Nearly 80 years after designing Harlow New Town, Sir Fredrick Gibberd will be back in the spotlight at this October’s Essex Housing Awards.
An animated version of the famous architect and masterplanner is the face of Harlow & Gilston Garden Town’s online digital assistant service which has been shortlisted in the Smart Working category for 2025.
The AI version of Sir Frederick Gibberd is powered by Garden Town partners, Hello Lamp Post, and allows residents to ask a question on Harlow & Gilston 365/24/7 as well as the Town Centre regeneration currently taking place.
And there’s plenty to talk about with the UK Health Security Agency’s new National Biosecurity Centre coming to Harlow, IKEA opening a new retail park store and David Lloyd Leisure building their new health and wellness club.
The digital assistant service dovetails with the Discover Harlow engagement hub in the Harvey Centre which is open every Thursday, 10am – 2pm, and gives residents and visitors an opportunity to speak with Harlow Council and HGGT Team members on the infrastructure and investment being delivered in the town.
HGGT is also represented in another category at this year’s awards with Garden Town partners, Epping Forest District Council, also shortlisted.
Their Latton Priory Design Code is a finalist in the Climate Action – Low or Zero Carbon in New Build category which recognises organisations that are responding to the climate crisis by developing low/zero carbon new housing stock as per the Essex Climate Action Commission report/Developers Charter.
The Latton Priory proposal is for:
Up to 1,340 homes
Primary and secondary schools
Mixed-use local centre
Greenspaces including playing fields
New highway, cycle and pedestrian routes
Residential care and supported accommodation
