Harlow Council describes Harvey Centre shop closures as part of a “period of transition”
Business / Tue 10th Jun 2025 at 11:16am
HARLOW Council, the owners of The Harvey Centre has described the closure of three shops as part off a “period of transition”.
Linzi shoes closed a few weeks ago. They had been in the Harvey Centre since 2017.
Legends hairdressers closed after 29 years in the town. YH understands that the owner, Debbie and other staff have gone to work at other salons.
Harlow Council bough the Harvey Centre for £21 million, three years ago.
A Harlow Council spokesperson said: “We are sorry to see Legends, Linzi and H. Samuel close. There can be many different reasons for why a business has taken a decision to close. The small business and retail market continues to be challenging.
“We understand the uncertainty and concern that can come with these changes. The retail sector continues to face significant challenges, from shifting consumer habits to broader economic pressures. But in the face of these difficulties, we remain committed to supporting our local businesses, our workers, and our residents.
“The council works closely with property and asset managers to support tenants in difficulty and to attract new businesses that can bring fresh energy to the town centre. The Harvey Centre, despite the challenges, continues to thrive—with an occupancy rate of 95% and recent investments from major brands like Tesco and Specsavers. These are signs of resilience and confidence in Harlow’s future.
“But we know that resilience alone is not enough. That’s why, through our Building Harlow’s Future Plan, we are investing in a town centre that works for everyone. This includes:
- Revitalising the Harvey Centre to ensure it remains a welcoming and dynamic space for all.
- Transforming Broad Walk and Market Square into vibrant, people-first public spaces.
- Creating a new transport hub to improve access and connectivity.
- Establishing a new Arts and Cultural Quarter that celebrates Harlow’s creativity and community spirit.
- Attracting high-end retailers – we have a robust pipeline of interest from a variety of retailers which continues to grow.
“We are also taking bold steps where the private sector has fallen short—acquiring key sites like Market House and Terminus House to ensure they serve the needs of the community.
“This is a time of transition, but also of opportunity. We are not just responding to change—we are shaping it. Together, we will build a town centre that honours its past, supports its people, and embraces a brighter, more inclusive future.”
Phoebe Childs
2025-06-10 11:20:17
Debbie from Legends is still I. The town at Stuart James hair.
Paul
2025-06-10 11:27:40
Nice to hear they are improving the market square for the alcols.
Seamus
2025-06-10 12:01:40
And this is what Harlow council have been warned of. If they are borrowing hundreds of millions of pounds against it's own income and that income continues to decline whilst the loans need paying then we are facing the bankruptcy status other councils have seen.
Carlos
2025-06-10 12:27:47
Testing times ahead...
Lacey
2025-06-10 12:39:02
The Council Leader grew up in Woking - He better than most should be aware of what happens when people who are not experts in property, dabble using other people's money.
Anon
2025-06-10 12:39:32
Harlow councillor lives in a dream world.Rents too high what do they expect
gary roberts
2025-06-10 12:40:44
Good word transition: It goes both ways! Apparently these businesses have had to transition out of the door after many years of service to the Harlow community. And this council has the nerve to it call an opportunity. An opportunity to what and when. Is wasteful land banking an asset or just more debt to the residents'; or just bad business practice?
Carl
2025-06-10 13:24:51
A shame about Legends, although I hadn't been there for a haircut for a couple of years as I thought they stopped doing mens hair and secondly you could never get an appointment, shame to see it go.
Tomsk
2025-06-10 13:47:14
As Lacey said, considering all the spending that Harlow Council has committed to in recent months, and what with all the building projects that have been started but not finished, I hope that Dan Swords has learnt lessons from the disaster of his home town's (Tory run) Woking Council's bankruptcy - "The Surrey council declared itself effectively bankrupt in 2023 after ploughing vast sums of borrowed money into skyscrapers, a luxury hotel and other risky commercial investments, in what was one of the biggest financial failures in local government history". But I fear he may not have done...
Smiler
2025-06-10 14:09:16
So Tesco close down a large store in the Harvey centre and open a small one. Harlow Council calls it an investment
RON
2025-06-10 14:24:33
Where is the promised M&S???
Barry
2025-06-10 15:33:34
I have an idea, more food banks and charity shops! That should do the trick, oh and rainbow benches.
Kim
2025-06-10 17:36:22
We will have a shinny new town centre with nothing there, I believe I said that months back. Small businesses are struggling, and larger businesses are laying people of . Or going into smaller premises. Because of high rents, and labour s hikes . So Harlow council shouldn't put all there eggs in one basket, before securing the shops first.
Adam
2025-06-10 18:57:14
High taxes, high regulation, net zero insanity this is just the start of the collapse of the UK after 40 years of utterly insane large government spending.
