Letter to the Editor: On the empty flats of Harlow
Your Say / Mon 5th May 2025 at 09:07am
Dear Editor,
I AM sure those of the electorate that have followed your reporting of the various housing developments made by the council over the recent past will be amazed that the most costly of them has still to receive any occupants.
The leader of the council proudly announced last year that the Burnt Mills flats development of one hundred and seventy-two flats was purchased to stop Newham council buying it at a cost of £56m. The ruling group on Harlow council praised the ingenuity of the council and proudly suggested these were homes for Harlow people. Sadly only fifty-two of them were allocated at this development for those on the council’s housing needs register the rest being offered on the open housing market.
I have asked Cllr. Swords why no residents have moved into the development and was told that tenancies were being prepared and that there would be occupation soon. That was over three months ago and still the development is empty. As for tenancy agreements of the fifty-two flats they would not be needed because they would be tenants’ of the council and would be subject to the conditions every other council tenant currently has to abide by surely.
In summary buying developments for Harlow people is excellent but if no Harlow people are living in them it makes a mockery of the council mantra of “homes for Harlow people”, doesn’t it?
Further will this happen at the current developments at Staple Tye, and Lister House? With over five thousand Harlow people on the council’s housing needs register, I hope not.
Gary Roberts
Dan
2025-05-05 10:54:44
This is completely untrue. There are tenants in the block - all Harlow residents - as every apartment will be.
Seamus
2025-05-05 11:04:15
Perhaps Dan you could give an update? I ask because when you think you're doing a good job, you're all over the local press but when it comes to Burnt Mill developments, it went very quiet very quickly and the assigned letting agent pulled their adverts for the appartments. So could I politely ask, how many of the claimed 52 flats for Harlow social housing from the councils housing list, have actually been filled with Harlow residents?
Nicholas Taylor
2025-05-05 15:28:29
Very strange then Dan, not a single car in the car park and no lights on in any flat last night. And what of the tenancy type these 52 residents will have, can you please explain? And what of the other flats, will those who are offered one have to have lived in Harlow for at least seven years (ie Harlow homes for Harlow people)?
DJBUK
2025-05-05 21:01:54
I have not seen any occupants. What I can see is the contractors still have it fenced off, so there is no access.
John
2025-05-06 06:30:36
Can you also explain how £1,700 a month is classed as affordable rent and if that includes lease fees for the maintenance of the block as they are not mentioned on the letting agent site!
Kim
2025-05-06 08:27:52
Your quite right John, don't forget the service charges, that can run into the thousands, on any flat's. Oh don't worry they will make sure who can afford them, they will pick and choose. Theses flats are not occupied yet.
CW
2025-05-06 11:22:05
Shame there are so many empty houses around Harlow. We have 2 x 3 bedroom council houses in our area that have been empty since the start of November. I'm sure there are people on the waiting list for council houses who would love to move in to them. Such a waste.
Heather Brown
2025-05-06 12:31:45
Dan is not telling the truth. They're are no tenants whatsoever in these blocks, they are still completely empty. Which astounds me when my 84 year old mother has been hiding for a council home for over 16 years, YES 16 YEARS. Not one property has been listed on the Biddingc site to date either.
gary roberts
2025-05-06 14:10:36
In response to my letter to the editor above, I received an email from Cllr. Swords. He wrote: "The letter which you have placed in the local press today is completely untrue. There are tenants in this block – all of whom are Harlow residents – as all 172 apartments will be. I politely ask you to remove your article given it is horrendously untrue. If you decide not to do so, I will explore further actions to ensure you correct your record." Is this response appropriate from a leader of any council, let alone this one? I would suggest not.
Nicholas Taylor
2025-05-06 15:57:00
Gary, the response from Cllr Swords is truly amazing. Even if it turns out that one or two are occupied (and I still think this is not the case), one has to ask why after some 16 months since saying the Council had bought the block, all 172 are not yet occupied? Cllr Swords is adept at ignoring questions as evidenced at Full Council meetings and whilst I have no faith in Reform, I think from the evidence last Thursday his days as Leader of the Council are numbered.
Kim
2025-05-06 18:04:03
Nope no one in theses flats. Gary I thought we had freedom of speech in this country.
