The Harlow Regeneration Partnership LLP is a 50/50 partnership between Hill and the council set up to bring forward the development of council-owned and other sites for development.
The two partners will provide equal capital and take equal returns from the enterprise. However, the arrangement is non-exclusive – Harlow Council can also investigate other options for delivery partnerships.
The partnership intends to begin work on site later this year. Government funding has been secured for a new bus station and Terminus Street, improvements to Broad Walk and the transformation of Playhouse and College Square with a new live performance venue and upgrades to Harlow Playhouse. The Harlow Arts & Cultural Quarter project got a £20m ‘levelling up’ grant from the government in January this year.
The partnership will also explore options for delivering further town centre regeneration schemes.
Signing the deal provides an early marker for Harlow’s 22-year-old council leader Dan Swords, who only took charge of the council two weeks ago. Previously, until February, he had been portfolio holder for regeneration and planning.
He met Hill Group managing director Tom Hill in the town last week to launch the partnership.
Cllr Swords said: “This first partnership will be a major vehicle for delivering Harlow’s once-in-a-lifetime regeneration programme. The deal means that we can say to residents and businesses we are finally getting on with the job of delivering the town centre’s regeneration and building new homes. Harlow will be on site this year to start the town centre rebuild and on sites to build high-quality new homes for Harlow families.
“Delivering major regeneration in Harlow that this town needs is not something we can do on our own. This partnership is a game changing moment for the town’s regeneration with private sector expertise and investment, with the council having an equal share. It will be a partnership with capacity to manage multi-million-pound schemes which will regenerate Harlow, create jobs and opportunities for Harlow people and future generations and boost the local economy.
“I am really looking forward to working with The Hill Group who are one of the leading developers in the country. They have an impressive track record of working in partnership with other local councils to successfully deliver major regeneration schemes and address housing shortages by building new council homes and homes for sale. We wish to replicate these successes in Harlow, and we can look ahead positively as we continue transforming our town.”
Tom Hill said: “We are excited to bring the first sites through planning, with construction to begin in the near future. Hill has a strong track record of collaborating with local authorities to deliver large-scale regeneration, and we are committed to replicating these successes in Harlow, delivering high-quality homes, and revitalising the town centre. This collaboration is a significant step forward in Harlow's journey towards a vibrant and sustainable future, and we are honoured to be a part of it."
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