01 Aug Occasio House demolition begins as rebuild of Harlow Town Centre starts
Demolition of the derelict Occasio House site has started as Harlow Council’s major rebuild of Harlow Town Centre gets underway.
Work has started by contractors DSL, to demolish and strip out the four-storey block on the site. Over the coming months the whole site, which includes the main six-storey block, will be cleared as part of a phased demolition programme to enable delivery of Harlow Council’s £20m Arts and Cultural Quarter project.
The scheme, which the council secured a £20million government grant for, will include:
A new live performance/music venue
Major upgrades to the Playhouse
New pedestrian focused and engaging public square for events, outdoor performances, cinema, and outdoor dining
Contemporary bar and café
Artist and maker studio spaces
High-quality residential apartments
Flexible studios for creative and performing arts, rehearsal space, events, smaller and outdoor performances, and community uses
Associated spaces for literary arts, spoken word, education events and visiting exhibitions and installations
Green pocket park with natural play installations
Accessibility provisions including disabled parking and accessibly designed spaces
Upgraded and secure underpass beneath Haydens Road
Occasio House has been empty and derelict since 2016. Its buildings are covered in aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding which is similar to the cladding used on Grenfell Tower. There is a substantial cost of more than £7m to bring the buildings back into use, therefore, the whole site is being demolished and redeveloped. The council purchased the site back in December 2022.
Work is being undertaken in phases to ensure the safe demolition of Occasio House; starting with a soft strip of internal finishes, furniture and equipment, along with sequenced mechanical demolition. This process caters for ongoing services disconnections and the logistics of demolishing and removing material from site, starting with the smaller four-storey building and finishing with the larger six-storey block. These works are programmed to complete by December 2023. Over the last few months, the council has been removing all usable equipment and furniture to donate to local charities.
Stakeholder engagement surrounding the design and delivery of the Arts and Cultural Quarter will continue with specific events planned between now and Christmas as the project progresses towards a planning application. These events will be held in the new Engagement Hub within the Harvey Centre. Free art workshops are being held in August where designs by local children will feature on hoardings around the former Occasio House site once demolition is complete.
Councillor Dan Swords, Leader of Harlow Council, who was on site today (1 August 2023) as demolition started, said:
“Today signals a crucial moment for the regeneration of town centre and our priority to rebuild of our town with the beginning of the demolition of the derelict Occasio House site. The phased demolition will enable delivery of our £20m regeneration scheme which will transform the Playhouse and College squares with a new live performance venue, upgrades to Harlow Playhouse, high quality residential apartments and much more besides.
“There is no doubt that the demise of the Occasio House buildings is a sad one – these have stood derelict, unfit for use and blighting this area of the town centre for too long. The action we are taking will ensure we inject new life into this part of the town centre and restore pride as part of our phased approach to regenerating the whole town centre.
