Major Town Centre Scheme To Revive The Heart Of Harlow Gets The Green Light

A major development for the centre of Harlow has been given the go-ahead by the Development Control Committee at Harlow Council last night (Wednesday 26^th October 2022), who resolved to grant planning permission subject to a Section 106 agreement. Overall, the Harlow Quarter scheme, by Strawberry Star, will create 741 new apartments, along with flexible ground floor retail space to attract new cafés and restaurants to this up-and-coming area of the Essex New Town.

The latest scheme gives the green light to 578 apartments in a series of buildings, including two landmark towers, following on from Strawberry Star’s earlier application for 163 new homes on part of the same site. The success of the latest application, which follows extensive consultations with both Harlow Council and Essex County Council to ensure the best possible design for the area, means that this under-utilised part of the town centre is set for a major regeneration, with the car-free housing development bringing new life to the heart of Harlow.

Harlow Quarter’s 741 new apartments will range from studios to three-bedroom family homes, and will sit alongside around 3,000 sq m of flexible commercial space and 6,250 sq m of improved public realm. Quality of life is at the heart of the development, with the vast majority of apartments benefiting from dual aspect views and having a balcony or terrace, as well as access to private roof gardens and courtyards. New walking and cycling routes will be developed, making car-free living convenient, with the town station and the 160-acre Harlow Town Park, with its gardens, meadows, outdoor gym, paddling pool and café, just a 15-minute stroll away.

Strawberry Star’s Harlow development has been designed by award-winning architects Flanagan Lawrence, and the latest application includes full details for the two taller blocks and outline details for the rest of the scheme. Planning officers praised the scheme: “The proposals would dramatically change and revitalise an underused and somewhat ‘run-down’ part of the town centre. General economic, environmental and visual regeneration changes are therefore very positive. The evolution of the proposals has resulted in a form of development that can contribute much to the overall regeneration of Harlow Town Centre.”