HRL

Harlow Renaissance and Harlow Council are laying down a challenge to developers to help make Harlow an even better, stronger and more attractive place. 

Together, they have published a new Design Guide which sets out design standards for the town and prescribes a look and feel for future development.  The Guide was adopted by Harlow Council at a meeting of the Full Council on 17 March as supplementary planning guidance.

Responding to the need to protect the Gibberd legacy and the town’s distinctive features, the Guide focuses on specifying design approaches which will deliver high quality places and spaces.  It also ensures that developers who adhere to its principles will benefit from a more favourable response to their planning applications from Harlow Council – compliance with the Guide will be a material consideration when assessing the design principles of a planning application.

“Harlow is at an extremely interesting point in its evolution,” says Cllr Simon Carter, Harlow Council’s Design Champion.  “The town has enjoyed the benefits of Gibberd’s original Masterplan – but that was more than 60 years ago.  Our challenge now is to look to the future and ensure that we give guidance to developers and investors about the type of schemes we want to see in the town and how we want them to look.  That’s what the Harlow Design Guide is all about – it will ensure that the character and uniqueness of the town will be nurtured while enhancing the appeal of our building stock to businesses, residents, shoppers and visitors of all types into the future.”

The Guide covers Harlow’s residential neighbourhoods and their mixed-use centres as well as employment areas.  It also applies to all development from the infill of existing urban areas to the alterations of existing buildings.

The Guide sets out standards and expectations for the design of buildings and public space for:

-    Residential: providing guidance on the principles for residential design, for new build, extensions to existing buildings and refurbishment.

-    Employment areas: ensuring commercial buildings’ designs are fit for purpose to attract and retain employers and businesses.

-    Neighbourhood centres: guiding their design and layout.

-    Harlow’s green spaces: protecting and valuing ‘green wedges’ and smaller areas of formal and informal open space.

-    Public art: building on Harlow’s reputation and distinctiveness for public art and its ‘Sculpture Town’ status.

Andrew Bramidge, Chief Executive of Harlow Renaissance, said: “Shaping the future and enhancing the quality of a place are two of a local authority’s biggest responsibilities.  We’re delighted that, by working in partnership with Harlow Council, Harlow Renaissance has helped to create a robust, exciting and workable Design Guide which provides encouragement and issues a challenge to developers.  Effectively, what we are saying is ‘rise to the challenge of this Guide and you will benefit from a smoother passage on the design aspects of your planning application’.  That’s good news for developers because it gives them clarity and an incentive.  More importantly, it’s good news for Harlow because it will encourage higher quality development and deliver better places and spaces for everyone in the town to enjoy.”

The Guide seeks to encourage a ‘design-led’ approach to development, making sure that any new building projects recognise the importance and value of good design.  It is expected to have a significant impact on planning applications in Harlow, shaping future change and improvements but also ensuring new schemes remain true to the distinctive features that give the town and its neighbourhoods their sense of place.

As a new town, Harlow provides a vivid example of the benefits and pitfalls of strategic planning in action.  Masterplanned by Sir Frederick Gibberd in the 1940s and officially built from 1947, Harlow was created upon his principles of well-connected, walkable neighbourhoods, abundant green space, separate employment areas and a defined commercial and retail town centre core.  Arguably one of the most advanced pieces of urban planning in its day, Harlow – like many of the post war new towns – is now facing fundamental challenges in terms of equipping itself for the future.

“We want to look forwards but to keep the best of the past too,” added Andrew Bramidge.  “That’s the essence of the Design Guide: making sure that we encourage development and good quality design which matches the needs of today without losing sight of Gibberd and Harlow’s unique founding principles.  Above all, we want to ensure that Harlow is proud of its past and future heritage.  This Guide sets out a series of standards and expectations which should improve the quality of design we see in future planning applications and, as a result, improve the quality of development we see in Harlow.”

Harlow Council and Harlow Renaissance also hope that the Guide will re-establish the town at the forefront of the urban planning agenda.  Just as Harlow has been an inspiration to young architects and urban planners in the past, the partners hope that it will be once again.

The Design Guide was developed by Harlow Renaissance and Harlow Council.  Consultants Urban Initiatives were appointed to help develop the Guide. 

Harlow Renaissance and Harlow Council are grateful to everyone who has contributed to the development of the Design Guide, including the local community and a full range of stakeholders whose insights, expertise and opinion has been invaluable.

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Contact:

Ben Copithorne at Camargue on T: 020 7636 7366 / bcopithorne@camarguepr.com