The Harvey Centre continues to go from strength to strength, with new figures showing a significant rise in visitor numbers and strong financial performance, outstripping expectations and reinforcing its role at the heart of Harlow’s regeneration.
A report to Harlow Council’s Cabinet next week (13 November 2025) sets out clearly the success of the council’s acquisition of the centre in 2022 as a sound strategic investment.
Key headlines of the Harvey Centre’s performance over the last year include:
- Over 5.8 million people visited the Harvey Centre last year – up 3.5% from the year before.
- Over 30 separate lease events took place over the past year worth over £2 million in income.
- More new leases are currently under negotiation which seek to improve the quality of retail offer within the centre.
- At Quarter 1 2025/26, the centre’s financial return was operating at 46.2% above the business plan forecast.
- Total gross profit between Quarter 1 2024/25 and Quarter 1 2025/26 exceeded business plan expectation and totalled over £1.9 million.
- The council is set to make multi-million-pound investments over the next financial year into major upgrades into the centre.
This performance comes in spite of extreme challenges nationally for the retail sector. This increased footfall has contributed to occupancy levels remaining consistently high at 90-95%, well above the national average for shopping centres, with new lettings secured from both national retailers and local businesses.
Investing into the Harvey Centre is at the heart of the council’s mission to ‘rebuild our town’. Over the coming months, multi-million-pound investments will be made into major upgrades to the centre, including new escalators, structural improvements to the multi-storey car park, and a transformation of the car park façade, all designed to enhance the shopping experience and attract even better shops.
The extremely strong financial performance of the centre is also supporting the wider regeneration of the whole town centre, with all surpluses from the centre being directed to regeneration schemes.
Commenting on the success of the centre Councillor Dan Swords, Leader of Harlow Council, said:
“This performance proves beyond doubt that purchasing the Harvey Centre was a sound and strategic investment for Harlow Council. It is generating millions more than forecast, has growing footfall and a very high occupancy rate – outperforming most shopping centres across the country. Every penny of that success is being reinvested to transform and regenerate our entire town centre through the biggest regeneration programme of any district council in the UK.
“We are also now investing millions into major upgrades to the Harvey Centre – attracting better shops, improving the experience for residents, and ensuring the centre plays a leading role in the regeneration of our town centre. This is all part of our mission to rebuild our town.
“The Harvey Centre’s success is about more than strong numbers – it’s about confidence. It shows that Harlow is on the up, that our regeneration plans are delivering, and that we are building a town centre our residents can truly be proud of as we Build Harlow’s Future.”