Heather
2025-05-06 20:23:59
When the car park to the blocks is Bolted, makes you wonder where they put their cars and why nobody in them can afford electric lights 😂. I have bidding records going back years, not once have they been advertised, so if there is anyone in them, was it yet another back handed transaction like some others (yes I have proof) get their council properties I wonder, maybe family members that work there too.
DJ
2025-05-06 20:28:47
I have seen rubber boats round the back...
Steve
2025-05-06 20:42:07
If all Council properties are allocated on the Bidding system with regards to dates and Bands, just how exactly have these been occupied without them being advertised. I would love a councillor to acquire proof of this and make it public. They have not appeared online as you would be able to confirm if you joined the group awaiting Harlow properties as it has been a recent topic. Why when the lists are so full, are there any properties empty for weeks,melt alone months.
Nicholas Taylor
2025-05-06 21:01:46
UPDATE. There are lights on in about eight flats this evening. Heather and Steve make a good point, why have the 52 flats not been advertised as part of the bidding system used by Harlow Council?
Seamus
2025-05-07 17:31:11
You do have to wonder why some lights are now on after pointing out no lights were on. Who got the job of turning empty flats lights on to make it look occupied?
Steve
2025-05-08 08:57:15
Ooh the council have actually listed 8 flats today out of all of these. 1 and 2 beds. Clearly someone is doing something all of a sudden, even if it is a minuscule amount in the grand scheme of things. Shame the housing application processes state 16 weeks and 6 months go by with still awaiting assessment by an officer. Do they only work part time ?
DJ
2025-05-08 09:20:47
Steve, were any of these 8 flats part of the Harlow bidding system?
gary roberts
2025-05-08 12:13:41
Steve, if my letter has provoked some action on this development then that is pleasing. I did reply to Cllr. Swords email suggesting he outline what parts of my letter is incorrect and untrue and that I would formally apologise on this site if I was wrong. He has not responded to date.
Mark Gregory
2025-05-09 22:30:55
THE LIGHTS ARE ON BUT NOBODY'S HOME DAN 🏡
lol
2025-05-10 07:13:41
Tenancy terms – Assured Shorthold Tenancy – 5-year term. Only about 10 people as opposed to the norm of about 70 applying, probably due to delays in transferring applicants over from the old system to the new which started beginning April, which HC stated would take up to 21 days (another lie). Totally wrong and discriminatory but that's the Housing Options Team and HC for you. No properties should be advertised until the backlog is cleared inc. outstanding reviews - 16 weeks (another lie) which seem to disappear down into a big black hole and return with made up excuses as to not give any priority so people have to go through the whole process again.
Nicholas Taylor
2025-05-11 09:27:01
Well IoI, if this is the case no wonder residents are not rushing to move in.Why would you turn up the opportunity to get a council flat at about £500 per month, with a secure long term or Introductory council tenancy for one that is double the rent with no long term security of tenancy and of course no hope of getting a council house if your family size increases. As for the time it takes to get an application on to the Housing Register, well in this day and age of electronic checks, this should be measured in days not weeks. Perhaps another example of what happens when job vacancies are not filled or jobs are deleted?
Tony WIseman
2025-05-13 07:10:03
What I find interesting about this is that there appears to be no reported involvement from the opposition to resolving this issue. Surely the team from Labour should be shouting from the roof tops about how poorly Cllr Swords and his team are doing in getting these flats filled.
Nicholas Taylor
2025-05-17 21:58:52
Just driven past the block, just a handful of lights on. Looks like even less cars in the car park.
Kim
2025-05-20 17:55:41
The light s are on ,in day time, so they will be on at night. But no body home.
Nicholas Taylor
2025-05-21 08:53:39
Nearly three weeks on from the original article and still very little if any increase in the number of flats being occupied. Readers will note that Cllr Swords has not responded to any of the questions I and others have raised with him. Drill down a little deeper and of course you will find that since last year, most single people and couples no longer qualify for a council home, if you do qualify you will have no long term security of tenure in this block, no chance of getting a council house in the future and the nearest schools are the best part of a mile away.
Seamus
2025-05-21 15:18:51
I didn't expect him to reply once he knew the game was up
Tony WIseman
2025-05-25 10:03:50
And, Nicholas, still no feed back from the opposition! Come on you labour councillors tell us how you are working with the housing department at Harlow Council to resolve this issue as Cllr Swords and his team appear to be doing nothing. If you can show us that you got the issue resolved that would be a massive feather in your cap and might even get you re-elected en mass at the next local elections.
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