Harlow Council set to buy Market House as Market Square redevelopment moves closer
News / Fri 9th May 2025 at 01:15pm
THE council is set to buy Market House as it continues to deliver its mission to ‘rebuild our town’ with the redevelopment of the old Market Square set to commence states Harlow Council.
This news follows the recent announcement that Harlow Council has purchased Adams House, which forms another side of the old Market Square. The comprehensive redevelopment which will see the Square transformed into a hub of leisure and hospitality, with bars, restaurants, outdoor dining, a street trading market space and a reinvigorated public square.
The acquisition is set to be agreed at a special Council meeting taking place on Thursday 15 May. The report on the purchase can be read here
Councillor Dan Swords, Leader of Harlow Council, said:
“We’re on a mission to rebuild our town, and that includes regenerating the whole town centre. The Market Square area has been derelict for far too long but it’s an area in which we’re taking significant action.
We recently announced that we have bought Adams House, which contains the iconic clock face, and work is now under way to prepare its regeneration, and today I can announce that we’re also buying the Market House building to further that regeneration.
“This will mean the northern end of the town centre can be completely rebuilt as it’s in our ownership, with a future that will include bars, restaurants, clubs and more, making this an area residents want to socialise and enjoy with brilliant day time and evening offerings.”
Ted
2025-05-09 17:55:43
Wheres all the moaners now. Eating humble pie ?
Get Strawberry Star Out
2025-05-09 19:26:04
Well done Dan Swords and Harlow Council! We need a CPO on Strawberry Star now as they clearly had no intention of ever developing Harlow. Get Strawberry Star out!
Resident
2025-05-09 21:46:33
Patience Ted, patience. The usual moaners are just calming down enough, to do their mental gymnastics as to why this is actually a bad news story. Mr Taylor, looking forward to your congratulating of the council on this as you have vociferously argued for many years that the building should be turned into a new Theatre; well this is a large step in that possible direction. Whether a theatre is built or not remains to be seen, however having overall control of what is built there is positive step indeed.
Seamus
2025-05-09 22:48:43
The concern is like that of the Burnt Mill development, finance. Burnt Mill, Adams House and now Market square, can anyone find any council minutes where this was discussed, voted on and where has the money come from? To have calculated the amount of money needed for Adam's house or Market House, you would have had to have plans for what you intended to do but yet no plans exist for scrutiny, no minutes for the raising of cash and at the momment, there appears to be no checks and balances on the council leaders spending. Perhaps if he was following established procedures we could see who, what, when, where and why it would be scrutinised. Please don't forgot, he's not spending his own money but money Harlow council (us) will be responsible for to see it's repaid
gary roberts
2025-05-10 06:33:51
Has this purchase been agreed by his cabinet? If so when was it agreed? What is the cost? Will any council homes be included in this development for those on the housing needs register? How will it be funded? Any answers Cllr. Swords?
Rob
2025-05-10 07:00:38
Where are we getting all this money from ? When will the High pavement actually be finished? Will we get any actual shops ? ???
Nicholas Taylor
2025-05-10 07:33:53
Resident, it is of course a step in the right direction but one that I think is very unlikely to turn out to be nothing more than another office conversion to flats. Very ironic at a time when the council is having to help pick up the pieces from the evacuation of Redstone House and of Joseph Rank House last year. Planning permission to add another floor and turn it into flats was granted some time ago, with the proviso that the external appearance was left much as it is today. Permission has also been granted to build another block to the immediate rear of Market House. As evidenced by the block at Burnt Mill, to make the financial sums add up, many of any new flats will need to be let on the open market at market rents, hardly affordable for most Harlow residents. Indeed one wonders who would want to live in and above an area where it is expected late night entertainment and leisure activities taking place. As the Harlow Alliance Party have always championed, this area should have been turned in to the Cultural Square with a new theatre , live music venue and exhibition centre, close to the new bus terminus. The Council should take a leaf out of Basildon Council who have bought a large site in their Town Centre and intend to build a 5000 seat arena. Such a development in Harlow would certainly have put the town on the map,
ratboy
2025-05-10 11:11:15
Whats the betting that all of these buildings are riddled with asbestos?
Nick Gunning
2025-05-10 13:47:44
Hopefully to demolish and put up something better. The town centre architecture is so poor and this eyesore should have long ago have gone into a sinkhole somewhere. Most people want a thriving market, homes with space and an appearence not best seen in the dark.
Kim
2025-05-11 10:26:46
Dan swords knows, that what people want in market square, is a regular week day market. But has choose to ignore them. Placing all theses facilities, and Placing people all round theses facilities, is a recipe for disaster.. the noise will be unbearable to live with.. They have learnt nothing from Placing people in the town, it's never a good idea. But Dan plodes on chasing the money, and ignoring what people actually want. And to be honest, and it's a shame that small businesses are shutting down, at a rate of knots, because of high costs. So I'll await to see what the truth, and what actually will be there. .
Lucy Hannay
2025-05-11 14:18:51
What happens to the businesses currently occupying that building,one of which just moved there ?
Ted
2025-05-11 18:15:30
Kim . I think your find there is going to be a market.
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