The leader of Harlow Council is urging the Government to abandon plans to restructure local authorities in Essex.

Cllr Dan Swords, who heads the council, has contacted Stephen Reed OBE MP, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, requesting that the proposals be halted and subjected to a thorough examination.

The plans would involve scrapping Harlow Council and creating a new authority to serve the entire West Essex area.

Cllr Swords has made his position clear, stating that the council will always act in Harlow’s best interests. He has emphasised that his current priority is developing the town’s future, which is why he has communicated to central government that the local government reorganisation in Essex must be prevented. He has warned that the changes would cost Harlow – rather than the Government – millions of pounds that could instead fund services important to local residents. He has noted that time devoted to reorganisation is time taken away from regeneration efforts, and money spent on restructuring is money not invested in the town. He has stated that the proposals cannot be delivered within the timeframe the Government has established. He has pointed out that residents gave the council a clear instruction to continue rebuilding the town, which is why every available mechanism would be used to halt these plans. He has affirmed that Harlow Council’s purpose is straightforward – to serve Harlow – and that attention must remain fixed on building the town’s future rather than reorganising its governance structure.