Letter to Editor: Why are town centre shops being forced to close due to pavement work?

Your Say / Wed 24th Sep 2025 at 11:25am

Dear Editor,

So today ( and probably tomorrow as well) we had to close our shop (Waffle and More) due to the incompetence of Harlow Council’s pavement contractors in the town centre.

As you can see by the attached photos how are we supposed to open the doors?

As I’ve said before, the management of these improvements are absolutely horrendous and basically not managed at all.

You are already far behind original schedule, yet we the shop keepers have to suffer the loss of trade ( at least 40%).

I would like to take this matter further now, and demand that some sort of compensation is provided.

We still have rents to pay and you will still demand your business rates on time.

The contractors and the councillors will still get their wages/allowances at the end of the month, where as many businesses will not be able to afford the rents and rates, let alone take any wages or even pay what little staff they have.

I see no reason why this work cannot be carried out in the evenings to limit disruption to the town centre and surrounding areas, together with all the other works and bus garage development the town really is an absolute shambles at the moment and for the foreseeable future.

I appreciate developments and improvements have to be done, but it is costing Harlow’s Businesses dearly. Again all down to poor performance and management of Harlow Council and contractors.

At this rate you will have a redevelop town, with nothing left to go to town for.

Regards

Alan Wright

Waffle and More

9 Comments for Letter to Editor: Why are town centre shops being forced to close due to pavement work?:

Suzy

2025-09-24 18:29:45

I agree, it's such chaos that I avoid going into town as much as possible. Not only that but as I have mobility issues I , along with many people with similar issues finding the temporary bus station just too far away from the parts of the town centre that do have shops you need to visit. A date the bus station is due to be finished by would be helpful.

Jacqueline Delves

2025-09-24 18:35:27

When is all that work down the broad walk due to finish? It seems to have been going on for ever. The town centre looks awful especially the market end. No good for the retailers at all.

D Sullivan

2025-09-24 19:26:23

The few local, independent shops that we have (or indeed /any/ shops) shouldn't be punished because of a frankly sub-par walkway renovation on the broad walk. Stuff like this should be done on the terms of the operators, who — I'm sure — would have likely been more than keen to arrange a time and date for this. If anything, this phase of the construction has made the barren Market Square and now abandoned Stone Cross/Post Office Walk area look even more sparse and abandoned. This company, and the company handling the roadworks on the A1019 should not be used again.

Tim smith

2025-09-24 20:34:36

Town centre and Harvey centre are hardly worth going too, I go to Asda and that's about it, I've been to westfield stratford more often in the last year than the town centre, demo dan has a lot to answer for, terrible management of everything in the town centre but as usual he will blame somebody else

Kevin ellis

2025-09-24 20:56:41

Back in the day the town was a lovely place to visit, but now it's a ghost town, perhaps if the rents was lowered you can attract more business. People used to come from miles to do there shopping. And as for the market square Harlow council killed it of a long time ago rip the town centre

David Forman

2025-09-24 21:11:44

Even the bits that are complete are not altogether up to a good standard. In the paving outside McDonald's and midway between opposing sides of Broadwalk there is a 4mm step which is a trip hazard. It is one of the cut slabs. But why I should have to mention it I don't know. What happened to the council's clerk of works or contract supervisor. My God, it's taken them long enough.