Political parties continue to ask questions over Burnt Mill tower block
Politics / Sun 15th Jun 2025 at 08:13am
MEMBERS of different political parties have continued to put pressure on the Conservative-run Harlow Council over occupancy at council-owned tower block in the town.
On Thursday night’s cabinet meeting, Steve Barnes of the Harlow Alliance Party (HAP asked the following question:
Steve Barnes to Councillor David Carter (Deputy Leader and Portfolio
Holder for Housing):
Last November it was reported that you said that residents would be taking up
occupation of the flats at Burnt Mill the following month. Seven months on, very
few have been occupied.
Can you advise me why it is taking so long to get the block fully occupied and
whether those offered one on the open market have to have lived in Harlow for
at least seven years, a residency qualification required before an applicant is
accepted on the councils Housing Register?
Reply from Councillor David Carter (Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder
for Housing):
The purchase of Millbrooks Studios ensured that this important building was
protected from becoming a Temporary Accommodation facility for a London
borough and instead provides quality accommodation options to those seeking
rental properties within Harlow, including 52 affordable units at Local Housing
Allowance rates that are designated for use by individuals and families on the
council’s register with the remaining 120 available for Harlow residents.
We have welcomed numerous tenants to the building already and have a
pipeline of leases currently being worked through that will see full occupancy
over the coming months with our operator instructed to ensure those properties
are for Harlow residents.
Later on in the meeting, Labour councillor, Tony Edwards, brought up the subject again. He told the cabinet that he went to Millbrook Towers and it was, he said, deserted.
Nicholas Taylor
2025-06-15 08:53:18
Readers will note that once again Councilors evaded the question of why it is taking so long to get the building occupied. With thousands of applicants on the councils housing register, you would at the very least have expected the 52 affordable homes to have been occupied long ago. Is it a case that when the council removed some 2000 applicants from its Housing Register last year it left very few who qualify for a one or two bedroomed flat? Is it the prospect of only being given a 5 year lease rather than the usual type of tenancy a council offers putting applicant off from moving in? Or is it the huge rent payable (despite being called "affordable") putting people off. Whatever the case, it is remarkable and disturbing that after some 18 months, just a handful are occupied.
Deborah
2025-06-15 09:20:49
Our kids don't stand a chance of being able to afford to live near to there family, I'm so angry at how overcrowded and awful looking Harlow has become, my children are 3rd generation Harlow and people from London have been housed in Harlow over my kids. How is this ok?
Seamus
2025-06-15 10:17:13
I remember not so long ago we had a discussion in here were someone pointed out no lights are on in the block at night time. Dan Swords replied in here under his name of Dan and was quite insistent there were multiple tenants now in the block. I politely asked him could he tell us how many of the 52 council allocated properties had now been filled only for Dan never to be seen again. The concern's here are several. Firstly dan said council tenants were in flats, with councillor carter seemingly agreeing with this so you have to ask why are "leases" now an issue to the renters because all council tenants need are rental agreements, not leases? Investment, if you've borrowed tens of millions to buy a tower block, the first thing you need is a filled tower block to gain income to pay back those you borrowed money from so what's going on because no lender on that scale would tolerate no payments. Lastly, the first project dan started was Occassio house and that was knocked down 2 years ago and nothing has happened to it since. Because the council under Dan are often shutting out the press and residents from council meetings, there is a level of secrecy that might now warrant the start of an inspection into Harlow councils actions and dealings. This would be warranted under the vast amount of money being borrowed and with not a single project finished or in most cases, even started. What say you Dan?
gary roberts
2025-06-15 10:33:53
In my original letter to the editor of this organ on this important issue I also asked for clarity on how and when the block would be occupied. I am still no clearer on the answers provided and if Cllr Edwards is correct on current occupancy rates of the block Mr Barnes and I could be waiting a long time for the answers. More importantly so will the people waiting for a home on the housing needs register sadly.
Mike
2025-06-15 11:26:55
What is going on with Harlow Council at the moment? A fair question i think, as the non-occupation of these flats is more evidence of issues within the council. If these flats have been purchased using Harlow Council money, then the lack of income return because of there being so few, if any, occupancies must be a concern. And equally as worrying is the money that has been spent on the revamp of the bus station, the paving works on the Broadwalk, the purchase of the empty shops in the High, and the purchase of the Harvey Centre too. These purchases and projects must have cost the council a large sum of money, and I have to wonder where all the money came from? And, despite these vast amounts of taxpayers money being spent, the tower block is empty and not one of the building projects has been completed and work has ground to a halt. I fear that unless these issues are corrected soon, a bankruptcy situation may be on the horizon - and that would be a disaster for the people of Harlow.
Adrienne
2025-06-15 11:38:14
Dan Swords would you please have the common decency to answer questions.All you seem to be doing is inflaming the public.Shutting them out.It looks like you are hiding behind a brick wall. If you are not prepared to give members of the public(your employers) Answers then you are either not mature enough for the job.In which case you should never have been elected.Or someone is using you as a shield. Probably big business or some coward who using you . Please start clarifying situations as hiding agendas from the public is doing them a disservice What the hell is all this secrecy really hiding. I know what So If you don't tell I will. Then you can take a sigh of relief 😮💨
Nicholas Taylor
2025-06-15 12:04:32
Seamus, as a reader said some weeks ago, it appears that council tenants are not being offered the usual type of tenancy, instead it is a 5 year lease. If that is so, why would anyone want to take on such a lease, when they are on the councils waiting list expecting the usual type of tenancy? An average council rent is we are told just over £500 per month, a one bed flat in this block is I believe the best part of double that. In view of the income restrictions about who can go on the councils register, it meand most tenants will be claiming housing benefit. As someone who worked in housing management for over 40 years, councillors being evasive is never good sign. Nicholas Taylor, Leader of Harlow Alliance.
Seamus
2025-06-15 12:50:21
Thank you Nicholas, you're right of course. The standard expected seems to be off the local council home list and into a secure tenancy. As you rightly point out, the private rents in the block far exceed any agreed housing benefit level so just who is going into these flats if anyone is at all. It seems at every twist and turn the council, it's leaders and opposition councillors dare I suggest, are aware of events that if found true, could bar them from public office. The buck stops with Dan Swords but if others are knowingly allowing it then Harlow is looking at a Thurrock collapse. Time for some honesty and full disclosure Mr Swords. Every property purchase bought/rented/aqquired under your leadership, the lenders names, the terms of the finances, why no work has been completed and where do we stand financially as today. This is not going away Dan.
JP
2025-06-15 15:05:13
I fear Harlow Council is heading for bankruptcy!! Can anyone at the Council confirm otherwise? PLEASE! You cannot keep spending money like this without getting an income in to cover it!
Guy Flegman
2025-06-16 08:27:48
The real question is, how is it that the council has tax payers money for this sort of thing yet can only provide the barest minimum for basic services? Think about what a council is. It’s a body setup to by the community to serve the community and is funded by the community. It seems the basic contract between politicians and public is failing in this country and that can lead to a dangerous place.
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