Harlow Council confirms Bus station project “on schedule and under budget”
Business / Tue 28th Apr 2026 at 10:53am
HARLOW Council has responded to “speculation” about the bus station regeneration scheme.
A Council spokesperson said: “The Bus Station and Terminus Street regeneration scheme remains on schedule and within the approved budget.
“Whilst there was a delay in 2024 before main construction began, this was due to utility companies needing to divert gas, electricity and water pipes under Terminus Street.
At the same time, the council reprocured the main contractor after a £4.5 million increase in projected costs from the original contractor. This decision brought the project back within budget and was fully reported at the time.
“Main construction started last September and the programme is on schedule.
“A planning document referenced in recent reports was submitted by a council appointed consultant without the appropriate authorisation. The submission, which did not follow usual protocol, has been identified as an error and has been withdrawn. The contract with that consultant has since concluded.
“The regeneration of Terminus Street remains on track and within budget.”
Yvonne
2026-04-28 11:10:17
Can we now expect receive a deluge of apologies and retractions by all the Reform doubters for their erroneous comments on this project? On schedule and below budget!
Mike
2026-04-28 11:20:56
Wow! Great work by Dan and the local Conservative administration. Just imagine if Reform got in, Scott Hegley and Tracy Cranfield could spend the below budget savings on new flags for the lampposts! Oh I forgot, Scott can't be elected for District as he doesn't live in Harlow.
Fernanda
2026-04-28 12:02:37
This is an important regarding the Bus Terminus and the regeneration programme. It is reassuring to know that it is on tract and is a vindication of Dan Swords and his team.
Tracy Cranfield
2026-04-28 12:42:04
If this correct. I will be the 1st to apologise! But this is only words, no financial documentation has been produced to prove this . Again this should have been released a few weeks ago , but held back until the 21st May . Lets have the proof 1st not just words . You all seem to think we dont want the regeneration??? You are wrong , but not just the conservatives should have all the say for Harlow . Especially when the project is being run by a 25 nan who never grew up in Harlow Things Dan wants to put in place have been done , time and time again and they dont work . So another point of view is needed . Regards Tracy
Dan
2026-04-28 12:54:10
I wouldn't vote for these people based on their activity in the comments section alone.
Maureen
2026-04-28 12:58:48
Pray what does Dan want to put in place that has not worked in the past? Please be specific. And what would Reform do differently? After all, the whole financing was clearly set out in the Budget and Reform voted for it.
Paul
2026-04-28 13:05:40
Tracy Cranfield your comments are incoherent. The YH post of yesterday was very scant on detail and showed no figures yet youvwaxed lyrical about contingency and late delivery costs, taking the report as gospel. Today you have an official factual correction from the Council itself, yet you cast doubts. Do you not see the inconsistency of your conclusions? It is ahead of schedule and under budget. As a Harlow resident you should be delighted.
Nicholas Taylor
2026-04-28 13:25:58
Lets be clear readers, reports do not get on Council agendas at the whim of a consultant or without the appropriate authorisation. A look at the site today shows that very little work has been done in recent weeks and why all the surface outside the back entrance of Boots has been taken up is beyond comprehension. This project should never have been started in the first place. Extending the existing bus station, laying of new paving and regular maintence would have saved millions of pounds which could have been spent elsewhere.
Mark
2026-04-28 13:34:45
And here in a nutshell is why the report should have been ready for cabinet and/or Full Council. Speculation and gossip, rather than hard facts for the Councillors and Public to see. Two totally different press reports and the people of Harlow are left to guess which is accurate. The most likely explanation is somewhere between the two.
Steve
2026-04-28 13:45:33
Tracy Cranfield yesterday too slammed Dan Swords administration without You may want to point out that any “documentation” or proof and said you wanted to replace Dan (who has been named one of the best council leaders in the country) with an 18 year old who moved to Harlow a few months ago and has run for council in Tower Hamlets and who wouldn’t be able to tell you what a balance sheet is but who would certainly know what a cream doughnut is!
Alex
2026-04-28 14:06:18
Mark, you are just guessing, which a key Recorm trait. Anyway, this week I understand that the name will be revealed as to the Reform candidate who was using an official council laptop to access porn sites. Now that will be fun hear. I wonder who it could be.
Maureen
2026-04-28 14:11:24
So Tracy Cranfield Reform Candidate, are you going to answer my question or are you doing a runner as Scott Hegley did last week?
Maureen
2026-04-28 15:44:08
Just like her leader Scott Hegley, Tracy Cranfield Reform Candidate has disappeared and run away from answering valid questions. Reform are not coming across as credible for Harlow.
Mr George
2026-04-28 15:55:26
Tracy Cranfield, when does proof stop Reform folk spouting anything they want, regardless of facts? Just last week one of your colleagues said knife crime had gone up 200%, where were the facts? Nationally it's gone down. Please, don't be THAT type of person.
Stephen
2026-04-28 16:03:15
As Mr George says, Reform just spout nonsense with no supporting evidence. Their leaflets are crass and total rubbish focusing on matters that are nothing to do with the Council. They show they are not capable of running the Council and serving the people of Harlow.
Scott H
2026-04-28 16:06:13
Mr George - the statistic stemmed from Essex crime stats relating to weapons offences. Furthermore, you conflate "nationally" with a stat in the context of the local picture, apples with pears. So nobody is being any "type of person" as you put it and there's no need to be offensive.
ScottH
2026-04-28 16:09:24
Maureen - the difference between us and the rest is that we do engage as we are doing right here. This is contrast to the Tories who simply TELL everybody what they need and Labour that is completely absent from any useful debate at all. Far from running away, we're standing up for our town, county and country, not hiding behind a keyboard with a pseudonym.
