YH understands that the new Labour government has “suspended” a £20 million payment to Harlow for the regeneration of the town centre.

The leader of Harlow Council, Cllr Dan Swords and his colleagues were so concerned about the payment that on Wednesday night at a council meeting they proposed a motion as the believed the payment, promised in March under the Conservative government, was “under review”.

The council Leader called for all councillors’ support to write a cross-party letter to the Secretary of State, Angela Rayner, and for Harlow’s new MP, Chris Vince, to arrange an urgent meeting with the Secretary of State and Chancellor as well as raising the matter in the House of Commons. 

The motion – which the Harlow Conservatives repeatedly made clear was “not at all political but simply in the best interests of the town” – caused uproar from the Harlow Labour group. 

Speaker after speaker rose from the Harlow Labour benches saying the motion which cited the funding as “at risk” was “offensive”, “absolute nonsense”, “a false aunt sally” and that there was “no issue there” and made clear that they believed there was no chance of the funding being pulled.

They went on to say they would “vote against it and knock it down” because the council should “let the Government get on with its work rather than pester” and there was “no mass panic or worry” about the investment.

Indeed, all Harlow Labour Councillors voted against the motion calling for the Government to confirm that the extra £20 million would still come into the town.

All Harlow Conservative Councillors voted for the motion and as such, the next morning the Council Leader wrote to the Secretary of State and Harlow’s MP – but without the support of Harlow Labour. These letters can be seen below and followed a number of letters from other Council Leaders, of all political persuasions to the Government.

However, in a bombshell to the work to rebuild the town centre, the Council received correspondence from the Government on Friday that the funding had been “suspended” noting that the announcement would result in “a number of questions”. 

Reacting to the news, the Leader of the Council, Dan Swords said: “This is a huge blow to the work to rebuild the town centre. Last Wednesday I asked for all Councillors support to lobby the Government to ensure Harlow received this money. 

“I was repeatedly shouted down by the Harlow Labour Councillors who told me that the funding was not “at risk” and that I was playing a political game when in reality I was simply asking for their support in the interests of the town for the new Government to confirm that the funding we have worked so hard to secure would still be coming.

“To be clear, this £20 million is on top of the £23.7 million Town Deal which is rebuilding the bus station, Broad Walk and Market Square, the £20 million Levelling Up Fund which will deliver the new Playhouse Square development and much more besides. The news from the Government that this funding has been “suspended” causes enormous uncertainty and worry.

“As I promised at the election, I will fight day and night for our town to ensure this money comes to Harlow and we deliver on our pledge to rebuild the town centre. I had hoped that the Harlow Labour Councillors would have supported us, but nonetheless I will not back down.”

We have contacted Harlow MP, Chris Vince and the leader of Harlow Labour, James Griggs, for comment.