Harlow Council urge Gilden Park developers to take swift action
General / Mon 3rd Jul 2023 at 04:45pm
HARLOW Council is demanding that the three housebuilders at Gilden Park take swift action and produce a programme for the delivery of community facilities.
Despite completing a substantial number of homes, the Gilden Park developers, Persimmon, Barratt and Taylor Wimpey have failed to yet provide several community facilities.
Under the terms of the legal agreement the developers were obliged to deliver:
- Sports pitches and a pavilion
- Allotments
- A community centre
- Retail facilities
However, despite trigger points in the legal agreement being passed the developers have not made the required progress.
The council is also working with Essex County Council to push forward plans for a school as the land has been supplied to them by developers.
The council has been in on-going discussions with the three developers and have met on several occasions to resolve the issues above without needing to revert to enforcement action. The council remains in active dialogue with the developers.
Councillor Michael Hardware, Harlow Council’s cabinet portfolio holder for economic development, said:
“Residents are missing out by not having these vital community facilities – they are crucial in the creation of this emerging new community. We have tried our best to encourage the developers to provide what they promised but we are now, therefore, investigating all legal routes to ensure these three developers meet their obligations.”
Aerial image of Gilden Park by Brian Thomas photography.
James
2023-07-03 17:36:11
What incentive do these developers have? If there are no penalties for not building the community facilities it isn’t going to happen anytime soon!
Stew Feinstein
2023-07-03 17:37:50
These developers are absolutely disgusting. They have taken the law into their own hands, it’s been nearly 5 years and they have built no community much needed facilities. Not even a local food shop or coffee shop. The roads on the development are dreadful and the development is pitch black at night. The maintenance is dreadful and we have rotting weeds and badly burnt lawns, yet we are paying money. Why do the council let the big builders and management companies get away with this. It’s CRIMINAL! DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. HIT THEM WHERE IS HURTS AND TAKE THEM TO COURT. THEY ARE MAKING COMPLETE FOOLS OF YOU
CP
2023-07-03 18:31:28
These de elopers dont care about all the extras, all they care about is building as many homes as they can on the smallest bit of land and in the quickest time possible. The amount of new homes that have already been built and with many more yet to be built ,harlow will is fast becoming an overpopulated concrete jungle and there will be nothing here but homes and nothing else. The original harlow new town has been well and truly ruined.Developers are greedy, selfish, vile humans.
John Johnson
2023-07-03 18:42:57
Paths are half-finished, like walking over piles of rocks in places. Roads aren’t finished, doing the suspension no favours. No shop in so many years is a scandal. Areas are overgrown with weeds. There’s a children’s park that looks finished but it’s cordoned off and been allowed to become overgrown. Who’s holding the developers to account? Can they actually be hit hard in the pocket where they’ll care?!
Kim Oconnor
2023-07-03 18:48:07
Just a a minute, Harlow council,, what was said in consultation.??? Going back to the Gilston project s, we were told, that no No facilities would be build till all houses were built... So is this just properganda, to stop the people speaking up.. we all know the developer s have had the upper hand for far to long,,and change,direction at a wime, but you councils must of known the deal..
Susan
2023-07-03 19:10:00
John Johnson you are absolutely right. I can’t even walk my babies pram over some paths, have to make alternative routes. Not acceptable.
Robert Furber
2023-07-03 19:33:31
"urging talks" / developing a dialogue does not get oyu what you want. PAINFUL FINES does. Get on with it. Sanction them where it hurts - their finances. It's #SimpleStuff
Mr Alexandros Violaras
2023-07-03 19:37:31
This whole development is an absolute mess built to a very low standers and High profit for the developers . It took Persimmons 2 years to replace my whole balcony door and window that was installed by cow boys originally. They don't don't give a dam . Landscaping is a total mess, unfinished pavements and roads, street light that don't work. Harlow council should take the 3 developers to the cleaners lol, And ban them from building any other developments in Harlow
Jay
2023-07-03 20:52:20
These developers apparently pay huge amounts to the Conservative Party…what more can you expect? However Harlow still votes the Tories in…unbelievable!
TC
2023-07-03 22:58:01
As someone with a disability I am appalled by the lack of completion for the promised facilities. It says in the masterplan a shop will be built and the developers have told residents it was never in the plans and will not be done, which is outrageous. This development is not accessible to Old Harlow shops for those with disabilities and illnesses. The development is overgrown with some parks still shut off (although completed for over a year). It’s such a shame as it could be an excellent place to live.
Novoman
2023-07-04 07:32:33
There was a sports pavilion promised by developers for Church Langley, still waiting after 30 years!!
