Strawberry Star’s new Build to Rent development Harlow Quarter has been approved by the Development Control Committee at Harlow Council, who resolved to grant planning permission subject to a Section 106 agreement. The development will create a total 741 new apartments, along with ground-floor retail space to attract new cafés and restaurants.
Turley supported Strawberry Star with its latest application, which gives the green light to 578 apartments in a series of buildings, including two towers, following on from Strawberry Star’s earlier application for 163 new homes on part of the same site.
“The approval is a fantastic result for Harlow town centre. The new high-quality dwellings and commercial spaces will inject activity and vitality, as well as delivering exceptional public realm and architecture to the heart of Harlow. Throughout the application process we were mindful of feedback from the Quality Review Panel and Harlow Council’s new Harlow Town Centre Masterplan Framework, and by listening to them and other stakeholders we were able to make key changes to the scheme. We look forward to continuing our work with Strawberry Star and Harlow Council to ensure the delivery of this project as soon as possible.”
Freya Turtle, Director of Planning Consultancy, Turley
Harlow Quarter’s Build to Rent homes will include a mix of studios to three-bedroom apartments, which will sit alongside around 3,000 sqm of commercial space and 6,250 sqm of public realm. Most apartments have a balcony or terrace, as well as access to private roof gardens and courtyards. New walking and cycling routes will be developed to make car-free living easier, with the town station and the 160-acre Harlow Town Park a 15-minute walk away.
“When Harlow New Town was built it was an exciting new way of living, and the town centre buzzed with life. But 70 years later, the heart had gone out of the centre as online shopping and working from home emptied the streets. Harlow Quarter will create a new buzz for a new generation – revitalising the centre of town with new homes, new businesses and a new style of urban living.”
Santhosh Gowda, Chairman, Strawberry Star
Harlow Quarter has been designed by architects Flanagan Lawrence. The latest planning application includes full details for the two taller buildings and outline details for the rest of the scheme. The two buildings that form the centrepiece of the 1.79-hectare site have been designed by Flanagan Lawrence to represent Harlow’s history as the first of the 1950s new towns. One building features a ‘harlequin’ pattern of trapezoids in the style of the first residential tower block in the country, The Lawn.
“The decision by the Development Management Committee reflects the most significant regeneration opportunity in Harlow town centre. Not only will we see new high-quality homes and massive improvements to public open space, but it will also bring an almost £50m investment to the town centre. Alongside our other town centre initiatives, this will be the catalyst for exciting improvements in the years ahead.”
Cllr Dan Swords, Deputy Council Leader and Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Harlow Council
Harlow Quarter is a short walk from Harlow Town station with services to London Liverpool Street in 30 minutes and Stansted Airport in 17 minutes. Harlow is within the UK’s innovation corridor between London, Stansted and Cambridge, and is the site of the new £250m Harlow Science Park and Public Health England’s £400m national science hub. With a population growth of 22%, prices in Harlow increased 74.92% in the decade up to 2020.
