collectively do in making people lives better than the continuous negatively and tearing down of good things taking place in Harlow.
These are times to bring hope , show kindness and building people , make them resilient and self sufficient irrespectively of our political stance is crucial
Harlow deserve and has been this opportunity so it can strive.
Question is ??? Are you for or against Harlow Town- is all we need to all ask ourselves. And be prepared to work toward this common goal.
gary roberts
2023-01-02 14:55:09
Cllr. Seales your job is to campaign for the benefit of your constituents': Their needs, and issues isn't it? It is not just to support the so called plan for Harlow, whatever that is. What is this plan for Harlow? Do you know?
Tony Durcan
2023-01-02 16:25:10
Just perhaps, she should talk to her mate the local MP about Government policy first before attacking the Harlow community. Why not visit the Kao and science parks. Visit both enterprise hubs and see the successful business on all these sites. This did not just happen but was due to hard work of partners including the council in bring new jobs and opportunities to Harlow. You can bring new growth, new jobs and even new housing but we need government to help support the infrastructure for all including a new PAH. Tories are Silent on this truth. Typical Tory spin,just blame everyone else and not giving any acknowledgement to Harlow for his history and legacy. Another question is what have the local Tories done in the last 2 years except sack their own leader and senior cabinet members besides buy a shopping centre. Tell us what have you built that wasn’t already planned and paid for. New year , sadly old attitude from local Tories. Disappointing but not surprising letter from the Tory councillor
Nicholas Taylor
2023-01-02 16:42:16
Cllr Seales, what businesses have uprooted themselves and left the town? Have you not heard of the Innovation Park, the new warehouses at the Pinnacles, the buildings going up at Riverway and many others, all creating new jobs. The towns population has increased by some 10,000 in the last 10 years or so, many more people are arriving than leaving the town. We all want to see the Town Centre "regenerated" it is just that many of us do not agree about the way your Party and indeed Labour want to go about it. Despite the pledge your Party made, dilly dallying has seen the conversion of Osler House bite the dust, just as the one to make Harlow's cycle track the best in the world and work to be undertaken to enable residents to take pride in their estate. In the meantime, your Party has saddled the Town with a £21 million debt without providing any details about how this decision was made or sight of a risk assessment. Your Party is in the hands of Tories at EFDC who will shortly agree a plan that will see thousands of homes built on the Green Belt around Harlow, but not a single Council home.
Nicholas Taylor
2023-01-02 16:50:50
Only the 2 January and I am already agreeing with Cllr Durcan. And nearly two years in and Market Square has still not been finished, Cllr LeMay has got nowhere in getting pot holes sorted out and not a brick has been laid on a new Council home other than those in Labour's pipeline of new builds.
Dave Summerville
2023-01-02 17:09:24
I don't know why we can be positive and look to a bright future for Harlow in a country run by Tories for ten years. I see the rich getting richer, making sure they continue that way, crisis management, backed by cabinet politicians who were chosen by successive PM's ( especially "Bojo the Joke" who were inept, incompetent and in many case downright dishonest. Most people in Harlow are "ordinary" and are terribly let down.--What hope do they have??--All those years with "nice man" Rob at the helm--where are the real improvements. I can't see them--I've lived in Harlow for over 50 years--things have got worse nationally and locally in our Tory Utopia.
Luke Burton
2023-01-02 17:21:13
Sick of this regeneration by piecemeal. Most of the town needs demolishing and there needs to be a zero tolerance policy on crime. The Tories aren't any better either - this smug Councillor has a bloody cheek talking about the decline of local services. Party of law and order and public services my backside! Same for Labour and their daft plant pots in Market Square.
Tony Durcan
2023-01-02 19:30:44
Luke just to be clear the red pots were planted last time the Tories were running the council. We inherited them and the dead trees. They were called Perrin red pots as Russell Perrin was the regeneration cabinet member who ordered them. Now he is the leader of the council… Thank you
Luke Burton
2023-01-02 19:38:51
Thank you for clarifying, Cllr Durcan.
James
2023-01-03 09:03:02
Luke, Cllr Durcan omitted to mention that his Labour administration replaced the red pots with the current umbrellas and outdoor table tennis slabs currently serving to attract drunks to the Market Square.
Kim Oconnor
2023-01-03 10:05:13
The best thing for the market square is to bring back the week day market, people miss the market, and brings in revenue for town. Who's leaving, the only people I see leaving are the ones offered huge amount s of money, because they don't want to be surrounded by huge unaffordable housing estates. Destroying the peace of the river stort valley, by adding a 4 lane road going, right through it. Building on wet lands.. most of us in Harlow can not afford,,, let a lone the 5000 waiting on housing list. It's council houses we need.. No ones against regeneration,, but not at the cost of our green belt.. All this is doing is bringing more and more people in to Harlow who can afford theses unaffordable houses, with no infrastructure what so ever.. The hospital, the school s, ect,, can not cope now.. Your project s are vanity project s that do not benift this town or its people. The needs of this town first.. not profit and greed..
Nostradamus
2023-01-03 10:16:13
What both parties seem to ignore, neglect or jusrt fail to appreciate is that cramming hundreds and hundreds if not thousands of people into hi rise flats is not progress it is overload, trashing the ecology of the environment and wasting public money on schemes like J7a and the Eastern crossing radically increases congestion and pollution. Both red and blue haven't a clue and policies at all levels of government National, County and district and their collective failures and decades of short term myopic thinking have put the Country and our town in the dire state it's in today. Their 1960s models of development are dead and take no account of the importance of improving wellbeing, mental and physical health, the quality of life here and Climate Change. If Cllrs focused on improving living conditions, healthy living and the environment rather than the profits of property developers, the privatised utility companies and transport companies then we might get out of the downward self destruction spiral we see today. Residents are for Harlow and the people not plans that enrich Tory donors.
