PLANS to regenerate the north end of Harlow Town Centre have been given a major boost with the approval of a development brief for the area. This is aimed at securing investment into Harlow from the private sector on top of significant investment Harlow Council is bringing forward via the Towns Fund through Broadwalk and Market Square.

The development brief, which was approved for adoption at Harlow’s Cabinet on Thursday 7 September, sets out several objectives for the north end of the town centre. It will guide redevelopment for the area around Stone Cross (Market) Square, Post Office Road and West Gate and help to secure investment into Harlow from the private sector.  

The purpose of the development brief is to inform potential developers and other interested parties of both the constraints and opportunities presented by each area concerned, and the types of development expected or encouraged by local planning policies. This will provide confidence for developers and will help to speed up the planning process. It will also be employed as a material consideration in determining any planning applications for the area along with other supporting documents. The council carried out consultation on the brief just before the summer with favourable comments received from landowners and organisations such as the Harlow Civic Society. 

The brief’s objectives are based on the principles of the Harlow Town Centre Masterplan, which was adopted in March 2022, and include:

• Creating an identity – Addressing the current imbalance of shoppers and visitors and bringing the area ‘back to life’.
• Improving its appearance – Enhancing the area with public realm amenities, planting, buildings, and tackling unattractive service area and blank frontages.
• Making better use of space – Re-purposing existing land and transforming vacant and under-used spaces for other purposes, particularly in and around Stone Cross Square.
• Protecting important architectural values – Ensuring that features and details of the area as buildings and spaces are redeveloped retain the area’s new town heritage.
• Improving pathways for pedestrians and cyclists – Creating safe, accessible and pleasant gateway entrances, removing cars where possible from the area and promoting public and sustainable transport.
• A significantly greener area – Building on existing green space features and creating opportunities for play spaces, community spaces, public art and other forms of green infrastructure.

Councillor Michael Hardware, cabinet portfolio holder for economic development, said:

“It is so important that we ensure that all areas of the town centre receive the right sort of development in line with our overall masterplan. As we are all aware the north of the town centre is in serious need of regeneration, but it needs to be the right type of regeneration to give the town centre as a whole the balance it is presently lacking. It is an area with a great deal of potential and a development brief for the area aims to capitalise on that potential. It will complement the other plans in place for the town centre for which more than £40 million of government funding has already been secured, such as the upgrades to Broadwalk and Market Square, the Playhouse Quarter and the upcoming bus station redevelopment.

“This is all about ensuring that we have all the right building blocks in place to rebuild our town, restore pride and secure investment into Harlow and that the standard of redevelopment in the town centre is consistent. A new, vibrant, safe and welcoming town centre where people of all ages want to spend their time is key to a better future for everyone in Harlow.”