HRL

Harlow Renaissance – Achievements and Activities

Harlow Renaissance today releases its annual accounts for 2007/08 along with a statement of achievements over the last year. We also include the publication of our Business Plan for 2008/09, which is a summary update on our previous document as published in July 2007.

1. FINANCIAL SUMMARY

The year from April 2007 to March 2008 was the first full year of activity for the company. The staff team had been recruited by March 2007 and we were able to commence our programme of work on behalf of our partners at the beginning of the next financial year.

Because of our establishment at the end of the 2006/07 year, much of the money allocated to us by our partners was unspent and so was carried over for activity in 2007/08. We therefore planned an operating deficit for 2007/08 to utilise this carryover. As such, our published accounts show a deficit of £88,956 prior to allowing for the carryover of funds of £165,297 from 2006/07. This results in a positive carryover into 2008/09 of £77,341 to be spent on project activity in the current year.

The following represents a breakdown of the company’s income and expenditure position for 2007/08 (N.B. All figures rounded to the nearest £500):

Income

Expenditure 

It should also be noted that staffing costs contribute directly to the delivery of project activity. For example, some work undertaken does not necessarily have a direct cost attached to it, but it does involve a large amount of staff time.

2. ANNUAL REVIEW - ACHIEVEMENTS 2007/08

Harlow Renaissance has been established by its partners to deliver a series of regeneration projects across the town and to contribute towards the planning of the growth of Harlow over the next decade or so. Initially, the company’s work has focussed on the delivery of a series of neighbourhood renewal programmes, the construction of the Business Incubation Centre, the development of plans for the renewal of the northern part of the town centre and assistance to Harlow Council on the production of the Local Development Framework.

For the funding invested in Harlow Renaissance, the company has delivered the following activities in 2007/08 on behalf of its partners:

1. Developed the proposition for the re-development of Town Centre North, creating vision document and then managing the procurement process to appoint a preferred developer (achieved in April 2008).
2. Managed the procurement of the Business Incubation Centre, appointing a contractor and managing agent and then overseeing delivery through to the scheduled opening in November 2008.
3. Project managed four neighbourhood renewal projects in Clifton Hatch, Prentice Place, Staple Tye and Old Harlow. This has involved extensive community consultation scheme design and the submission of outline planning applications (achieved for Clifton Hatch in 2007/08 with the others following in 2008/09).
4. Commissioned, in conjunction with Harlow Council, an Infrastructure Study to analyse Harlow’s existing infrastructure deficit and to identify the new infrastructure required to sustain the town’s future growth. This work commenced in 2007/08 and will complete in early 2009.
5. Commissioned, again in conjunction with Harlow Council, an Employment Land Review to examine the opportunities for future employment growth within the town. This work commenced in 2007/08 and will also complete in early 2009.
6. Development of the Town Centre Partnership to provide a business forum for the management and promotion of Harlow Town Centre. This has included recruiting a staff team and establishing a rolling programme of events and activities such as the music concerts in Market Square.
7. Developed and launched a branding proposition to help transform the image of Harlow – ‘Harlow – see something different’.
8. Developed and part-funded with Essex County Council six new cycling improvement projects and produced the Cycle Town funding bid which, although unsuccessful, has now put in place a strong partnership structure and action plan for ongoing cycling improvements.
9. Developed and managed with Harlow Council’s arts team the Window Works project designed to bring temporary art installations to empty shop units in the town centre.
10. Implemented an ‘environmental hotspots’ campaign which resulted in two improvement projects being implemented at Cooks Spinney Wood and Church End Pond.
11. Produced a report for Harlow Council on potential options for developing a tariff based system for gathering developer contributions, which is now to be tested through the Local Development Framework process.
12. Delivered an ‘education summit’ to bring together the education sector and the business community to debate ways in which they can work more closely together and to start to prepare for the growth of Harlow. This has resulted in a range of projects being taken forward on education-business links working with Essex County Council and the Harlow Education Consortium.
13. Developed through consultation a proposition to increase entrepreneurship for which funding is being sought through Essex County Council.
14. Produced a report with BAA identifying ways in which Harlow can capitalise on the growth of Stansted Airport in terms of business and employment opportunities.
15. Established a land ownership mapping database to help with the future development and regeneration of areas across the town.

3. FUTURE ACTIVITY

Harlow Renaissance will also shortly release its Business Plan detailing activity for 2008/09. Clearly, much of this builds on our existing work and is intended as a complement to the 2007-09 document launched at Parndon Mill in July 2007. Highlights from this year’s activity with our partners include:

1. Successfully complete the Growth Area Fund neighbourhood renewal projects and commence the delivery of activity under the third round of this funding, where we will be measured by our success in achieving additional resources for Harlow.
2. Complete the Harlow Infrastructure Study and the Employment Land Utilisation Study, both as part of Harlow’s Local Development Framework and as contributions to the Regional Funding Allocation process in early 2009.
3. Secure agreement between all key partners on the need for the re-alignment of the A414 and a new junction on the M11, and establish a strategy for securing the necessary funding.
4. Implement short and medium term transport measures designed to facilitate growth to the east of Harlow and to tackle current congestion across the town.
5. Develop firm proposals for the re-development of the Town Centre through to the production of a planning application for Town Centre North.
6. Facilitate the development of new plans for the transformation of the area around Harlow Town Station to bring forward a major new development and make a significant contribution to the image of Harlow.
7. Complete the Harlow Business Incubation Centre with this to open in November 2008.
8. Identify the opportunities for business and employment growth within the town and implement a programme designed to achieve the growth of existing businesses and the attraction of inward investment.
9. Implement a set of clear image messages for Harlow with all key partners, ensuring consistency of message and identifying the town as a place of dynamism and change.
10. Develop and launch a new website to enable greater engagement with the people and businesses of Harlow and to provide an increased level of information about our work.

Andrew Bramidge, Chief Executive of Harlow Renaissance, said:
“This new business plan provides for a significant step change in our activities. Last year we established the company and undertook a lot of local consultation activities to secure the views of local people. We are now embarking on a strong programme of delivery to bring real change to Harlow. Some things we are able to do in the short term whilst other will take many years to complete but we are totally committed to improving quality of life and the town’s competitive advantage.”

Footnotes:

(1) Funding contributions were received from the Department of Communities and Local Government, East of England Development Agency, English Partnerships, Harlow Council and Essex County Council.

(2) Direct expenditure on project activity as detailed in the annual report.

(3) This includes salary, national insurance and pension contributions of staff on Harlow Renaissance payroll as well as the costs of staff seconded to the company and all recruitment expenditure.

(4) Office running costs, professional fees such as legal, audit and accountancy as well as marketing and communications.