Fed up residents slam 'ghost town' claiming council 'should be ashamed of themselves'

Residents of an Essex "ghost town" slammed the area as they claim the local council "should be ashamed of themselves."

Residents in Harlow have criticised the town, describing one part of the town centre as "a dump". EssexLive spoke to locals in the town to share their thoughts about the town centre. They were mostly disappointed by the area, claiming that the area is a 'dump' and buildings have been 'shut for years' with a lack of amenities.

Harlow Council, however, have proposed plans to rejuvenate large parts of the town with a range of new additions, which locals can't wait for. Jenny Mcghee, 77, said that Harlow Council “need to hurry up [to rejuvenate] those buildings that have been shut for years. The market area is shocking.

"It’s like a ghost town. If you came in by the market area, you’d think the town was a dump, if you came in by the Water Gardens, you’d think it’s not bad." Jenny also expressed her disappointment at the market area of the town, telling EssexLive that she thought Harlow Council "should be ashamed at the state it's got in."

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The criticism comes after regeneration plans in Harlow has seen the town coned up, with barriers placed around key areas of the town centre. Years have passed while some buildings have remained empty in the Market Square. While The Water Gardens and The Harvey Centre thrive, the area awaiting a revival at the other end of the town centre, has been described by some residents as a “ghost town”.

The Water Gardens, which has a green social space, with an outside library to donate books to, a runway of busy retailers, popular coffee shops, and well-loved restaurants, has a starkly different atmosphere to the nearby “market area”. Once an incredibly popular zone in the town, which at one stage hosted multiple market days, including a flea market on the weekend, is now something that has become a lore that parents tell their children about, reported BPM Media.

James Forbes, 53, felt strongly about the state of the market area, believing that it should be restored. “It brought the community together, it brought people together, here,” he said. In reducing the market to nothing, James says, “they've taken a community away.” Not only was the market a place to buy fresh ingredients, with many coming from outside of Harlow into the town just for the market, the market was a place for people to socialise.

Telling EssexLive about the issues many locals shared, James stated: “There's nothing really keeping anybody socialising. It's like people come into town, they spend the money, do their shopping, and get out again because there's nothing here, there’s nowhere really to socialise other than sitting on a bench.”

What would James like to change about the area? One major thing he’d like Harlow Council to consider, is reopening public toilets. Happily encouraging a police presence to ensure public toilets do not become a lightning-rod for illegal activity, James shares that many elderly people need access to public toilets, and there are not enough to cater for locals, he claims.

Chris Cook, 64, a retired member of staff at The Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, also shared her concerns about a lack of basic facilities in the area, such as public toilets. Chris added concerns over public transport, stating: “Why are they spending all that money on the bus station and they’re cutting all the buses?”.

Major areas that Chris and her neighbour feel would rejuvenate the market area of town would be to improve transport links in the town centre, open more affordable shops, increase police presence, and deal with social issues in the town centre. Believing that Harlow Council could learn from neighbouring councils, she urged: “Don't reinvent the wheel. Look at Chelmsford." Disappointed at the regeneration project so far, Chris said: “They’ve not done the regeneration like they said they would, when they said they would.”

In response, Harlow Council have confirmed planned changes to public toilet facilities. A spokesperson said: "There are public toilets in the Town Centre at the Harvey Centre and within the Water Gardens (below Asda next to management suite), and in many of the businesses and large shops in the area. There will be new toilets, including a Changing Places toilet, installed in the new Sustainable Transport Hub which will replace the existing bus station. We will as part of the temporary bus station in the Post Office Road car park provide a toilet in John Robson House."

The Council wants to encourage building owners to be bold and acknowledges that regeneration at this scale takes time. Some privately owned sites are empty, with planning permission granted and unfortunately these sites have become vulnerable to anti-social behaviour. Harlow Council are working with private building owners to make sure their empty buildings are safe and secure.

Steve Freeman, 66, who works in the town centre, also acknowledged that the regeneration project has been too long awaited. “The timescale is a big problem, the buildings in the market square have nothing in them. They kicked everyone out of them years ago, and now nothing is being done with them.”

Steve believes that the time taken to regenerate the town is having a detrimental effect on the market area. He said: “Since they’ve started work here, no one comes here anymore. People want a market. Look at North Weald. People go there just for the market every Saturday. Why do they go there? Because we haven’t got one.”

Ella Collinson, 23, who also works in the town centre, shares her hopes for the market area. Wishing to see more independent shops, Ella said: “It would be good to have the buildings in use. It’s derelict.” For Ella, holding family friendly events makes The Water Gardens thrive.

Harlow Council confirmed that one of the four areas with plans for regeneration includes the market area. The proposals include several new features not previously seen in the area, including useable green space, a rain garden, timber decking and a natural playground. There are also plans to make regular use of the space with opportunities for street trading and pop-up stalls, local markets, art displays and other events. Plans for the regeneration of the market area will be confirmed shortly and is being supported by government funding.