Policy information sourced from the Harlow Local Development Plan 2020-2033 PDF.

HGT1: Development and Delivery of Garden Communities in the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town.

1. Four strategic Garden Town Communities are planned in the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town and the relevant site/s are allocated in the Harlow, Epping Forest and East Hertfordshire District Local Plans:

  • a) South of Harlow (Latton Priory) – delivering approximately 1,050 dwellings over the Local Plan period (within the Epping Forest district);
  • b) West of Harlow (Water Lane Area) – delivering approximately 2,100 dwellings over the Local Plan period (within the Epping Forest district);
  • c) East of Harlow – delivering approximately 3,350 dwellings over the Local Plan period (750 dwellings within Epping Forest District and approximately 2,600 dwellings within the Harlow district);
  • d) Gilston Area (including seven villages) - delivering approximately 3,000 dwellings over the Local Plan period with a further 7,000 dwellings beyond the Local Plan period (within the East Hertfordshire district).

2. As the focus of the Garden Town, Harlow Council will expect the design, development and phased delivery of each Garden Town Community to accord with all the following principles:

  • (a) the public sector working pro-actively and collaboratively with the private sector to:
    • secure high-quality place-making;
    • ensure the timely delivery of on-site and off-site infrastructure required to address the impact of the new communities; and
    • provide and fund a mechanism for future stewardship, management, maintenance and renewal of community infrastructure and assets;
  • (b) community and stakeholder involvement in the design and delivery from the outset and the delivery of a long-term community engagement strategy;
  • (c) prior to the submission of outline planning applications, developers must submit a supporting statement setting out a sustainable long-term governance and stewardship arrangement for the community assets, including heritage assets, Green Infrastructure, the public realm, community facilities and other relevant facilities to be funded by the developer;
  • d) a Strategic Master Plan must be developed in general conformity with the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town Vision and Design Guide and have regard to the original guiding principles established by Sir Fredrick Gibberd’s master plan for Harlow including the Green Wedge network;
  • (e) Strategic Master Plans and detailed design proposals must be reviewed and informed by the independent Quality Review Panel and be consistent with and adhere to any relevant Design Codes;
  • (f) on-site and off-site infrastructure is provided, subject to viability considerations, ahead of or in tandem with the proposed development to mitigate any impacts, to meet the needs of existing and future residents and visitors and to establish sustainable travel patterns;
  • (g) ensure balanced and inclusive communities by providing a mix of housing of different sizes, tenures and types, including provision for self- and custombuilt houses and specialist accommodation;
  • (h) provide and promote appropriate opportunities for small-scale employment generating uses;
  • (i) create a step change in modal shift by contributing to the delivery of the Sustainable Transport Corridors and establishing an integrated, accessible and safe transport system which reduces car use and maximises the use of the sustainable high quality transport modes of walking, cycling and the use of public and community transport to promote healthy lifestyles and provide linkages to and from Harlow and the new Garden Town Communities;
  • (j) create sociable, vibrant, healthy and walkable neighbourhoods with access for all residents to a range of local employment opportunities, community services and facilities;
  • (h) compliance with specific parking standards which recognise that car ownership will need to be accommodated without impacting on the quality of place whilst making the best use of land;
  • (l) create distinctive environments which relate to the surrounding area, take full account of topography and landform, protect or enhance natural and historic landscapes, systems and wider historic environment, Green Infrastructure and biodiversity. The layout should respond to and extend, where possible, the existing network of Green Wedges and Green Fingers in the district;
  • (m) ensure mitigation from and adaptation to climate change is secured through design and construction methods;
  • (n) ensure that the costs and benefits of developing new Garden Town Communities are shared by landowners and developers with appropriate measures put in place to equalise and apportion the costs of shared infrastructure and associated land contributions;
  • (o) a Heritage Impact Assessment will be required to inform the design of the Garden Town Community to ensure heritage assets within and surrounding the site are conserved or enhanced and the proposed development will not cause harm to the significance of a heritage asset or its setting. Only where harm cannot be avoided should appropriate mitigation measures be incorporated into the design as identified through the Heritage Impact Assessment;
  • (p) key transport interventions (such as M11 J7a) and provision of sustainable transport (providing viable alternatives to the private car) will need to be agreed prior to the development being permitted. Measures to ensure future upkeep/maintenance of sustainable transport provision will be required;
  • (q) Inclusion of any measures necessary to safeguard wildlife sites beyond the district boundary in accordance with Policy WE4.

Developers will be expected to make a fair and reasonable contribution to the strategic highway and other infrastructure requirements set out in the Infrastructure Delivery Plan.

For more information, please visit Harlow’s Local Plan here.