ScottH
2026-04-28 16:13:24
Stephen - you either can't read or choose not to because otherwise you wouldn't make such comments. How can statements on regeneration, local housing, HMO's, road and neighbourhood conditions, business rates, bus lanes, greenbelt, special needs provision and crime have "nothing to do with the council"?? Please do some research.
Jonesy
2026-04-28 16:16:28
Scott, what businesses will you bring to Harlow? What facilities will you provide? What areas will you redevelop? Serious question.
Tracy Cranfield
2026-04-28 16:20:09
@Maureen First off im not going to do a runner...I actually have a family life , a business I run and dont have the luxury sitting on your Harlow . So your tone isn't appreciated! 1. Night club in Harlow, we have had Whispers ,Highwire ,Liquid, cm20s to name 4. We are not a uni town , a college town with students under the drinking age and living on parents bank account. Hospitality is on the Floor. Maybe a family party venue for all ages from 18 upwards. Google the Bistro Leicester to see what is mean. 2 . How many times have we had a Market , hasn't worked.... time and again . Younger people more likely to go to North weald , a great Market. Maybe put a small Market with stalls in the Harvey center, where tescos use to be . Do it up properly. Especially with the bloods being done it would bring in more people to the Harvey center. For younger family's a ice skating/ Trampoline park. Ive lived in Harlow 43 years , had my sons in PAH . My Granddaughter was born in Harlow, so having a great regeneration im all for! Im more than happy to talk and explain my views , but be civil !
Maureen
2026-04-28 16:59:05
Tracy, thanks for answering. Maybe you should be the local leader of Reform as you are far more coherent than your out of town leader Scott Hegley. I see your point regarding for example a Night club, but what you are missing is the following: the town had a very successful nightclub in the 1960s/70s however once the town was allowed the degenerate and decline under Labour, the town centre resembled Beirut! Putting a new night club on a bomb site will not function. This is now totally different. If the Market Square is regenerated as planned with new restaurants, bars, etc it becomes a destination and a nightclub in this setting is far more attractive and viable. I have set up and run hospitality ventures and know it to be the case. The new context is completely different to what preceded. As with David Lloyd, M&S , etc success breeds success. Harlow is definitely on the up and we need the current administration to continue. They have credibility with business as has been seen. Neither Labour nor Reform inspires such confidence.
Mr George
2026-04-28 17:05:18
Scott, knife crime has gone up 200% in Harlow? Please don't conflate offensive weapons with what was said - knife crime specifically. This is what your colleague said. So not only would I like proof, I'd like to know what he expects to do about it. Not much to ask for someone who is asking for votes is it?
Janet
2026-04-28 19:15:59
Mr George, unfortunately Reform don't do fact checking. Just shoot from the hip ( and invariably miss).
Graham
2026-04-28 19:33:22
I received a Reform leaflet today containing 5 pledges to 'fix our Council'. Problem is that 4 of the 5 have nothing to do with the Council and are central government and the only one that was local contained no details. Also the headline was 'Get rid of Starmer'. Scott Hegley, just so you and your Reform colleagues are made aware, Keir Starmer is not the leader of Harlow Council. Maybe you should send out a new leaflet correcting this misleading statement.
Tracy Cranfield
2026-04-28 20:53:03
Hi Maureen We aren't in the 60s and 70s anymore . I definitely think Harlow is in need of more family friendly things to do. We have got food and a couple of bar places in the water gardens . Although David Lloyd is good for Harlow not everyone can afford them prices. M&S isn't in the town , so that's not going to attract businesses. There seems to a awful lot of Pledges i.e Zara ,and not alot of proof that the regeneration funds are being spent in the right places . You know what Labour has done to the town , a Reform party hasn't had the chance to show you what we can do . Id rather see money saved from pretty underpasses that will get ruined , they will be darker at night . If they had been white washed, better lighting and cameras. Easier to keep clean , and the money spent on cleaning up the hatches. Helping the small business and areas look alot better and not so run down. The murials look fantastic, the artwork is great . Just not needed,doesn't improve safety and doesn't improve the town. Where sorting out the hatches would improve the look of the areas. Regards Tracy
Maureen
2026-04-28 22:29:47
Tracy, I understand your points but the subway murals are immensely popular and with new CCTV, the security is enhanced. Yes, it is not the 60s or 70s, but you seem to miss my point. The northern end of the town centre was the main focal point. Once the market square is converted into a piazza type setting, it can be again. Have you ever visited Bracknell, a new town set up at the same time as Harlow, that was the first to regenerate it centre, highly successfully. No reason Harlow cannot do the same and even exceed its success. I know several councillors and the Conservative administration has looked at regeneration case studies in a number of UK towns and cities. It is not a whim. They pride themselves on evidence based studies. They are professionals. They have done their research. No other parties come close. We need them to continue. It is best for Harlow.
Morag
2026-04-29 07:03:31
This is good news. Keep going with the regeneration. Harlow is on the up at last.
Paul
2026-04-29 07:19:21
Tracy Canfield , how can you question the regeneration when your Party already voted for it in the Budget. It doesn't make sense. Reform have already supported everything. So can't do anything different. Why would anyone vote for you when you offer nothing?
Clock's ticking
2026-04-29 08:56:39
Tracy Cranfield - get off the internet. I've seen more of your party arguing with comments online than I have seen anything positive or to provide reason why you should be awarded a single vote.
Stuart G
2026-04-30 08:09:24
I was at the bus station site yesterday and you can see loads of work has been done - problem is it's all in the ground so most people aren't aware of the progress. Loads of utilities and drainage has gone in, and the foundations are being cast - you can see the formwork and the concrete braces. This will be rising soon enough, but if you actually look at the project, the majority of the works are substructure and in the ground, rather than superstructure. Just because you can't 'see' progress doesn't mean there isn't progress.
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