Gill
2025-06-10 19:02:56
Attracting high end retailers..this is Harlow not Kensington, they'll close after 6 mths!
Jeannette Morley
2025-06-10 19:27:04
High end retail, and arts and culture... I'm wondering if employees of Harlow Council have forgotten where they work: possibly because they don't leave home to do it?
Lynn Wheeler
2025-06-10 20:12:00
The government and Harlow council are killing our beloved town with their high rents and rates + taxes its just pure greed ??? also how is that when I was driving on first avenue their were no builders to be seen working alongside first avenue??? I have lived in Harlow town for 72yrs you need to listen to the people who have written messages
Keith
2025-06-10 20:36:30
The Harvey Centre shop closures will fit in nicely with the rest of the 'run down' poverty stricken 'Closed for Business' Town Centre...that is worse than any run down part of London! Sooty and Sweep could do a better job of revitalizing Harlow Town Centre, affectionately known as The High to those who knew it pre the previous14 years of Central Government Tory austerity!!
Paul
2025-06-10 21:27:32
The Harvey Centre was crap when it was built. A poor attempt to replicate Stevenage, Brentwood and Chelmsford. It started the slide of the town center (yes it was the centre) but inspired of wide spread objections it when ahead. Not only did I grow up the area from the late 60s, I worked within the HC in the 80s. The former was a lovely was a great place to live, the latter a s***t hole from day one.
Rachel
2025-06-10 21:51:52
The Council don't want residents or anyone else to go the Harvey Centre, with all the road works going on at the moment and then in due course building work, who will want to go to the Centre. Then more shops will possibly close down.
Nicholas Taylor
2025-06-10 21:58:46
Where is the evidence for any elements of the the so called plan?. Revitalising the Harvey Centre, the fact is shops are closing. Transforming Broadwalk and Market Square, well spending almost £7 million on new paving will not increase footfall. Creating a new transport hub, well this has stalled so when can we expect work to start, let alone be completed? Establishing and Arts and Cultural Quarter, well no sign of this starting either, much of the site has lain derelict for over a year and at the end of it the town will still have one of the smallest theatres in the region. And finally, attracting high end retailers. Does anyone actually know who can be described as such and is there any evidence that any retailer has said they want to come to the Town Centre?
Toni
2025-06-10 23:56:07
Fake news. Tesco didn't invest . It closed a medium size store to open a tiny one.its the opposite of investment.
David
2025-06-11 04:32:12
I agree with Paul all the market square is is a place for people with alcohol problems to sit there Harlow council is building a new town before it puts the foundations down. Examples new flower beds were put in all ruined by people putting rubbish in their cigarette ends and just generally not being maintained by Harlow council if we don't do something about this our hard-earned money will just end up the same way a complete waste of time and taxpayers money
David morton
2025-06-11 05:51:56
It's the people's town let the people decide!!!!
Brenda Joyce Elliott
2025-06-11 06:16:19
Little walk....10 years that's a long transaction more like doing nothing to me .about it to me.
David Forman
2025-06-11 06:28:41
Broadwalk should get a Guinness World record for the most drawn out paving job.
Reeta
2025-06-11 08:31:49
I wondered where all the council tax money is going. In the last 5 yrs the market square was demolished and re-designed almost every year if am not wrong. Design better which last for few year atleast.Spend the money on something useful.
Mark
2025-06-11 09:27:22
The government are ripping business off and the council are charging business way to much rent. Sooner or later I can see most small business closing for good. Take a look at the town centre in general. Little walk closed looks a complete mess. All these new things they have put in around the town centre doesn't get looked after. Bus station well whats happening to that. Moved it to a Carpark and yet nothing has been done. To be honest this town is a complete disgrace.
Rose
2025-06-11 09:41:16
We don’t want tower blocks in town convert it to open space .blocks are problem housing always have been in Harlow.council learnt nothing.all so put car park on unused ymca site for hospital shit parking at best of times.
Seamus
2025-06-11 09:46:22
Based on Dan's plans, the Harvey centre will be the next building to be knocked down after years of neglect.
Colleen Morrison
2025-06-11 10:02:24
My small family business once considered moving to the town centre, however the rents there proved to be so high as to be unaffordable for most small businesses. Unaffordable rents tend to primarily attract unhealthy, high profit fast food outlets, which are too often the only businesses that have sufficient profit to pay the high rents which are uneconomic for other businesses. Fast food shops are consequently taking over Harlow Town Centre and our hatches. The responsibility for this lies with our former Labour council which, lacking the confidence to manage and let commercial properties itself, made the mistake of handing a contract for management of lettings and rents of Harlow's commercial properties to an out of town private agent, one with insufficient knowledge of Harlow. It is therefore this agent which sets commercial rents too high, in particular those in our town centre, thereby forcing some businesses to close down due to unaffordable rent increases. Unaffordable rents also leave too many commercial properties empty for years. I believe our Conservative council would benefit by ending this contract as soon as the contract allows termination, in order to manage commercial lettings and properties itself. The council could then adapt the rents of properties that are difficult to let to make them attractive to potential new leaseholders.
