The primary purpose of this project was to replace the temporary housing units at the Faircroft and Little Bays site and to provide some much-needed high quality family housing in this attractive residential district. It was also intended to provide some upgrading of community facilities. Old Harlow is an area of desirable housing and the site is adjacent to a conservation area and it therefore required a sensitive approach and sympathetic proposals.
Throughout 2007 and 2008 Harlow Renaissance conducted extensive consultation with local residents to ascertain views on future development. It was very clear that there was a strong demand for family housing, rather than flatted development and proposals were developed accordingly. An extension to St John’s ARC was commissioned to provide for the additional community facilities outlined in the original proposals.
In 2009, Moat Homes were selected as the developer to build the project (along with the schemes at Prentice Place and Clifton Hatch) and further consultation with residents took place on the detailed proposals during 2009/10. Full planning consent was obtained in March 2010. Since then detailed construction plans have been submitted to Harlow Council’s Building Control department for approval together with all required documentation for the discharge of planning conditions. The project will be delivered by Moat Housing in partnership with PRP Architects and Denne Construction; works commenced in February 2011 with completion of the project scheduled for spring 2012.
The full development will now comprise:
Of the total number of housing units, six houses and six flats will be classified as affordable housing with Harlow Council having nomination rights.
Details of the Old Harlow scheme can be found in the documents attached to this page.
Future development opportunities
The Old Harlow scheme was originally part of a much larger wider proposal to build a new health centre, replace some community facilities and undertake development at Wayre Street. After the initial consultation process, these proposals were dropped to focus on the housing scheme at Faircroft and Little Bays. It was also identified that the costs of the straightening of Wayre Street, to provide space for development, were prohibitive.
However, the opportunity remains to implement a wider regeneration programme for the central section of Old Harlow to provide a larger, modern health centre, new community facilities and better connections to the High Street to support the retailers there. Harlow Renaissance has provided some advice to Harlow Council on how this might be delivered through reconfiguration of car parking and the health centre around Garden Terrace Road, without involving a major re-location. It is hoped that proposals for this can be brought forward in the near future.