‘Dull and lifeless’ English town is turning its fortunes around with £51m makeover

A HISTORIC English town is set for a huge £51million makeover.

The “dull and lifeless” Essex town has been allocated a landmark investment programme in public housing.

Harlow Council is set to consider a proposal to speed up major investments in council housing at a cabinet meeting on November 13, in what is being called the “biggest-ever investment” in the town’s council housing.

The changes aim to streamline the procurement process and remove delays, ensuring upgrades are delivered more quickly and efficiently.

The council plans to invest £51 million in upgrades by March 31, 2026, including new roofs, windows, kitchens, bathrooms, refurbishments, and fire safety works.

Under the current system, major upgrade schemes are typically approved in February but do not begin on site for 12 to 18 months.

But the new approach, if approved, will allow work to start at the beginning of the financial year, reducing delays and ensuring residents see the benefits much sooner.

Councillor David Carter said: “This record level of funding shows our absolute commitment to improving the quality, safety, and comfort of homes for our residents by investing in our housing.”

For the 2025/26 financial year, Harlow Council approved a housing budget exceeding £136.6 million, more than doubling its investment compared to 2019/20.

The funding is to be allocated for upgrading and refurbishing many more council home, improving the repairs and maintenance service and rolling out the tenancy audit programme to inspect every council home every year.

The council also wants to accelerate the specialist stock condition survey of every home, reduce the turnaround time on empty council homes and create over 1,500 new residential parking spaces.

They also plan to overhaul the housing allocations system to ensure homes are for local families and fully meet every commitment made to the Social Housing Regulator.

Harlow is a town and local government district located in the west of Essex.

When The Sun visited the town last year, one lady sitting at Greggs, who wished to remain anonymous, blasted “run down” Harlow as “awful”.

She said: “I lived in Harlow six years and I agree! It’s just awful, it’s really bad, no one is happy, except for me.

“It’s so run down, there is nothing for people to do anymore. With the cost of living crisis, Covid, that’s the brunt of it.”

Her comments are a reflection of a grim 2022 report that found 32 percent of kids in Harlow lived in poverty – the highest in Essex, a county of 1.8 million.

Local Reddit users in the subreddit r/Essex were quick to share Harlow’s shortcomings.

@Leathershoe4 described it as ‘dull and lifeless’ and @samwich-4 called Harlow a “depressing place to be.”

Despite the negative feedback from some, others said the town has offered them a great life.

Gigal ‘George’ Caprita, 54, moved to England three years ago from Constanța in Romania, one of the oldest cities in Europe.

The Booker delivery driver told The Sun: “For us it’s very nice. This centre is nice, where we live is quiet, we don’t have any problems, no crime, nothing.

“We found many places to drink coffee, talk to people, there are some shops where we found traditional Romanian and Polish food – it’s awesome.”

Founded as a new town in 1947, Harlow is situated on the border with Hertfordshire, and occupies a large area of land on the south bank of the upper Stort Valley.

At the time of the 2011 Census, Harlow had the third-highest proportion of social housing in England.

Which is a legacy of the 1947 commitment to re-house blitzed London families after World War II and provide a percentage of homes for other needy families who cannot afford market rents.

Harlow also has one of the country’s largest urban parks covering more than 160 acres of open green space.

As well as its beautifully maintained gardens, families can enjoy a bandstand, children’s play zones, an outdoor gym, a paddling pool, and a skate park.

The smart Water Gardens shopping quarter, which opened in 2004, offers Harlow residents contemporary shops and restaurants to enjoy.

The town is also the home to a major collection of public sculptures and the  Playhouse Theatre which hosts shows and live comedy throughout the year.

While, the local museum, contains artefacts on Harlow’s historic past, charting the story of the town through the ages.