Colleen Morrison
2025-06-11 10:33:18
Our Labour government is complicit in hammering small businesses too. With it's inept Chancellor and her overtax and spend policies, the government also seems to be intent on damaging as many of UK's vital small to medium sized businesses (SMEs) and family businesses as possible, by over-taxing and over-regulating them. This is madness. UK's 5.5 million SMEs, some 4.8 million of which are family businesses, comprise over 99% of UK's businesses, generating c 52% of UK's GDP and employing over 60% of UK's workforce. Giant corporations, which number just c 70,000 companies, comprise less than 1% of UK's businesses, generate just c 48% of UK's GDP and employ just c 40% of UK's workforce. Indeed, giant corporations seem to be withdrawing from employment, by employing a lower proportion of UK's staff with every passing decade. These giant corporations are hugely dependent on SME suppliers and a substantial proportion of UK's workforce and economy are dependent on SMEs too. Any idiot can see that it is recklessly irresponsible of government to try to force the vital small businesses, on which UK's workforce, consumers, economy and our giant corporations depend, out of business, yet this is what this clueless government seems determined to do.
Jenny
2025-06-11 10:58:12
I used to go up the town 5 out of 7 days. Now I go 1 day out of seven. When I have to go. It is such a depressing place to go. Most shops have closed. I would never encourage anyone to visit the town.
Adrienne
2025-06-11 11:59:44
I think business rates and rents.Are too high, To be honest it is difficult to survive being a small business or small farmers. Perhaps it is time to have a more civilised approach to rents. Small businesses small rents. I do know big supermarkets used to get a grant for a couple of years . But I have seen many start ups come and go. Hairdressers and youngsters with big hopes flattened.Not experienced enough to run a businesses. Those are my thoughts on the matter. I love the benches.I think they cheer the place up. And give the shoppers a little rest. Lack of footfall for Legends as it was upstairs was a problem.Perhaps it may pop up in the town again.
Stephen Perring
2025-06-11 12:47:22
The place is not very good , all shops shutting because the rents are to high
David P
2025-06-11 15:33:40
Inflation is still high, taxes up, unemployment up. Not just in Harlow, but nationwide. Many people just haven't got the spending power they once had. This affects everyone, not just retail outlets. I've never run a business, but many of the comments on this site state that business rents and operating costs are too high. Those on the council need to think very carefully before spending more millions on trying to give the Harvey Centre and surrounding area a makeover. Surely it's better to lower rents and rates to ATTRACT business, rather than empty retail outlets that bring in nil revenue and add to the towns demise. If long serving business are pulling out of Harlow, the Council really need to address why, how can we keep the business we have? How do we realistically encourage more business into Harlow? Tarting up walkways (at great expense) is not going to encourage anyone to spend money they don't have or encourage business to keep paying out on high operating costs in the hope things might just improve.
Beny
2025-06-11 18:42:25
The same company is digging and repairing all over the city. This is how they will end up in years. One day they are digging in one place, the next day they are in another place. The center is ugly with empty and unsightly premises. A gathering place for drunks and drug addicts.
Clare Campbell
2025-06-11 19:23:58
Harlow Town is so disappointing. I have lived in Harlow for 27 years and it is rubbish now. Around Market Square it is like a ghost town. I will have left Harlow before it improves. I feel sorry for the businesses that are trying to survive.
Paul Pegrum
2025-06-11 19:37:02
If the council doesn’t do anything you all moan when they do try to make the town a better place you moan I personally think it’s great what the are trying to do and will make a judgement in time
Logan Young
2025-06-13 05:07:51
As much as the council likely are trying to make an effort for improvement, they should’ve seen this coming. It is hypocritical to claim they’re supporting small businesses, yet they continue to price them out of bricks-and-mortar stores through high rents. It’s not just the Harvey Centre; travel nationwide and most indoor shopping malls are becoming a thing of the past, littered with discount shops and very little else. Unfortunately, I genuinely feel we may see a point in which the Harvey Centre is home to a number of shops that you can count on one hand, which is crazy considering where we were 10 years ago. But the bottom line is, councils nationwide do not have the best interests of businesses in mind, and business’ best interests, for the most part, is to move away from brick-and-mortar stores… so bye bye small businesses!
Adrienne
2025-07-03 16:18:19
I feel the closure of the shops in the Harvey centre is step one ito apply the new town plan that is going ahead
Leave a Comment Below:
41 Comments for Harlow Council describes Harvey Centre shop closures as part of a “period of transition”: