Context 162 - November 2019

28 C O N T E X T 1 6 2 : N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9 • high-quality urban planning, design and architecture • local facilities within walking distance • access to open spaces and public art • landscape design and green infrastructure as a fundamental component • sensitive incorporation of any existing settlements. These principles have enabled Harlow to become a mature and successful town. More than 70 years after Harlow’s designation as a new town, the original master plan is to a large degree intact.There has been some encroachment on to the green wedges, such as where a community sports club and a replacement health centre have been built on them. Some green spaces have been developed or are planned for housing. We see the pressure for further development on our green wedges and the loss of other green areas as a significant risk so we will continue to argue that there must be no development on Harlow’s green wedges. Since the winding up of the development corporation in 1980, there have been additions to the town. A new area developed from the late 1980s, not well integrated with the rest of the town, was marketed as a separate community. Housing in this and the latest development (on a site which we and the local community opposed) are all standard developer designs. By contrast, Newhall, an eastern extension to the town, has attempted to follow the Gibberd principles and is using some of today’s best architects, collecting a number of awards.We hope that this will provide a suitable model for the new developments that are being planned. From its inception, Harlow Civic Society has commented on planning proposals, lobbied to protect Harlow’s heritage and participated in many consultations, workshops and inquiries. We have proactively made detailed proposals for developments in some areas of the town, includ- ing the town centre, in an attempt to influence changes or where we see that regeneration is needed. All of this is based on the principles behind the original design of the town. However, all too often our planners and councillors, who consider new schemes, say that they can only decide based on what is in front of them, and that they can not do much to improve designs. It is an approach that encourages mediocrity, since schemes can get through the system as long as they are just ‘good enough’. In 2015 we decided to set up an annual award for the best new structures completed in the town each year. We wished to encourage archi- tects to come forward with good designs from the very beginning of a proposed development. We wanted architects, owners and developers to have their sights on recognition and on the inherent value of an award. We hoped to make it prestigious by our support for it, there being no direct financial reward. This initiative resulted in Harlow Civic Society launching the Harlow Architectural Design Awards in 2016. These are sponsored by Places for People, Architecture and Design Services, and Proud of Harlow. These annual awards encourage the highest standards of architecture, landscaping and development while preserving the environment and the town’s heritage.We encourage Harlow residents to become involved in finding, recognising and rewarding the best architecture in the town for the benefit of present and future generations. Each year, one residential and one non- residential building, and (from 2019) one environmental project, completed in the pre- ceding 12 months, is selected by an expert judging panel following a public vote. Trophies by local artists are presented to the winner of each category. For the first year, all buildings in the town completed since designation were candidates. The residential winner was the elegant staggered 1960s terrace at Orchard Croft, designed by Sir Frederick Gibberd and the Harlow Design Group. It is an excellent example of classic, modernist development. In 2018, the residential winner was 4 Forebay Lane, a three-bedroom end-of-terrace house on Newhall, designed by Sheppard Robson. This has wonderful proportions and a striking combination of lines, angles and shapes. The materials and colours blend well together, com- plementing those of the neighbouring houses and the street, and the particular setting of the street, which faces woodland. This follows the principles from the original plan of high-quality urban planning, design and architecture. The award is not only for new buildings, but also for conservation and regeneration. In 2017 we made an additional conservation award to the Town Park regeneration project. The result is a much-improved soft landscape, and facilities have undergone significant refurbish- ment and remodelling. New buildings include the impressive Learning Centre. The overall project combined well, considered interven- tions with significant construction work, all held together by a consistency of design, mate- rials and colours. In 2018, we made a conservation award to the restoration of Kingsmoor House, a Grade II listed building that has been sympathetically restored to its former glory after having been derelict for around eight years. The require- ments of English Heritage and Harlow Council were met in bringing back to life one of Harlow’s finest old houses. Opposite: A patio at the Grade II listed Gibberd Garden, Harlow, created between 1957 and 1984 by Sir Frederick Gibberd, the new town’s master planner (Photo: Acabashi, Wikimedia)