Kim Oconnor
2023-01-03 10:22:03
Exactly, well said nosradamus.
Tony Durcan
2023-01-03 13:18:54
James ,if the Tories feel that the seating and covered areas are so terrible then as you’re in charge remove them.
Jen
2023-01-03 23:51:05
I couldnt agree more than with Kim. Yes the town centre looks tired, sad & very neglected, but if the market control had been handed to the market traders themselves all those years ago, then I guarantee we would have a market area to be proud of. We should be hosting monthly markets from Countries such as Germany, France, Poland, Spain etc... and weekly markets with fresh fruit/veg, fabric, clothing, toys etc... The market square should be a hustling paradise of purchasers not a desolate, expanse of drudge & concrete ping pong tables or over sized Bill & Ben homes!! Outside seating dining areas are great in the good weather, but come wind & rain, what happens to them?
James
2023-01-04 01:39:06
Dear Tony, I think that will be done under the regeneration programme.
Nicholas Taylor
2023-01-04 08:58:14
James, and replace them with what? Over a quarter of a million pounds was wasted on regenerating Market Square just a few years ago and according to Dan another million on the more recent repaving. Despite his assurances that planting of the shrub beds would take place last autumn, this has still not been done. I repeat once again, this should be turned into the cultural area of the Town Centre, buy Market House, build a new 1000 seater theatre, exhibition centre, live music venue and hold outdoor events during the better weather. Far better than using the tiny space in front of the Playhouse, which will never be big enough to cater for 'bigger' acts. We don't need a new bus station costing millions of pounds, some new paving, better lighting and regular upkeep at the existing station would mean these millions of pounds could be used to kick start the regeneration of the north part of the Town Centre.
Stacy Seales
2023-01-07 11:50:58
Cllr Durcan, I come in peace. There are three sides to a story - Facts, opinions and the reader’s interpretation. Facts are relevant to progress especially when changes are occurring. Attacking the Harlow community you say ! Well if only you were good at receiving feedback without playing victim I would enlighten you further. It is evident that attacking is ONLY something you seem an expert in doing not I. Let’s focus on building Harlow Town, learning from the past and getting right what is not working rather than boring the community with the historical message point scoring of why Labour needs to be in administration- I am sure election campaigns are given to demonstrate this not development or operation of the council or day to day running of it.
Stacy Seales
2023-01-07 12:03:07
Good day Mr Robert, My colleagues & I ( especially) take great pride and joy intentionally serving the community elected or not ; Perhaps your statement should be directed to members of your own party not those you focus so much on. Some decorum , vision backed with action implementation are the only campaign method one needs not outburst rant. Hopefully this may be grasp by future past or current readers / leaders.
Nicholas Taylor
2023-01-07 14:33:25
Very happy to accept you comment about three sides to a story Stacy. So take the facts first. Your Party are supporting the destruction of the Green Belt around Harlow, trash the Stort Valley, turn our Town Centre into a centre full of high rise flat blocks and leave the Town with the smallest theatre in the region. Secondly, we are all entitled to our opinions. What you and the other politicians do though is ignore those opinions and take the 'we know best attitude. Hence for example the decision to ignore 6000 people objecting to the Stort River crossing. Thirdly, interpretation, what is clear is that for many years the Council has failed to engage with residents both before and after making decisions. This continues to this day, I could give you a list of examples as long as your arm of where the Council continues to fail to do this. This means residents are ill informed, or more likely not informed at all. You Party are quite simply not serving the Community. Your Party are nationally in the pockets of developers who are making billions of pounds profit for shareholders. My last sentence returns to the subject of fact.
Kim Oconnor
2023-01-08 10:38:37
Your last sentence is spot on,Nicholas. INTO THE POCKETS OF BIG PROPERTY DEVELOPERS. NOT SERVING THE COMMUNITY. MAKING BILLIONS FOR SHAREHOLDERS. Spot on again.
gary roberts
2023-01-08 11:34:41
Cllr. Seales, who is Mr Robert? If you are referring to me I would appreciate it if you would get my name correct: It is just good manners. Again if you are referring to me perhaps you could tell me what "party" I belong too. For the record I have never joined a political party in my now 63 years. An apology would be welcomed. Finally, please could you outline what campaign you have joined in support of the Potter Street area? One will do for now.
Kim Oconnor
2023-01-08 19:28:47
Cllr seales. Doesn't want to hear the real problems . Your party surrport the destruction of our river stort. Your party will go a head with the destruction of our green belt, bringing thousands more people into the town, with no infrastructure what so ever. Its all about big development s that no one can afford. Sort the state of this town out first, people s needs, and listening to people. And remember you have over 5OOO waiting for homes here. Sort the town out first.
Theman
2023-01-09 15:41:30
I think Harlow is a true success story, in the past 50 years successive councils have increased the level of poverty, reduced public amenities, congested all our roads. We have a thriving food bank and we even have a world class homelessness unit . We should all be proud of what Harlow council has done for us.( tongue firmly in cheek)
Danny Long
2023-01-10 19:28:55
Tony Durcan. The red pots were not put in place when the Tories were last the administration party of Harlow because I remember buying a Tshirst from a stall holder in 2011 and obviously, the market was still there in 2011 and you lot, the Labour party, got elected in as the administration party of Harlow in 2012 and this town has gone down hill ever since the Labour party got elected in as the administration party of Harlow in 2012. Kind regards.
Bert puttocks
2023-01-14 00:04:03
Stacey's a babe ❤️
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