“You will be judged by what you have succeeded at, not what you have attempted”

Labour’s key priorities for the people of Harlow

Housing & Regeneration: Implement a progressive and bold council house building scheme to ensure the next generation of Harlow citizens get the housing they need for themselves and their families.

Economy and Skills: Develop a thriving economy by bringing high quality industries and highly skilled jobs to our town.

Health and Well-being: Invest in the young people of Harlow by helping to develop youth provision across our town.

Balanced budget: Continue to be financially prudent to ensure healthy council finances, both for this generation and the next.

Safety and Security: Work with partners across the town to tackle the rise in crime so that all residents of Harlow feel safe and secure.

Housing & Regeneration:

• Implement a bold and progressive council house building scheme. This current Labour administration has started to build council houses in this town for the first time in twenty five years.  However, we want to go much further.  With the help of our Local Authority Trading Company HTS we will see the completion of as many council houses as possible in Harlow in the next five years.
• We will ensure that any new development is in keeping with Sir Frederick Gibberd’s vision and the new Garden Town status we have been awarded.  We will also continue to protect important heritage sites across the town.
• Regenerate all of our Town Centre with local partners and businesses to promote and develop Harlow into a thriving and vibrant place to visit. A place where art and leisure sit alongside retail, to create a strong economy that everyone can enjoy.

Economy and Skills:

• Develop a thriving economy by bringing high quality industries and highly skilled jobs to our town.
• Work with existing and new employers in Harlow such as Public Health England as well as our schools and colleagues to provide young people of Harlow with the skills that they need to put them ahead in an ever more competitive jobs market.
• Develop partnerships with local businesses and support a Harlow first supply chain in all that we as a council do.

Health and Well-being

• Invest in the young people of Harlow by helping to develop youth provision across our town.
• Look at alternatives that HDC can provide in the wake of Essex County Council’s cuts to Youth Services in Harlow by working in partnership with the voluntary sector.
• Continue the council’s good working relationship with volunteer and charity organisations to ensure those people in our society who are most vulnerable are supported
• Continue to fund vital community resources such as pet’s corner, the playhouse and paddling pools/splash pools so that the next generation of Harlow young people can enjoy what we enjoyed and more.

Balanced Budget

• Continue to be financially prudent to ensure healthy council finances, both for this generation and the next.
• We all know that 8 years of Tory austerity has hit people in Harlow hard which is why we are determined to do what we can to make things easier for people. This is why we froze our proportion of council tax in 2018/19 and will only raise council tax in line with inflation for the following year, 2019/20.
• It was Harlow’s Labour administration that brought vital local services back in house under the banner of HTS. Instead of putting the profits made by these services into the pockets of shareholders, £500,000 a year now comes back to the council so we can further invest it into our town.
• Continue to bid for government funding to help support the most vulnerable in our society including the funding gained to support this town’s homeless population.

Safety and security

• Work with partners across the town to tackle the rise in crime so that all residents of Harlow feel safe and secure.
• Continue to fund the three Community Support officers who patrol our shopping precincts and communal areas.
• Work with the existing services and promote new voluntary sector projects to tackle the increase of anti-social behaviour and gang violence.

A clear and transparent council

• Ensure that portfolio holders, councillors and council officers and staff are accountable to the public for the work that they do.
• Working even harder to engage with the public through surgeries, meetings and community events.
• Build and develop community-oriented public meetings that will welcome all community interest groups including faith groups and charities.