Paul
2023-07-04 07:56:13
On the 27th June this publication reported the approval of a development on Harlow's borders Brookfield Garden Village. The Conservative leader of the council (Broxbourne Borough Council), Lewis Cocking, said: “The developments will create much-needed housing and affordable homes, a variety of leisure and retail facilities, including a new cinema and up to 2,500 permanent new jobs." I say to the residents on our borders learn Gilden Parks experience and beware of false promises.
Peter
2023-07-04 09:07:13
It seems that almost every developer is as bad as these three. Councils need to have penalties included and act on them as soon as necessary. That is why there are other problems on our roads throughout the town - poorly worded contracts without penalties.
Paul
2023-07-04 09:20:27
It appears that the Gilden Park developers, Persimmon, Barratt and Taylor Wimpey idea are trying to dispel their responsibilities by selling off land in Gilden Park that has approval for retail development that they have Not provided The Lifestyle Article of todays date in this publication has some detail see link below https://www.yourharlow.com/2023/07/04/property-large-plot-of-land-for-sale-on-gilden-park-in-harlow/
Mick Dutch
2023-07-04 10:06:41
The HC planning enforcement team come down hard on individuals who do not build in compliance to planning permissions......yet are reluctant or incapable of enforcing compliance on large cash rich national house building companies......I wonder why???
Debbie Hutchison
2023-07-04 10:41:35
What about a doctors surgery - the one in Old Harlow can not cope with the demand! Do something! Pls! My aged mother can not even get an appointment has had to go A&E a few times. It’s not acceptable is it!
CP
2023-07-04 11:56:01
This is the future for harlow!!!!.and it is only going to get worse.Lol.A once perfectly lovely town well and truly ruined. Criminal.
Sara Knight
2023-07-04 12:51:39
Been there a year and a half Myrtle Close i like being on the outskirts as opposed to central Harlow there should be speed bumps or speed cameras motorbikes race along the new road and the sound is unbearable far above 80 decibels!! & paths are constantly being dug up !! Frustrating to say the least ..
Nick Foster
2023-07-04 14:01:09
It is all so predictable. The same things are promised for the Harlow North developments where 10,000 homes are going to be built. The council should insist on the community facilities and other promised developments are built at the same time as the first houses. There is no incentive for the developers to fulfil promises once they have the house buyers money.
CP
2023-07-04 14:35:54
Central harlow was a lovely place once upon a time and i would still much rather be in the original harlow new town than on the outskirts in gilden park. Gilden park must be such a horrible place to live judging by some of these comments. Such a shame that peoplehave been misled by lies.
Rob
2023-07-04 15:33:49
Seems par for the course with developers all over the country, facilities promised and not being delivered , schools, medical facilities , shops often promised initially then dropped as not being economically viable to the developers. Would be interesting if they were made to build those first….
ANE
2023-07-04 18:34:40
Taylor Wimpey are rubbish and have misold the property. They shouldn't get away with this and need to be held accountable. There is no paving therefore people have to walk in the grass or on the road which is unacceptable. There is no fencing for ground floor properties even though the plan showed hedges to create separation. There is no security (entrance and car park camera). The roads are uneven, I can roll down a few roads with rollerskates without moving. Even walking on the bark you can tell that you are walking down a slope. The landscaping is crap and not covered in any of the charges we pay to the management company. There is no street lighting. Not enough drains. The list goes on
Seamus
2023-07-04 23:08:51
Put a stop order on any further building by these developers. It's not as though the council haven't had to chase developers before. Church Langley the developers were poor, Newhall is following the same slack standards and I wonder if the Gildern park developers have met their obligation on social housing as they rarely do. A stop works order is a great focuser of the mind for developers and it's time Harlow authorities grew a pair and used them.
Paul Wadley
2023-07-05 04:35:46
As a former resident of Harlow, 1956 to 2016, I read with interest as to what are affordable homes? As a local parish councillor in Cornwall, myself and my other PC colleagues have been asking that question as have most parish councils across Cornwall. Planning application after planning application all have or state that app. 80% of new homes will be affordable, but no one can define what affordable means. Ask Harlow Council or local councillors for a definitive answer. The real, perhaps cynical answer, is for those on long term benefits or long term unemployment because there are no jobs, can afford to buy house, which is largely subsidised by the tax payer, working hard to pay for their own home, feed the children and pay the bills.
Sera
2023-07-05 11:08:02
Be better off making contracts that state these developers have build facilities as proof of infrastructure before they are allowed to build the houses, rather than the other way round. Paths are a joke around there and it looks half finished. Feel so bad for the residents, just another 'utopia' built on lies.
GB
2023-07-12 18:24:32
I really hope the council mean what they say but I think this is just pre election speak. Words but no action probably.
26 Comments for Harlow Council urge Gilden Park developers to take swift action: