Harlow Council unveil exciting plans for regeneration of Playhouse Square and College Square
Business / Mon 27th Jun 2022 at 05:05pm
HARLOW Council has unveiled improved plans for the regeneration of Playhouse Square and College Square in Harlow town centre.
Harlow is bidding for £20m from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund to support the area’s transformation into a vibrant Arts and Cultural quarter. The proposals for the area, which were originally unveiled last June, have been updated and improved. The council has been invited by the government to resubmit its bid.
The vision for the two squares is to create and develop an Arts and Cultural Quarter, bringing together a diverse range of artistic, entertainment, cultural and heritage disciplines to establish a regional hub of innovative and engaging events and activities.
Iconic buildings – the Playhouse Theatre and St Paul’s Church – will remain at the heart of the new quarter.
Harlow Arts and Cultural Quarter will see brand new:
Live music and performance venue (including music school and recording studio)
Contemporary bar and café
Artist and maker studio spaces
Flexible studios for creative and performing arts, rehearsal space, events, smaller and outdoor performances, and community uses
Art gallery and associated spaces for literary arts, spoken word, education events and visiting exhibitions and installations.
In addition, the scheme will provide:
New pedestrian focused and engaging public square for events, outdoor performances, cinema, and outdoor dining
Green pocket park with natural play installations
Accessibility provisions including disabled parking and accessibly designed spaces
Upgraded and secure underpass beneath Haydens Road
Residential units at the previous Occasio House site
Improved taxi rank/drop-off provision & sustainable travel features
The scheme will establish a new gateway destination that Harlow can be proud off and link The Water Gardens and Harvey Centre via the Arts and Cultural quarter. A new board will be established to bring a programme of exciting events to the Town attracting a diverse range of visitors from all ages and communities
Councillor Dan Swords, Deputy Leader of Harlow Council, said: “I am delighted that we can unveil our improved and exciting plans for the transformation of Playhouse Square and College Square with our Harlow Arts and Culture Quarter proposals. These plans are about creating a vibrant new quarter of the town centre bringing together the arts, culture, live music, and events.
These plans are all part of what we aim to deliver for the complete regeneration of Harlow town centre and there will be more announcements to be made in the coming weeks. I would like to thank the council officers who have been involved in updating and improving our plans and I look forward to submitting our Harlow Arts and Culture Quarter bid to government shortly.”
Ahead of the bid being submitted to the government, residents are invited to find out more about the plans and give their feedback at https://selfserve.harlow.gov.uk/service/Harlow_town_centre_consultation
A Joke
2022-06-27 18:04:13
How about finishing the Market Square first or is it being left uneven in places and weeds growing out of the flower boxes
David Forman
2022-06-27 18:27:40
Nice to see the Occasio House fiasco being resolved as this news article says there wil be "Residential units at the previous Occasio House site".
David Forman
2022-06-27 18:35:50
Occasio House must be the building referred to in paragraph 17 of the minutes of Cabinet meeting 16 June 2022. The minutes read: "Cabinet agrees (subject to formal contract) that Harlow Council completes the purchase of a property in the Town Centre, as set out in the report, on an unconditional basis for a sum set out in the report." The obvious question is how much of our public money?
AB
2022-06-27 20:53:32
There's a reasonable chance Harlow might get some money as there is a demonstrable bias towards Tory held constituencies. However we are not marginal enough to be definite beneficiary of this 'bias'.
BC
2022-06-27 20:54:43
There's a reasonable chance Harlow might get some money as there is a demonstrable bias towards Tory held constituencies. However we are not marginal enough to be definite beneficiary of this 'bias'.
Graham Ellis BEM MRICS
2022-06-28 08:03:27
It would be nice to think that local companies will be invited to get involved with this much needed redevelopment .
Harlow... all talk no action
2022-06-28 08:15:05
Harlow at it's best.... All talk no action haha, this will never be done. We lost the square ( Only to be told houses will be there ) Now it's empty land.. And now they speak about this? haha harlow council you really are pathetic ( ALL TALK NO ACTION )
Nicholas Taylor
2022-06-28 08:39:46
It pains me to say it but I think this bid for monies will fail. The proposal will leave the Playhouse as the smallest theatre in the region, unable to attract big shows. The Playhouse and entrance to the Harvey Centre will be obscured by a large flat block in front of it and the idea of outdoor events such as a cinema is just wishful thinking. Places like Covent Garden may be able to do that but that is because of the number of visitors to London. Despite repeated requests, Cllr Swords has failed to say when Market Square will be completed, it is now over 18 months since this paving work was started. The Government will surely consider the Council's past record of delivering improvements, to date there have not been any.
Lynn C
2022-06-28 09:27:32
On a positive note. Good luck in your bidding it would be a great asset to Harlow if manned properly and kept maintained. But it does seem unfair that the market Square side of town is left unfinished and half empty of shops. I remember the day we had a wonderful market and the town was thriving. How comes Epping market is doing so well ?? Come on Harlow finish the jobs you started first. Then I’m sure you would get more of a positive feedback.
Nicholas Taylor
2022-06-28 10:37:59
Lynn C .... and Markets at Waltham Cross and Hoddesdon. One of the key things about the regeneration of the town centre is that of maintaining things in the future. Just take a look at the bus station, paving, flower boxes along Broadwalk, the new beds in Market Square and the sculpture near one of the entrances to the Harvey Centre. The Council fails to maintain all of these and yet plans to plant hundreds of trees in the town and build a new bus station.
Bill
2022-06-28 11:51:41
I have to be honest and say what a waste of money and time. Some people will believe art and culture are important those of us in the real world see the need for housing seriously improved town centre with shops that supply goods rather than services. And a safe area for our families to go to. I predict now the area will become a haven for users and dealers and will be used more by undesirables at night than genuine people in day. Sure somebody somewhere getting something out of this but we need a safe town centre with some diverse shops and interests that will draw people, look at the entertainment part of Harvey centre empty of people and outlets that last more than a year and empty units. We have no trust in politians nowadays both locally and nationally this example is another pink elephant in a world that needs so much more. Resident of harlow for 64 years
Jennifer Steadman
2022-06-28 13:17:21
"Live music and performance venue (including music school and recording studio)" Didnt we have a building called the Square once upon a time that was exactly as described? And wasnt said building demolished & is now an ugly car park!!! All this talk of outdoor dining & open air theatres- have the council forgotten that there are residential properties close by? If Ocassio Ho is due to be opened back up as residential properties, do we think the newresidents would welcome all this noise, extra traffic & litter, pollution? Has anyone consulted the residents above the clockhouse??
Jennifer Steadman
2022-06-28 13:21:38
Also- where is Ocassio on the 'artists impression'? Are you planning on demolishing it?
Nicholas Taylor
2022-06-28 15:47:43
Don't expect any answers from the Council Jennifer, they never do. Occasia House will apparently be demolished as part of these plans and I think most people will not be sad to see them go. The simple fact is that these plans are unlikely to draw more visitors to the town centre in such numbers that will make a difference. What is needed is a much larger theatre, a beacon for arts and culture in the region, an exhibition centre large enough for instance to hold toy fairs, vintage car exhibitions, stamp fairs etc, which would bring many visitors to the town come rain or shine. As I said in an earlier article. the Tory Council have for the last 14 months failed to keep shrub beds and trees in good order around the housing estates but are now trying to convince residents that all this green area in the town centre will be maintained in good order as per the sketches shown in the plans.
A
2022-06-28 16:36:01
This is Harlow. It's not a case of "if you build it, they will come"... you can't just build some cultural facilities in the area (which I am strongly in favour of) and expect it to succeed. There needs to be a complete plan here to rid the town centre completely of crime and make it a welcoming place to stay late in addition to these new buildings. There also needs to be a plan to ensure facilities are maintained and kept to a high standard, not left derelict. That means having the council having the money to commit to year round maintenance and not just one-off capital expenditure.
Mazzy
2022-06-28 21:59:12
Thought they were improving the totally run down and depressing bus station.
Bernadette sears
2022-06-29 02:30:00
Regeneration is fine...but what about all the families in Harlow waiting for housing. £20 million pounds would build many homes... I think Harlow council needs to get its Priorities right.
Prudence
2022-06-29 17:57:50
The Playhouse needs regenerating looks grubby, needs lick of paint and a refurb. West end Prices but not the surroundings that warrant it. For the amount of people who visit,bad infrastructure, the bar and cafe not fit for purpose,
KB
2022-06-30 01:54:26
Where will the parking facilities for all this be? The Harvey Centre no doubt, which is always full to burst??!! This town is full of councillors who lack the ability to think outside the box, more interested in their pockets being lined 💷💷 Improve what's here, don't build more concrete monstrosities.
Tonyb
2022-07-15 15:33:11
I feel this will be a missed opportunity, a “bodge it and leg it” proposal. Five main developers have a future stake in Harlow town centre. ADDINGTON CAPITAL LLP is the most significant new owner of the Harvey Centre and most of the Northern part of the Town Centre around the old cinema. Previous owners were responsible for demolishing the shops, the county court and the Little walk shopping parade, plus blocking the pavements with their hoardings. They have “to be demolished” signs on most of the remaining shops all the way round to Market Square. The previous owners have done nothing for about a decade except destroy. I’m told Clarion Housing, at the moment, owns the former SQUARE site.(the third owner since Essex County Council sold the site.) Developers Places for People own Rank House and the car park next to it, where they want to remove the car park and replace it with another block of flats. Developers Places for People also own Harlow & Gilston Garden Town. Mo owns the old cinema and West Gate House (next to Wetherspoons) and the gym, (the former lap dancing club). Then there is Harlow Council. Around Harlow, the population will increase probably to the same level of the people as Harlow’s population is now. Why surround an entertainment centre with housing? What happens when the new residents complain about the noise and disturbance of customers coming and going? Will the new music venue have to close? Or have opening and closing times restricted. I noticed developers Places for People have tried to increase their control within the town centre, in with the statement from https://hggt.co.uk/harlow-town-centre-regeneration-proposals “On the upper floors of these buildings, it is proposed to build new homes for ‘key workers’ (such as nurses, doctors and teachers) at affordable rents. Providing key worker housing enables Harlow to ensure it attracts and keeps key workers.” Obviously, developers Places for People do not believe the Conservative manifesto or Prime Minister Boris Johnson when he stated Harlow will get a new hospital at the Conservative Party conference on 19th September 2019 near junction 7a. If the Conservative government honour their manifesto, the new hospital would be Epping rural district council tasked with providing new homes for ‘key workers’ at affordable rents, not Harlow Council. Developers’ Places for People also omit to mention that Rank House, which they own, already provides homes for key hospital workers in the existing hospital. The government has already signalled that it wants to extend the “right to buy”. Any future expansion of the entertainment provision would be hindered by the provision of housing, forcing any future council to the added expense of compulsory purchase as the “right to buy” would have taken the properties into the private market. Entertainment Regarding entertainment, this project is minuscule for the future size of Harlow and its near neighbours. To me, it is a seemingly desperate attempt to get money from the government without thinking of the future. I think the Council puts too much trust in the property speculator owners of The Harvey centre. The whole new entertainment project is based around the use of the Harvey Centre car park. What happens if the Harvey Centre footfall and the shopping centre failed to attract enough money compared with housing? The developer might see this as an option. The car park could be another block of flats. As Harlow Council found, when they refused the planning proposal on the Square site, they were overruled by the government planner. Harlow Council has very little control of planning. The Playhouse The current Playhouse is way too small, with just over 400 seats. It has always been too small. The seats were crammed in to reach just over 400 seats. If comfortable seating were in place, the numbers would drop to around 350 to 370 seats, way too small for producers to make a profit. A producer friend of mine recalled he needed to sell 385 seats to make it worthwhile. It needs to be at least 1000 seats minimum with comfortable seating, not what we currently have. With 1,000 plus seats, it would attract larger productions to Harlow, as you can see up and down the country in other theatres in other towns, where their arts culture flourishes. The Playhouse also needs the provision of a smaller theatre alongside it for the smaller productions. THE SQUARE, Conservative-run Essex County Council sold the site to property speculators, ending the 50 years of live music on the site. Just remember that most of the Harlow Conservative County Councillors that sold the SQUARE still run Harlow Council. The Rock School was the main reason why the Conservative-run Essex County Council became involved with the site. Conservative-run Essex County Council’s supposed reason for selling a prime location site was they didn’t realise THE SQUARE sold alcohol. This was a rather strange excuse as THE SQUARE and its predecessor, The Galaxy Club, had always sold alcohol under very strict management by staff. Can anyone find a venue that doesn’t supplement its income and admission costs by selling alcohol? Could you imagine the Playhouse with just soft drinks or tea and Coffee? Or, for that matter, any West End shows or Opera Houses. Will alcohol be allowed in the new venue? Have the Conservative Councillors changed their mind again with another U-turn? THE SQUARE was not just for musicians; many backroom staff, especially the most important sound technicians, learned their trade. THE SQUARE also had a recording studio. THE SQUARE continued to be run by local musicians on a not-for-profit basis for eight years as well as doing their day jobs. It was a community centre run by the Harlow community for the Harlow community. After Conservative-run Essex County Council sold the site, The Square relied upon the new owner’s Circle Housing to advise them how long they could stay within the building, sometimes with six months’ notice. Other times three months’ notice or less. This made booking artists and marketing almost impossible. In 1915 The Square became one of NME’s top small independent music venues. In December 2015, The Square closed its doors for the last time, ending 50 years of Harlow being one of the top live music venues where many top bands learned their craft. The Square left the site with the agreement that Circle Housing would find them another venue under planning law. Circle Housing then sold the site to Clarion Housing. Of course, the agreement to find them another site was with Circle Housing. This time, Harlow Council was run by the Conservative-Liberal alliance. In February 2016, the full Harlow Council held a meeting about THE SQUARE, where a vote was taken to support The Square in its search for a new venue ....it was passed unanimously. On the 1st March 2018, The Square was demolished; in 2021, the site was sold again to another property developer. Currently, the site is leased to NCP as a car park. 5th July 22 on local BBC TV it was announced that Harlow had requested funding for an entertainment centre. The spokesperson for Harlow Council described all that the new live music venue would have, which was exactly what Harlow lost when Conservative-run Essex County Council sold The Square. I am old, I have lived through the best times in Harlow, where you could watch groups like Slade and Blackfoot Sue at Harlow college or so many top bands starting out in the Galaxy Club / THE SQUARE or Groups like Darts or Baycity rollers in the town park, now Harlow has nothing. No support for the Bandstand, No support for The Square, lots of support for property developers by Harlow Council. Conservative-run Essex County Council should have made millions of pounds selling The Square site. Essex County 2022, Essex County Council announced it had a budget of one million pounds for music and arts across Essex. By the time the money filters down to Harlow I would think there is enough left for us to watch one man and his dog perform. The possible future Just analyse what land Harlow council owns within the town centre. The answer is very little. When Harlow new town was created, the Harlow development corporation sold the land. Harlow council does own Market Square, and in 2019 the old live music venue, Bird Cadge, Tiffanys, Highwire, or the “Dive” call it what you know it as. Many top live bands have played there over the years. Harlow council does own the car park behind the old post office. The old post office can be leased or bought, and the housing in Market Square can be compulsorily purchased, paid for by the housing on the former Occasio House and Playhouse site. Market Square has been the deprived end of the town centre for many years. If ever there was a case for levelling up Market Square has to be it. Could Market Square be the best place for a brand new, much bigger Play House with easy parking behind the new Playhouse? The new Harlow Entertainment Center? This way, Harlow Council has control, not the developer or government whims.
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