Harlow New Town is located within the London-Stansted-Cambridge-Peterborough growth corridor, a priority growth area defined by CLG. Harlow’s housing targets require it to achieve growth of around 15-20,000 new homes by 2021. Achieving this level of growth requires both intensification within the current town boundary as well as Greenfield development beyond. The Harlow North masterplan, prepared for BP by a team that includes Matrix Partnership, evaluates expansion beyond the urban fringe and to the north of the town of some 20-25,000 new homes and associated amenities.

Harlow town sits within a clear set of landscape ‘boundaries’. These exist to the west (Lee valley), south (ridgeline), east (M11) and north (Stort river valley). Any intervention on or beyond the urban fringe impacts on these landscape boundaries to varying degrees. The Harlow north masterplan put forward proposals for significant new growth within a coherent neighbourhood structure north of the river Stort. Important considerations and constraints included:

- The landscape sensitivities of the Herfordshire hills north of the town

- The ability to connect any new growth back into the town centre and to provide appropriate levels of infrastructure (access, facilities, services, open space)

- The overall impact on image, identity and settlement form, ensuring that new growth forms a coherent part of Harlow

- Responding to flood issues in a creative and landscape-led manner that would enhance the river Stort as a recreational and wildlife amenity