Harlow Conservative leader Dan Swords pledges to bring Zara to the town
Business / Tue 28th Apr 2026 at 04:30pm
THE Leader of the Local Conservatives, Dan Swords, has pledged to bring popular fashion retailer Zara to Harlow as part of the town’s ongoing regeneration.
The move would build on growing confidence in Harlow, with several high-quality brands already committing to the town, including a new flagship M&S store.
After years of high-street decline, Harlow is now undergoing what is described as the largest regeneration programme in the country, signalling a turning point for the town centre.
Announcing the plans, Dan Swords said: “We’re restoring pride in Harlow as we rebuild our town. For too long, it has lacked the shops people want to see.
“As part of the biggest regeneration programme in the country, we’ve already announced a new weekly market, new bars, restaurants and nightlife, and major events such as a large Christmas market.
“Now we’re going further by securing the retailers residents want. That starts with Zara – one of the UK’s most popular fashion brands – and it won’t stop there. The next phase of our plan is to attract the shops people expect from a thriving town centre.
“Many doubted us when we promised to secure a flagship food and fashion store, but we delivered – and we will deliver again.
“For decades, Harlow was promised regeneration that never came. Now it is happening, and our town is being rebuilt.
“Back me and the Local Conservatives to finish the job of Building Harlow’s Future on Thursday 7 May.”
M
2026-04-28 16:34:22
Keep doing your thing, Dan!
ScottH
2026-04-28 16:45:44
Cllr Swords' oft repeated phrase "the largest regeneration programme in the country" is misleading. There are several much larger regeneration projects including Old Oak and Park Royal in London, Brent Cross, Liverpool Waters and so on. So why try to mislead voters? Added to the 'jam tomorrow' promises of a new night club and raising the market from the dead (despite all the contra-indications that shopping habits have moved on) plus conflicting statements around the bus terminus upgrade, its becoming more and more difficult to attach significance to Cllr Swords' utterances.
Mike
2026-04-28 17:34:38
Well Scotty boy, it's bigger and more successful than you and your bunch misfits could manage, just look at your team, do you think Directors of serios businesses would sit down for negotiations with the flasher, the pie eating champion, the laptop porn king, etc? You are having a laugh!
Dave
2026-04-28 17:40:35
Scott your utterances are total Bull ....t!
Wendy
2026-04-28 17:44:24
Bring it on Dan! You are are doing great for our town. All I know are voting for you.
Julie
2026-04-28 17:52:02
Dan Swords you are smashing it! Ignore the noise from idiots, you are doing great for Harlow.
Peter
2026-04-28 19:00:14
To be honest the town will not improve without good jobs.there is not enough these days, Everyone can help , stay off temo and amazon, go to your town center once a week and spend some money.if enough people do that our high street would improve.. Let's be proactive. !
Margaret
2026-04-28 19:10:09
Dan Swords and the local Conservatives deserve our votes. This is about Harlow not National. Let's show our support for what they are doing to improve Harlow.
Jessica
2026-04-28 19:46:47
Dan, you are the pin up in our office. All the girls are voting for you. Dan is the Man.
Janet
2026-04-28 20:25:17
I have honestly never seen such drive and improvement to Harlow across all areas . Let Dan and his team continue to deliver. They have a winning formula.
Jon
2026-04-28 20:40:59
This election should be a no contest. Dan and the local Conservatives are in a different league. Keep it going.
MikeT
2026-04-28 22:03:08
Is the Dan Swords fan club being paid to put so many positive comments on here?? I'm not saying whether he is doing a good job or not, time will tell. But the comments on here like "Dan, you are the pin up in our office..." etc just seem to be a little contrived and hokey to me. I think someone is playing a game....
Graham
2026-04-28 22:37:49
Mike T, let's ignore the noise and focus on the essence. This election is not even really about politics but rather who can best project manage and navigate the complex and challenging process of regeneration. That is what we need to consider. Viewing it objectively and dispassionately, the current administration under Dan Swords has taken this further than any administration in the past 30-40 years. It is only now that we have turned a page on continual decline. Let's continue on the path and reach the destination.
Charles King
2026-04-29 06:16:49
I suspect Dan Swords already knows Zara has plans to open here and he’s jumped in to claim the credit.
Eli
2026-04-29 06:59:25
Charles King you can suspect what you like, but the only reason any big groups are coming to Harlow is because of what Dan Swords and his team are doing. Look at the comments of the CEO of M&S ( reported on YH earlier). These companies don't just stick pin in the map at random. Success breds success. May it continue as may Dan.
Ian H
2026-04-29 08:15:11
Harlow suffered for years mainly under Labour run councils and enter a spiral of decline. Under the current Dan Swords led Conservative administration, this has been reversed completely. What was thought impossible is now not only possible but going at pace. If we truly want the regeneration to continue in Harlow, we must vote for Dan Swords local Conservatives on May 7. Any other vote place the whole programme in jeopardy.
Pete
2026-04-29 08:51:31
To be fair Ian H 14 years of conservative austerity and complete under funding to county councils have left many towns looking neglected, no matter who ran the council.
JR
2026-04-29 09:40:20
Oh my goodness I have never heard such stupidity. All this over yet another store Dan has promised along with other promises that have not YET materialized & when & if they do come they will soon go again after the first week of opening. There is not enough of Harlow town to bring people back . Who wants to come to a town that has empty shops boarded up premises not bustling with people like it used to .Bus station not completed or if it has only to be demolished & changed yet again. The druggies the piss heads the thieves all waiting around each corner. Being choked by these vapes or drugs in the air!! Sorry but this all sounds very desperate for your pin up Dan who has so many projects going but none finished & all we hear is how he's going to boost the oyster card bring M&S & now Sara. Yes Dan is full of ideas for a young man who hasn't had the years of experience of Harlow yet alone know what it needs. He seems to be playing at it all but not really pulling it together . All you hear in the news is this that & the other will be done & you see him in a hard hat in the middle of another demolishion having he's photo taken , is this your pin up in your office of him,,!!! Wow. A few newly laid paving slabs & new signs are not going to do much in the way of getting people to come & shop at Harlow when apart from Harvey centre the rest is dead.
Mike
2026-04-29 09:40:47
Thanks David.. A number of the Reform candidates are not exactly presentable to Mother for afternoon tea and scones are they? More like the 'Degenerate Desperados'! Hardly fit to be taken seriously as councillors. I understand that the name of the laptop porn king/lads mag fellow is soon to be revealed.
Julia
2026-04-29 09:47:00
JR, you are talking rubbish. The regeneration is in full phase. Can't you see the works being carried out, the new cultural quarter and live music venue by the Playhouse, new council homes built or being built at Staple Tye, Tye Green, Potter Street, Waterhouse Moor, etc. Aee you walking around wearing blinkers? Do you seriously think projects of this scale take about as long as to fry an egg. Clearly, your project management experience is limited to the latter!
JR
2026-04-29 10:40:11
Julie the only person here who's going around with their eyes & ears shut or wearing rose tinted glasses is obviously yourself & probably many others who are fans of Dans. You are also probably one those of he's fan club & have a pin up of him. He's still got the crib marks & I think the only people here are the people who think he's going to pull this town together must be deluded as he really doesn't know what he's doing apart from demolition. But of course you can believe in Him & have your opinions just as I can have my opinion so subject closed watch this space!! We'll see who's talking rubbish!
Julie
2026-04-29 10:51:32
JR Harlow Council understand Dan Swords was voted the 2nd most improved Council in England by the independent Local Government Association. Those accolades are not handed out fortuitously. I don't think you understand anything about a regeneration programme of this scale. My husband is an experienced civil engineer and has explained to me that by undertaking several close proximity projects simultaneously ( as is happening in the town centre) is far more efficient and cost effective than doing one then another. I will defer to experts rather than whinging amateurs.
Gerri
2026-04-29 10:55:00
Great news on Zara... can't wait. You have our votes Dan Swords.
Anon
2026-04-29 11:38:38
Zara!!!!! Think there are better shops we need back in the town not another clothes shop,plus the way things are going there will be no where to park to visit any shops
Grace
2026-04-29 16:17:38
So good that the regeneration is bringing new business to Harlow: David Lloyd, IKEA, M&S and now Zara. More will follow. Well done to Dan Swords and his team.
Steve
2026-04-29 18:49:59
As the regeneration continues, more firms and brands will move here. They will follow success. This creates jobs and visitors putting money into the local economy.
ScottH
2026-04-29 23:47:50
Mike - when people deplore the tenor of political discourse these days, its people like you they are talking about. You don't debate issues, you set out to be provocative and insulting. I wonder if any of those who quietly read the articles and comments on YH are swayed by your prejudice and vitriol. I also wonder if the Editor really appreciates people like you who surely deter others from venturing an opinion for fear of getting 'Miked up'.
Mike
2026-04-29 23:57:01
Hey Scott, you have sought to evade the issue: are the rumours regarding several of the Reform candidates true? A simple yes or no will suffice. We can take it from there.
baz
2026-04-30 11:59:04
he delivers what he promises, good on you Dan. You've got my vote.
