THE REFORM councillor for Mark Hall has asked the leader of Harlow Council a number of questions on their finances.

Councillor Paul Jago asked the questions at the council meeting on September 18th.

Councillor Paul Jago to Councillor Dan Swords (Leader of the Council):

So, with the Harlow Growth Board (HGB) having not met since September 2024 and no minutes of its three meetings being publicly available at that, can the Council leadership tell the public how the oversight of the range of projects is conducted, and by whom? Is there any intention to update the HGBstakeholders in the near future?

Reply from Councillor Dan Swords (Leader of the Council):

All financial performance is reported to Cabinet each month, and monitored by Cabinet, the Executive Management Team and our specialist construction and development advisors. Minutes are published for all Cabinet meetings. There is of course, further internal meetings on an even more regular basis.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Harlow Growth Board is a multi-agency steering group that has had an input into the requirements of various Government funded bids but has neither responsibility nor authority for their delivery.

We are constantly engaging with relevant stakeholders and residents.

Councillor Paul Jago to Councillor Dan Swords (Leader of the Council):

Secondly, can the Council Leadership provide an update to the financial performance of the various projects in terms of budget, spend to date, effects of inflation since the original 2020 costings, contingency planning and gearing on each of the projects and the Council’s potential exposure to costs to which the District may fall liable?

Reply from Councillor Dan Swords (Leader of the Council):

As previously mentioned, the council has in place a robust programme management approach in delivery of the largest regeneration programme in the country. Through the Building Harlow’s Future delivery plan, the council monitors all aspects of delivery closely. Furthermore, Cabinet last week endorsed the regeneration programme and an approach to streamline and speed up delivery, protecting projects from external influences that could cause delay.

All financial performance is reported to Cabinet each month, and monitored by Cabinet, the Executive Management Team and our specialist construction and development advisors.

All regeneration schemes are within the budget framework with none exceeding that and as I say, are subject to rigorous monitoring and scrutiny.