2 May 2026 · Planning Policy
Harlow District Council has published its draft Local Plan 2026-2041 for an eight-week public consultation. The document includes revised housing numbers and a reassessment of green belt boundaries. Our planning consultants are currently conducting a detailed review of all 412 pages. Early analysis suggests that the council is still relying on outdated Objectively Assessed Need figures that do not account for post-pandemic remote working trends or the government's revised household projection methodology.
We will be holding a special public meeting on 14 May at Harlow Rugby Club to walk residents through the key sections of the plan and explain how to submit effective consultation responses. All are welcome.
18 March 2026 · Community
Over 350 residents packed the main hall at Harlow Rugby Club for our spring public meeting, making it the largest gathering in the campaign's history. The audience heard presentations from our planning consultant, local ecologist Dr. Sarah Whitfield, and transport engineer Mark Dempsey.
The strength of feeling in the room was palpable. A show of hands at the end of the meeting revealed unanimous opposition to the current Harlow North proposal among attendees. We are now compiling video clips from the event to share with local media and upload to our YouTube channel.
10 February 2026 · Technical
Ropemaker Properties has submitted a revised Transport Assessment to the council following our detailed critique of the original document. While the new assessment makes some minor adjustments to trip distribution, our independent transport consultants have identified continued methodological flaws.
Specifically, the assessment still uses pre-COVID trip generation rates from TRICS that do not reflect the sustained shift to hybrid working. Furthermore, the junction capacity analysis for the A414/M11 corridor uses a 2031 design year rather than the full build-out year of 2041, masking the true peak-hour impact.
22 January 2026 · Legal
Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we have raised £12,000 towards an independent legal opinion on the council's duty to cooperate with neighbouring authorities. The opinion, being prepared by a leading planning QC, will examine whether the council has adequately demonstrated that unmet housing need cannot be accommodated within the district boundaries or through cooperation with East Hertfordshire and Epping Forest.
5 December 2025 · Ecology
Our commissioned ecological survey has identified active badger setts, great crested newt populations, and breeding barn owls within the proposed development boundary. All three species are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017.
The presence of these species significantly complicates the developer's ability to secure a lawful development consent, as any licence from Natural England would require robust mitigation that the current masterplan does not provide.
14 November 2025 · Education
Headteachers from six primary schools and two secondary schools in the Harlow catchment area have published a joint statement expressing serious concern about the capacity of local education infrastructure to absorb the proposed new housing. The statement notes that five of the primaries are already at or above published admission numbers.