Harlow Council set to take control of The Rows and Rothwell House in town centre to drive regeneration
News / Thu 11th Dec 2025 at 06:08pm
HARLOW Council is set to agree the purchase of two major town centre sites as part of its mission to rebuild our town. The acquisitions of 6-20 The Rows and Rothwell House will give the council full control of the buildings around Market Square and the West Gate area.
This move will end decades of fragmented land ownership and allow the council to regenerate the entire town centre. With these sites under council ownership, plans can move forward to fully transform Market Square into a vibrant destination with new leisure, hospitality, and night life.
Work on the wider transformation of Market Square is also progressing fast. Construction on the main square begins next week, work to renew Market House is already underway, and an announcement on Adams House is expected shortly as the council accelerates its town centre renewal programme. The regeneration of The Rows means that all sides of Market Square, and the square itself, will be transformed in 2026.
Market Square is just one phase of the complete rebuilding of the town centre. The transformation of Broad Walk is nearing completion, and major works in the Playhouse Quarter, Bus Station, and the former Strawberry Star site are underway.
Rothwell House will also play a key role in revitalising West Square and supporting redevelopment of the former Odeon and Strawberry Star sites.
These new acquisitions follow the council’s recent purchases of the Harvey Centre, Adams House, Market House and Terminus House, as well as its agreement to redevelopment of the former Strawberry Star site – all of which have enabled the .
Announcing the purchases, Councillor Dan Swords, Leader of Harlow Council, said:
“We’re delivering the biggest regeneration programme of any district council in the UK and these acquisitions – just like our others – are the next bold step in that plan. This is about taking back control of our town centre’s future. For far too long, regeneration has been stalled by fragmented ownership, delay, and neglect. Because we have restored a strong and secure financial position, we can now act with real purpose.
“By acquiring The Rows and Rothwell House – just as we have with Terminus House, Market House, Adams House and the Harvey Centre – we can deliver the full, whole-town regeneration Harlow has been denied for decades – transforming every corner of our town centre.
“This is how we turn promise into progress and rebuild our town centre in its entirety: coherent, ambitious, and driven by a clear plan. A vibrant, modern, thriving heart of Harlow is no longer an aspiration – it is exactly what we are getting on and delivering. This is another major step forward in our mission to ‘rebuild our town’ as we Build Harlow’s Future.”
The proposals will be considered by Cabinet on 17 December 2025, with a recommendation to Full Council on 18 December 2025.
For the avoidance of doubt, these plans do not include the Harlow Odeon.
Matt
2025-12-11 18:42:29
Good news indeed, a far more cohesive and comprehensive regeneration project can be achieved if the council can get hold of the last remaining plots in town. Hopefully the full focus is now squarely on finally getting control of the Odeon. Cllr Swords and the council are doing a really great job.
Seamus
2025-12-11 19:30:20
Has the Old Odeon site and linked crossfit buildings, yes those ones, have they been purchased by the council? They have been a block on any redevelopment of that area for decades?
Cliff Moore
2025-12-11 20:19:11
Well, the (non-existent) magic money tree (as I remember it being said) has not only morphed - but it has become the magic money fountain now!! If we wait long enough everything in the Town will be owned by the Council again!
Christopher Paul Flateau
2025-12-12 06:08:39
It is good news yet i wonder if there will be any plans to build a live music venue as i know the Square was a go to for the young and older generations before its demolition. It`s missed by so many so i hope it will be given some consideration.
N17
2025-12-12 07:43:52
This money used to do this was an inducement provided by the last Conservative government to wrestle Labour control away locally. Let’s hope its money not wasted and the tatty flags are not encouraged in the shiny new town centre.
Anon
2025-12-12 08:13:37
@Christopher Paul Flateau, that is a great shout. Anything that can be as close to a carbon copy of The Square, that doesn't encroach on The Playhouse's audience, which also needs to be cherished, would be perfect.
Stuart G
2025-12-12 08:38:35
Does the council own Adams House and the one next to Market House that used to have the Post Office in the bottom (don't know it's official name)?
Deborah Wheatley
2025-12-12 12:48:11
How I miss the Harlow the used to be, the old market, the old cinema, the fact that you went up the town and saw familiar faces and felt like there was community around the place. Full of strangers now, lots of foreign accents and rude people. The water gardens on a Sunday were lovely and peaceful but now there's always groups of dodgy looking men hanging around them. It's really sad 😢.
