Harlow and Waltham Cross projects win money from Government’s Levelling Up Fund

from Axis magazine February 2023 issue

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Harlow and Waltham Cross are to receive funding for improvement projects from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund.

The fund supports infrastructure projects that seek to improve everyday life across the UK, including regenerating town centres and high streets, upgrading local transport and investing in cultural and heritage assets.

A total of 111 areas were awarded a share of £2.1billion from a second round of funding that was announced on 18th January.

Harlow Council is to receive £20million for a planned regeneration programme for the area around the Playhouse theatre and St Paul’s Church in the town centre while the Borough of Broxbourne will receive £14.3million towards its wider regeneration of Waltham Cross town centre.

Harlow

Harlow’s plans are to create an Arts and Cultural Quarter in the town centre with a public square for events, outdoor performances, cinema and outdoor dining along with a ‘pocket park’ with natural play installations.

There will be upgrades to the existing Playhouse theatre along with the creation of a range of new facilities including a live music and performance venue with a music school and recording studio; artist and maker studio spaces; flexible studios for creative and performing arts and rehearsal space.

A new art gallery and associated spaces for literary arts, spoken word, education events and visiting exhibitions is also planned as well as the upgrading of the underpass beneath Haydens Road.

The derelict Occasio House, acquired by Harlow Council in December, is to be demolished and replaced with a new high quality residential development while the council’s purchase of the Harvey Centre means it could integrate part of that into its planned scheme.

Broxbourne

One of Broxbourne Council’s key priorities is to transform Waltham Cross town centre into a place where people want to live, visit and work.

As part of a comprehensive wider renaissance programme, there are three related and complementary projects which will be funded by the Levelling Up Fund award. Improvements to the public realm of the town centre are set to transform the heart of the town giving it a more modern look and feel and making it a more attractive place for new businesses to set up. The town centre community hub and skills training centre is to be enhanced, enabling more people to access skills training. Finally, there will be improvements to Waltham Cross playing fields with a new skate bowl, refurbishment of the sports pavilion and provision of new outdoor gym equipment to improve the health and wellbeing of the community.

New-look bus station at heart of more Harlow changes

Harlow Council’s wider regeneration plans for the town centre took a further step forward in January with the announcement that work will begin in the coming months on transforming the run-down Terminus Street area into a welcoming gateway to the town. It follows the council’s development management committee’s approval in January of plans for the £15million redevelopment of the town’s bus station and Terminus Street which will include a new transport hub and interchange for buses, a cycle hub and dramatic improvements to the area’s public realm amenities and landscaping. The inclusion of green areas and a new events space are designed to help transform the overall character of the area and create a welcoming environment. Once completed, and in conjunction with other planned works in the town centre, the area is anticipated to become a key gateway to a regenerated town centre.

Quality Gold award for Ware Town Council

Ware Town Council has been awarded Quality Gold status in the National Association of Local Councils’ award scheme.

The scheme is designed to celebrate the success of the very best local councils and to provide a framework to support all local councils to improve and develop to meet their full potential.

Quality Gold is the highest level of accreditation, one which just 57 out of the 9,000 town and parish councils across the country have achieved. Ware Town Council is the only council in Hertfordshire with the award which recognises that it achieves good practice in governance, community engagement and council improvement and shows it goes above and beyond its legal obligations, leading the community and continuously seeking opportunities to improve and develop further.

From this May new rules mean that voters will need to show photo ID to vote in some elections and, with local council elections taking place on Thursday 4th May, you’re advised to check you have a suitable form of ID.

Accepted forms of ID include a passport or driver’s licence and some travel passes such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card. You can still use your photo ID if it is out of date, as long as the picture still looks like you. If you don’t have one of the accepted forms of ID you can apply for a free voter ID document, known as a Voter Authority Certificate. The requirement to show photo ID at polling stations from 4th May applies to local elections and Police and Crime Commissioner elections.

From October 2023 it will also apply to UK General elections. You can find out more at electoralcommission.org.uk/ voterID.

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