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

HS3: Strategic Housing Site East of Harlow.

A Strategic Housing Site for 2,600 dwellings and associated infrastructure is allocated on land to the east of Harlow. The site forms part of one of the new Garden Communities in the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town.

Developers must produce a Strategic Master Plan in general conformity with the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town Design Guide and in partnership with the Council and other stakeholders, such as Epping Forest District Council, East Hertfordshire District Council, the local community, infrastructure providers and statutory bodies.

The development must:

  • (a) provide integrated, well-planned and sustainable development that reflects the overarching design principles of the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town Vision and Design Guide, including the provision of Green Wedges and Green Fingers (incorporating public natural/semi-natural open space) and opportunities to enhance the biodiversity of the area;
  • (b) include the provision of Green Wedges and Green Fingers, incorporating public natural/semi-natural open space within the development to link with the existing network of Green Wedges and Green Fingers in the district;
  • (c) provide local highway solutions to address the impact on the wider strategic road network (including necessary links to the new Junction 7a on the M11);
  • (d) include the provision of direct walk/cycle/bus access and link to the Newhall site as part of the Sustainable Transport Corridor;
  • (e) provide footpaths, cycleways and bridleways within the development and link them to the existing Harlow network and adjacent networks in the Epping Forest District;
  • (f) provide community infrastructure, including, but not limited to:
    • (i) a new primary school of at least 2.9ha site area;
    • (ii) in addition to any necessary contributions, the provision of land for at least 10ha for a secondary school if required by the Strategic Master Plan;
    • (iii) child care and Early Years provision;
    • (iv) youth services;
    • (v) healthcare facilities;
    • (vi) multi-purpose community space and facilities;
    • (vii) allotment provision;
    • (viii) indoor and outdoor sports facilities, which may be shared-use;
    • (ix) neighbourhood equipped areas for play and locally equipped areas for play;
  • (g) provide appropriate local retail facilities, similar to Neighbourhood Centres (incorporating an element of employment use) and Hatches elsewhere in Harlow;
  • (h) 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;
  • (i) be designed sensitively to take full account of topography and landform;
  • (j) provide sustainable drainage solutions and flood mitigation measures for areas of the site which are identified in the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment;
  • (k) provide satisfactory water supply and waste water network infrastructure for occupants;
  • (l) provide and contribute to public art within the development; and
  • (m) include any measures necessary to safeguard wildlife sites beyond the district boundary in accordance with Policy WE4.

Infrastructure, including social infrastructure, must be delivered at a pace which meets the needs of the proposed development throughout the construction of the site.

Any application for development on the site in the form of individual or part/phased development should be in general conformity with a Strategic Master Plan which has been endorsed by the Council as well as the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town Design Guide.

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.