A COUNCIL’S High Court action to attempt to stop asylum seekers from living at an Essex hotel has cost £277,425 so far, the BBC has learned. Epping Forest District Council won an interim injunction to close The Bell Hotel in Epping to migrants in August,…

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has announced two finalists of a competition to help close the tax gap, bringing together expertise from across the UK’s private sector to harness innovative, data-driven solutions to identify deliberate tax evasion.  The competition was launched in July 2025, exploring…

THE East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) has moved to REAP (Resource Escalation Action Plan) Level 4, the highest escalation level, in response to sustained high demand on the service and handover delays at hospitals increasing. This step aligns with similar actions taken by other…

OVER the past few months, there have been seven planning applications to convert houses into children’s homes. They have all been approved. Harlow is not alone. The same is happening over in Thurrock (where we have a sister paper) and many other places. As you…

THERE WAS a lot of love in the room for the Londis store in Gilden Park on Wednesday night. An application had been tabled for an extension to its planning permission. Residents after resident took to the mic to heap praise on a shop that…

AFTER 70 years of supporting workplace health and wellbeing, Harlow Occupational Health Service (HOHS) is closing its doors. With great regret the Board of Trustees announced today that it will cease all operations on 22December 2025 due to a significant and sustained reduction in the…

HARLOW MP Chris Vince rose on the floor of the House of Commons to raise a post on violence against women and girls. Mr Vince said: “I find it heartbreaking to hear that there are victims of domestic violence, rape and sexual violence who feel…

IT has been a few weeks since we last interviewed Harlow MP Chris Vince. In many ways that is an illustration of how busy he is. So we took the opportunity to meet in the town park and discuss a number of issues. This is…

ESSEX County Council is proud to announce that the Digital Help Finder tool, created by Digital Essex and Mortar, is now available for residents in Hertfordshire.  Essex is leading the way nationally in digital inclusion. Expanding the tool regionally means more people can get the…

HARLOW Council is preparing to take a major step forward in transforming how people move around the town, with the launch of a modern, London-style cycle hire scheme targeted for arrival in late 2026. For years, Harlow has been home to one of the strongest…

THIS time last year, the Prime Minister welcomed Manchester Airports Group’s £1.1 billion investment plan for London Stansted Airport at the government’s International Investment Summit. This project offers a once-in-a-generation transformation, unlocking the capacity of the airport and bringing more opportunities for work, learning and…

RESIDENTS and businesses in Essex have just one week left to have their say on Essex County Council’s 2026/27 budget priorities. Insights gathered from the online survey will be used to guide public spending in the next financial year. The council spends around £2 billion…

ESSEX County Council has unveiled two new resources designed to help parents and carers, schools and those working with young people address the growing issue of youth vaping.  Developed with input from education settings and parents, the toolkits aim to reduce usage and prevent uptake…

THE £725 million package of reforms to the apprenticeship system will help to tackle youth unemployment and drive economic growth, with thousands more young people expected to benefit over the next three years claims the government. The latest funding includes a £140 million for a…