Interview: Harlow Council leader Dan Swords on Building Harlow’s Future
Harlow Council / Wed 23rd Jul 2025 at 09:37am
ON FRIDAY, we sat down with the leader of Harlow Council to look back on the past year and to the future.
One of our first requests was a time table for all the work going on in the town centre.
The population is now now approaching 100,000.
Councillor Swords has said that by twenty years time, we will be looking at city status.
That may well be why their mantra is Building Harlow’s Future.
We are by no means councillor Sword’s cheerleaders but we happen to believe the 24-year-old is doing a remarkable job.
At the same time, it will be important that he has critical friends around him, in Harlow and beyond.
Seamus
2025-07-23 09:44:04
The trouble is, it's a city being crammed into a town and without the infrastructure to match. You can't fit a pint into a half pint glass.
Chel
2025-07-23 09:48:15
But Harlow is a Town not a city and should have been left as a Town.
Chel
2025-07-23 09:49:17
Seamus i totaly agree with you. You are right.
David Forman
2025-07-23 10:34:50
All I can say is that when I drive around town the landscaping looks so much better under Conservative council control. Under Labour it was poor and p-poor during Covid. So much nicer now. Well done Nicky Purse, the supervisors Matt, Steve and Richard and the wonderful lads and the lass in the landscaping team, especially Angel, Scotty, Ian, Rob, Shaun and Steve.
Seamus
2025-07-23 15:05:28
Would have to agree David. On the landscape front, Harlow does look tidy.
Nicholas Taylor
2025-07-23 16:26:56
And yet the slogan on the "shop" in the Harvey Centre says "From New Town to Garden Town". Cllr Swords simply does not get it that residents who have been here for decades want to remain in a town, not live in a huge conurbation the size of for example Southend and Chelmsford.
Ted
2025-07-23 18:24:35
Yes Nic . But they also want their children to have homes in the town , so they are near by as they get older
Col
2025-07-23 18:26:47
Come on people. You've got to say that he has done a fantastic job so far. Yes, some mistakes and he admits that but, you have to take your hat off to him. At 24, this guy is going far. I hope Harlow gets to keep him. He is good for us.
Adrienne
2025-07-23 18:51:33
Look here.It is a double edge sword.But after a little encouragement.Mr swords is finding his voice ABIT. He has posted on this paper a few times Even though he is extremely busy.He says he doesn't mind criticism.Well that's good.Because,if you are frightened of criticism,you can't see peoples views.The town map may seem like it is set in stone .But tweaking can be achieved. Let's face It we really knocked him about o these pages. The testament to the man is that he seems to welcome criticism. Ok,well here I go. Harlow is an old new town. Now I have been on the park run on my scooter. Could you please tidy up the craters and uneven surfaces. Try that would make a big difference for the runners,walkers,kids and dog walkers. Also, Mr Swords ⚔️ would you be so kind as to look into the pavements around little Pardon as some of the ones on hareberts road are a death trap..Ed you can pass on my e-mail if you like. I can be a hard women.But I can manage a softer approach if it works. I will save my congratulations until the work on the internal infrastructure is completed. Oh and David I think we maybe just have made a little headway with the amnesty cases.hugs.x
Nicholas Taylor
2025-07-23 19:33:59
Yes Ted, I agree but the council are building the wrong type of homes. If they built homes that are not subject to buy, tenants could move in who would downsize from their family home , leaving it for young families to occupy. Every time one of the homes for older residents became available, the process would start again. As it is, the new houses are likley to be occupied by the same family for decades, during which time they might buy it. It is simply not the best use of resources. If 99 houses are built, 99 applicants will come off the waiting list. If 99 older peoples homes were built then straight away 198 applicants could be rehoused and everytime one became vacant two more could be housed.
dal
2025-07-23 19:39:32
Mr swords when are the trees going to be cut down to a hedge all trees along the cycle path from pyenest road up to staple tye are growing out of proportion. they are blocking light and oetruding onto neighbours boundary. on council records it states from no 58 to 63 it is a hedge but i can assure you it is not a hedge and the trees are over 25ft high
Ted
2025-07-23 21:17:46
Adrienne. I have criticised some of your views, but all I get from you is UV . Practice what you preach . Please.
Ted
2025-07-23 21:23:50
Nic , trying to work out your figures . If 99 houses are built you could only house 99 families not 198 as the older people are already housed , just.moving to another one. Unless of course I can't count. Perhaps you can explain
Nicholas Taylor
2025-07-23 22:31:59
Ted. Build 99 houses and 99 applicants are provided accomadation. Build 99 homes for older tenants, 99 older tenants are housed from the waiting list and another 99 move into the homes the other 99 have vacated, hence 198 aaplicants are provided with a new home. It is this simple maths exercise the Tories have no understanding of. I hope this provides you with an explanation.
Derek Clark
2025-07-23 22:34:10
We should be grateful that this town is becoming better and better, look at all the councils on the verge of going under. Dan Swords has done a great job so far, long may it continue as I don't ever remember a council led by Labour that has achieved what he has in such a short time or even a long time, in fact ever.
Ted
2025-07-24 06:08:57
Okay Nic . Thankyou for explaining , I am taking it that is 99 older people are housed and on a list to down size. So 99 houses are built for older people, and families move into the houses they have vacated.You are still only housing 99 families from the housing list. The other list is just to down size.
Chel
2025-07-24 07:14:31
I have nothing good to say about Harlow. Lived here all my life and i cant wait to get out of here now. The Town is done. It is one big overpopulated car park.
Nicholas Taylor
2025-07-24 09:02:15
Ted, it is the same list, with over 3000 applicants on it, dozens of whom are from those wishing to downsize but the Council do not have any modern homes (cheaper to heat, electric car power point, modern kitchens etc) for older people which would encourage people to take up an offer of another home.There is far more to this than I can explain here, it is all about making sure that more homes become vacant each year.
Chel
2025-07-24 10:36:25
Building Harlows future???All you are doing is overbuilding in a Town that has not got any bigger since it was first built. The car parking situation is out of control,and Dan Swords have u walked or drove all around Harlow and walked through the older original Harlow New Town housing Estates? Have u tried to ride a bicycle along Harlows cyclepaths? To be a pedestrian/ cyclist,wheelchair user in Harlow is near on impossible. Nothing goid will ever come out of any of this. Cramming more and more newbuilds,more and more vehicles and more and more people into our once great Tiwn is a recipe for disaster. I was born here many many years ago andi have always loved and been proud of my hometown,but not any more,which is why i have had to get plans in place to now leave. I hate it here.
Ted
2025-07-24 11:49:55
Chel. The town has got bigger , Church Langley and Newhall . Unless they are not in Harlow of course.😂😂
Chel
2025-07-24 12:26:25
Ted 🤣🤣
Adrienne
2025-07-25 21:47:08
You can't just downsize people.Some of these people who I have spoken to have lived in their homes all their lives.The are part of the community.Brought up families. Some of them that want to swop with relatives are long played. It becomes a very complicated procedure for them . I speak to them quite frequently.Some of them do want to move. Unfortunately,the paperwork is very difficult to manage as well. Some of them are quite vulnerable. They should be managed with care. If they don't feel happy about moving then they shouldn't be pressured to.
Nicholas Taylor
2025-07-26 20:38:23
Adrienne, the council have dozens of applicants wishing to downsize, the problem is the council does not have good modern smaller homes where older residents can live in a area with people of a similar age. It is a very simple process to make an application and applicants can receive help from council staff to do so. As for asking for what is known as a mutual exchange, the rules are much the same as in the the last 40 years. What the council have never allowed for example is a single person living in a flat exchanging with someone in a three bedroomed house.
Iain Dracott
2025-12-26 12:00:28
Nice paving in Brod Walk,nice plant beds, but where has the seating gone ? The elderly need this facility.
Becky
2026-03-13 08:24:19
One of Ardenes bungalows in Mark Hall North has been empty since before Christmas. Nothing has been done. The Council haven't started any work at all. The ivy is now starting to cover the windows & gutters. Why, this bungalow could help free up a house for a family!!!
Becky
2026-03-13 08:36:02
Is anyone else worried about the amount of space this new M&S is going to take up. Is it going to use all the green space, including the wood next to Lidl. Plus all the lorries & extra traffic at this end of the town. In rush hour & weekends its so hard to get out of the estate where i live now. Have they even considered the people who live in this area. It should be in the town centre. Knock down the old cinema & put it there.
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