Planning permission for 10,000 new homes as part of Harlow & Gilston Garden Town has been issued by East Herts Council.
The outline planning permissions for the Gilston area of the Garden Town comprise 8,500 homes for Places for People across six villages and 1,500 homes for Taylor Wimpey in a seventh village.
Alongside new homes, the development includes facilities for business, retail, sports and leisure and healthcare, as well as community spaces, parks and open spaces, new primary and secondary schools and early years facilities.
Together with the earlier granting of permission for new transport infrastructure schemes known as the Central and Eastern Stort Crossings, the outline permissions are a significant milestone in the process of bringing forward the Gilston area development proposal identified in the Council’s 2018 District Plan.
The planning applications were considered by the District Council’s Development Management Committees on 28 February 2023 and 23 March 2023, where it was resolved that permission be granted subject to the finalisation of conditions and completion of a Section 106 agreement to secure the necessary infrastructure.
Councillor Dan Swords, Leader of the Council and Chair of the HGGT Joint Committee, commented: “This is an historic day for the Harlow & Gilston Garden Town project and the future of Harlow and Gilston.
“This Garden Town village planning permission signals transformational growth for the area with 10,000 new homes including 2,300 new affordable homes for local people.
“Crucially, this is a leading example for the country and ensures the required infrastructure, to transform the area for existing and new residents, is in place.
“That means £1.3 billion worth of investment into seven new primary schools and two new secondary schools, huge upgrades to our road, walking and cycling infrastructure, new healthcare facilities, a new leisure centre and football hub, as well as over seven acres of employment space to support the growth of local SMEs and attract new investment to create high-skilled jobs for local residents.
“But, more importantly, so much work has been done to ensure that, unlike many other large developments, this truly is a desirable place to live with seven sustainable Garden Town villages.
“That means that over 50% of the village area will be made up of public, open and natural green space and that the designs and layouts of the villages are of the very best quality.
“It also means that these new Garden Town villages will not gridlock roads for existing residents in Harlow and the surrounding areas, or put ever increasing pressure on local services such as GPs, but rather the Harlow and Gilston areas are a better place to live, work, raise a family and grow a business for existing residents as a result of the decisions that have been taken to transform local infrastructure.
“This represents one of the biggest planning permissions ever granted and it gives the green light to new Garden Town villages, new homes, more investment, fantastic opportunities and a brighter future for Harlow and Gilston.”
Councillor Alastair Gunn, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Garden Town and planning, added:
"I am pleased the Section 106 for Gilston has been agreed, as this will secure investment to Harlow and the surrounding area.
"What's been agreed will lead to new schools and healthcare facilities. The large amount of employment space will create job opportunities and boost the local economy.
"New, modern sports facilities including a dedicated football hub and leisure centre will all be easy to get to from Harlow, and open to our residents.
"This also means more money going into our road and transport network, which will be critical if we are to keep Harlow moving as it grows.
"A lot of hard - at times difficult - work has gone into this, including from the team here at Harlow Council. I would like to thank all those who have worked together to ensure a good outcome for Harlow."