Harlow’s Regeneration Comeback | How Harlow Delivers More Homes with Cllr Dan Swords

In this UKREiiF 2025 special of Urban Forecast, hosts Oli Lowrie and Jon Ackroyd sit down with Cllr Dan Swords, Leader of Harlow Council, to explore how bold leadership, effective partnerships and a focus on people are driving one of the UK’s most ambitious regeneration stories. From stalled schemes to strategic joint ventures, Dan shares the real challenges and hard won lessons behind delivering housing and town centre renewal in Harlow. An honest, inspiring conversation for anyone passionate about urban transformation.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The Power of Partnership: Harlow’s joint venture with Hill is unlocking stalled developments and delivering much-needed housing.

Delivering on Vision: Getting planning permission is only the beginning - the real challenge lies in making projects viable.

Learning from Others: Even successful councils like Southwark are now struggling to make schemes stack up - simple, effective partnerships could be the answer.

Rebuilding Local Pride: Regeneration isn’t just about bricks and mortar, but about creating places where people feel proud to live.

Leadership Matters: Dan emphasises the role of strong, proactive council leadership in overcoming development obstacles.

Private Sector Skills in the Public Sector: Harlow has brought in people with property expertise to help deliver its ambitious plans.

Avoiding Pitfalls: Other councils can learn from Harlow’s approach to avoid common mistakes and stalled projects.

A Town with History and a Future: Harlow’s legacy as a New Town provides both inspiration and responsibility for today’s regeneration efforts.

BEST MOMENTS

“People feel proud to live there, proud to say I live in Harlow… That is at the heart of it.”

“Getting the planning is, in some ways, the easy bit.”

“Lots of other councils are really struggling to deliver their own housing.”

“It’s not ever really gonna go that wrong… Well, tell Woking that.”

“Viability is the number one issue for London - not planning reform.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://www.ackroydlowrie.com

https://www.harlow.gov.uk

EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT

Building Fairer Cities with Cllr Claire Holland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UznEV9fWYS0

Is UKREiiF better than Mipim? Did Keir Starmer try to ruin it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sat9clIoKXU

ABOUT THE HOSTS

Jon Ackroyd and Oliver Lowrie, the visionary hosts of Urban Forecast, bring their expertise from leading their innovative practice, Ackroyd Lowrie. Known for pushing the boundaries in urban design, Jon and Oliver use their podcast to delve into the future of cities, sharing insights from their work on projects that emphasise sustainability, community, and transformative architecture. Through Urban Forecast, they engage listeners with discussions on how architecture and design shape urban living, aiming to inspire new ways of thinking about the spaces around us.

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