We can all criticise the place we grew up, but this new title was a real surprise
The Water Gardens is a thriving part of the town centre(Image: LauraFidler/ReachPLC)
My home town hasn’t always had the best reputation – but when it was named as the most dangerous place to live in Essex, I was surprised. Harlow has always had a pretty rubbish reputation. As someone who was born and bred in the town, I can admit that it wasn’t a place I could always say I was proud of.
Among my local friends growing up, we would often criticise aspects of the town, but it was never worse than anywhere else. It isn’t to say that growing up in the town, I felt completely safe. As with any town, there are areas you might wish to avoid, but just as easily, there are places that you might feel more comfortable walking around by yourself. To see that Harlow has now been dubbed the most dangerous place to live in Essex, though, shocks me. And honestly, it’s disappointing.
Growing up in Harlow, there was a real sense of community. Where there was a cause that needed the attention of the town, it was fiercely there. We looked out for one another. That was most clear to me when actions were taken to close down The Square, a live music venue that had hosted some iconic bands over generations. The Square was a place for the community to come together and feel welcome.
It was a dear place, which was considered the heart of the community in the town and hundreds of people stood in protest. When it sadly closed, people had keepsakes from the place, like parts of the stage, cherishing the memories made there. Residents knew one another and had fought to keep a place that connected them together open.
When my grandparents moved their family, like many others, from the East End of London into the new town, they were hoping for a better future for their children and their grandchildren. It doesn’t escape me that a new generation of Londoners is moving into the area now, too. As house prices are budgeting buyers out of the city, Harlow is, in my opinion, the best place to commute from. It has express trains to Stansted Airport, and is ideally located halfway between the capital and Cambridge. Harlow was a place of hope for previous generations of my family, and it remains that way for others now. Terminus House in the town centre is a place of refuge for those originally living in east London boroughs, Newham and Hackney. The former office block was converted into emergency accommodation in the centre of town. Unfortunately, there are places in the town myself, and other residents would probably choose to avoid. There are parts of the Harlow that have a reputation for being dangerous. In my role as a reporter for EssexLive I often report on incidents and crimes that happen in the town and I know they can make some people feel like moving away. I grew up in the town when there were places to go, and areas to see your friends. I have treasured memories of being taught to cycle by my childhood friends on our street, and then promptly racing each other to the nearest of our green parks, of which there are plenty. We picked blackberries, saved hedgehogs, and climbed trees. As a family, we would enjoy the town park, which seemed like endless fields and playing areas. We would be on the swings for hours, not worried as the sun began to set.
The town centre was not a place to feel unsafe in, either. Trips to the Odeon, and meeting friends for lunch in independent cafés for the best cheese toasties were a staple in growing up in Harlow. We might have complained about the area, but we did not believe that the area was dangerous.While the town has faced some dark moments in more recent years, I was surprised that the Home Office has now named Harlow as the most dangerous place to live in Essex. It does not match the picture of the Harlow that I know. Harlow, although expanding rapidly, is paradoxically very small. Everyone knows everyone. It has a strong sense of community, and is full of good-hearted people who would look out for their own, and call out injustice. Like many towns in Essex, there might be some areas of the town to avoid, but the most dangerous place in Essex is a title that seems extreme.The town is part of a Home Office-backed scheme that aims to clear crime from areas, hold it safely and regenerate it into being a permanently safe place. The Stow area of the town is at the centre of the project in Essex.Speaking after an event last May to launch a project, Harlow District Commander Chief Inspector Paul Austin said: “We want the Stow to be a place people are proud of and feel safe in. Currently, residents have told us this is not always the case. This project will help to change that.
“People can expect to see my officers out of patrol, driving down anti-social behaviour, arresting those responsible for violence and drug offences, and making sure they don’t come back. By working together with our partners from across the public services, we will show residents that this is an area we care about and is worth investing in.
“There is a strong community spirit here and it’s clear by the views expressed today, there’s a real passion for area. By joining forces, we can help to make the positive impact that the law-abiding people who live here deserve.”
Councillor Dan Swords, Leader of Harlow Council, also said at the time: “Two of the council’s six missions are to protect our communities and renew our neighbourhoods. Clear, Hold, Build will deliver on both of these missions and address long-term serious crime, anti-social behaviour and the fact too many residents and businesses in The Stow feel left behind.
“This is a brand-new programme which has been extraordinarily successful in other parts of the country. Working together with the police, a whole host of organisations and most importantly local people, we will crack down on criminal gangs, drive out anti-social behaviour and resolve the issues that this community have faced for far too long.
“As well as seeing more police patrols residents will be seeing more of our own Community Safety Officers out and about in the area to provide extra reassurance to make sure the problems the area faces don’t resurface.
“And as soon as we have dealt with the immediately pressing challenges to protect our community, we can renew this neighbourhood and ensure that once again residents and businesses feel proud of The Stow as a safe place to live, work, visit and shop.
“Our message to residents is clear: we know that we have let you down and we will change that. We will end this cycle of violence and crime, protect our community and renew your neighbourhood.”