Realist
2026-04-30 12:56:39
H Scott and JR. are you labour through and through? All your doing is carping and moaning, everybody in this town knows the disrepair going to dilapidation of this town, has been happening for years, long before the Conservative council were even elected for Harlow, it’s not there fault it happened, they were just bystanders watching it happen, but never voted in with a majority to bring about change, we even lost our market stalls in market square, due to being priced out, everyone can see since the Conservative council was voted in, they rolled there sleeves up and promised us all change, that change has started, but like all change and the size of the job required, that change from start to finish will take time, the Rows, Adam’s house and all the area around market square was privately owned, Harlow council under these councillors have only just managed to purchase these areas, until they did they could not implement change, Rome was never built in a day, or nor will Harlow be, I feel if we all stick with our Conservative Harlow councillors we will see that change, so let’s give them that chance, should we not that’s when you show displeasure and vote them out, that is the common sense thing to do.
Tim smith
2026-04-30 13:58:37
Harlow council is as about as useless as they come, customer service staff are rude and think your phone call is a hindrance, getting anything done from hc is a absolute nightmare, passed pillar to post, the parking where i live has got worse since they removed the parking poles because now all the big vans and tank suv s can park there, so much for the extra 1000 spaces ds says he created, Harlow town centre will still be a mess a year from now especially with the bus station delayed, ds can promise the world but in reality Harlow won't improve in the near future, building loads of flats doesn't mean anything unless the town centre is improved which i see nothing at present.
Tim smith
2026-04-30 14:30:21
The back end of harlow is exactly what it says on the tin, I would love to be proved wrong but sadly I probably won't be, it's really sad when the only option is to drive to westfield stratford or bluewater even with the £10 or so parking at stratford, parking/cinema and lunch is about £60 for 2 people, I would use harlow but restaurants are severely lacking and the cinema is expensive plus shopping in Harvey centre is poor.
Mr T.
2026-04-30 20:26:49
How's he going to do it...Where's all the money coming from??,that's the question...!!
Mr T.
2026-04-30 20:30:20
Hi Tim Smith you could always move out of harlow that's probably your best bet mate.
Mr George
2026-05-01 00:48:40
Amusing Mr Scott talks aboit misleasing people. 200% increase of knife crime.. anyone? Kettle, pot, black.
glen pope
2026-05-01 08:06:21
i can't wait for the new m&s to open lol what an absolute mess that's going to cause you can't move down there on that road now and the traffic will be 10 x worse as for adams house and the market place has anyone been there at 8pm lately it doesn't matter what you put there i will not be visiting that place unless i have a stab proof vest and they move the crowds that congregate there at nights it's not safe
Shaz
2026-05-01 10:00:49
Has anyone seen Natalie Cassidy's (Eastenders actress and Harlow resident) podcast? On there she spoke about all the great things happening in Harlow. She went on to discuss with her co-podcasters what new shops they would want to come to Harlow and they agreed on.....ZARA. Dan Swords actually reposted the clip on Facebook, so Natalie - THIS ONES FOR YOU 😆 https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1AybazQe1p/
Mark Gregory
2026-05-01 11:05:47
NEVER MIND ZARA DAN, WHERE'S MR BYRITES
Me, Harlow
2026-05-01 13:11:33
Does Natalie Cassidy live in Harlow?!! I thought she was Herts.
Mark Gregory
2026-05-01 14:10:40
she owns a 2 bed flat in the stow above the launderette
Tracy Cranfield
2026-05-01 14:28:00
Marks and spencer were in the town years ago ! I wonder why they want to go to the industrial area ? When there is plenty of room in the Harvey Center to house a big store. Maybe they do not think enough money or faith will be brought in with the Regeneration at the town . Just a thought im putting out there ???
Barry
2026-05-01 18:11:10
Tracy Cranfield you clearly don't have any idea of M&S retail strategy. They want mall type locations with ample parking -see their Cheshunt site. This store in Harlow will be bigger. They don't want town centre locations for full range stores. Clearly Reform would never be able to negotiate with such companies, which is why it is best left to the grown ups.
Mr George
2026-05-01 23:45:17
I must admit, Tracy has been value for money on YH so far, am enjoying seeing what is next written without thinking it through first.
Mike
2026-05-02 07:58:43
Tracy Cranfield and Scotty boy are emulating Labour by opening their mouths then belatedly engaging their brain, although in their cases, not sure they actually reach the second phase.
JR
2026-05-04 14:00:49
Wow there are certainly some over the mark insults to people putting forward their opinions like a came of table tennis. Instead of arguing who's put what on YH wouldn't it be better to keep your opinions to yourself & others do the same. If your fans of Dan's then "wonderful" but not every body IS & some of us may have different ideas & experiences of what is happening to Harlow Town & maybe see it in different way, so stop arguing between yourselves & let's see how this town progresses if at all with the current Harlow town council leader for the time he has left to prove himself. Only time will tell who ever becomes in charge of this town. It can go two ways, improve or get worse but I do think however there has been two many words of promises of so very much & not materialise or much progress for this to happen to other Towns that have regenerated in no time at all back up & running
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