Nicholas Taylor
2025-12-12 13:12:10
The main hindrance to the redevelopment of the Town Centre has been the fact that back in the 1950's plots were sold off to a number of developers who for decades have failed to maintain their buildings or carry out any modernisation works. Whilst the Council can be applauded for buying up many of the buildings this does come with some risk and has increased the councils debt. What is most important now of course is what are they going to do with the land. I am sorry to say Christopher and Anon, the plans for a live music venue are in reality just an open space on the ground floor of the former Occasio House site. The indicative plan for the Town Centre includes a number of tower blocks, up to 16 storeys high, less retail space than there is now and leaves the town with one of the smallest theatres in the region. It will be interesting to see if the council amend the plans for the rest of the Town Centre now that they own these other sites.
Matt
2025-12-12 14:29:14
Never know Nicholas, the old Stockland plans from 2009ish had a sizeable theatre planned for the area where the Mitre Buildings, Rothwell House and the old Odeon are currently sat. If my back-of-a-napkin calculations are correct it's larger than the Market House site and the current Playhouse site. To me seems another viable location to place a larger theatre; already has Kitson Way running around the site. Few modifications to the junctions to accommodate HGVs for show equipment delivery seems sensible, along with a one way implemented to control traffic flow. Already has a multi-story car park behind the site for visitors (admittedly needs a spruce up). Large open area on the other side outside Whetherspoons for crowds to gather pre/post-show. You could see a potential situation where the council buys up Westgate House and builds a row of restaurants along to create a leisure destination area. The idea needs fleshing out, but potential is there if the council can get hold of the remaining buildings in the area.
Nicholas Taylor
2025-12-12 16:03:09
Matt, it is far to late for your suggestions. Work has already begun on the former Occasio House site to provide cultural facilities including a room for live music with dozens of flats above. A new building opposite the Playhouse is to be built which will include a box office for the theatre, cafe and more cultural facilities. As for the car park behind the old cinema, this is set for demolition along with Rank House, to be replaced with hundreds more flats. There are also plans for a large flat block on thr Kitson Way car park.
Matt
2025-12-12 17:18:06
As I understand it, the flats are above the large exhibition/gallery room not the live music venue. Above the live music venue will be many studio rooms, music school, recording studio and other creative rooms for uses akin to dance classes, music, gym classes...etc. So a big win for the creatives of the town to have all the additional facilities centrally located, along with the exhibition space you've wanted for many years. I'm on the planning portal frequently so aware of all the planning applications around town going back some years, as I'm aware of the Masterplan for the Town Centre. Masterplans are indicative as you mention in your previous message, so should never be taken as that is exactly what will happen. Ok, if it's unlikely the theatre gets relocated to where I initially suggested, there is still the possibility it could be expanded backwards into the old BHS store (closing the Harvey Centre entrance there) which is on a much larger footprint and connected to the Harvey Centre. Allowing to keep the current playhouse and have a second larger theatre for bigger productions that you want.
Keef
2025-12-12 17:23:56
But you missed a bit out again 15 years on called LITTLE WALK.
Finchie
2025-12-12 19:36:37
This is good....but let us not forget SFG school, the children are still in porta cabins outside, can we build the schools first and get on with new housing afterwards?
Mark Gregory
2025-12-12 21:56:51
I've heard Mr byrites are taking over the old bus store which is great news for all young groovy males in Essex
Dave Abbott
2025-12-13 06:30:07
Seamus - I don't understand what 'supporting redevelopment of the former Odeon' means - Hopefully a council spokesperson can explain what support they will offer to whoever owns the Odeon site and if they intend to build and market and sell flats next to a building that has been derelict for decades.
Veg patch
2025-12-13 09:03:16
Mr Byrites, Blast from the past that was Groovy Man. 😎
Iain Lindsay
2025-12-13 09:36:10
People need to realise that the the days of The High as a shopping centre are gone. All that's going to happen is the whole area is going to become a concrete jungle of high rise private flats rife for drug fuelled crime. As for cultural activities and arts? This is Harlow, not Stratford upon Avon.
Seamus
2025-12-13 13:51:41
No Problem Dave Abbott, happy to clarify. At every opportunity to develop the plot where the old cinema is, The old official building that was knocked down and the remaining Crossfit building, it has been blocked by the owner of crossfit and the old cinema. I was asking if the council had purchased those two blocking buildings to allow development or are we in the same stalemate we have been in for the last 40 years with nothing being built there?
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