Harlow families are now moving into brand-new council homes as developments at Hammers Court (the former Lister House site) and Woodleys are completed. This marks another major milestone in Harlow Council’s work to Build Harlow’s Future and deliver Harlow homes for Harlow people.
The two schemes form part of the council’s housebuilding programme, which is providing modern, high-quality homes, with every property allocated to Harlow families at council rents. It is the biggest period of council housebuilding the town has seen in more than three decades.
Hammers Court delivers 24 new apartments, while Woodleys provides six new houses on a former derelict garage area.
Last week, Councillor Dan Swords, Leader of Harlow Council, met some of the first Harlow residents moving in:
“We are building more council homes than in the last 30 years combined, and it is genuinely changing people’s lives. These are Harlow homes for Harlow families, and seeing residents move into their new homes shows exactly what Building Harlow’s Future means.”
Among those he met was Dennis, a Harlow resident and army veteran, who shared how much his new apartment will improve daily life for him and his wife. Dennis joined the Leader and Tom Hill from The Hill Group to officially mark the handover of Hammers Court.
Later, the Leader welcomed a family born and raised in Harlow, who were “over the moon” to view their new home in Woodleys - so excited they “couldn’t sleep the night before”.
Councillor Swords said the moment reflected the scale and impact of the council’s efforts:
"This is a huge milestone for our housebuilding programme and another step forward in rebuilding our town. It also reflects the changes we made to the Housing Allocations Policy, ensuring Harlow homes are for Harlow people.”
With more schemes underway, the council is continuing to deliver new, high‑quality, genuinely affordable council homes - ensuring Harlow families can build their future in the town they call home.