Council completes former office block purchase

Harlow Council says it will redevelop Terminus House

A council has finalised its purchase of a tower block that was controversially converted from offices into temporary accommodation.

Local authorities in London started placing residents in Terminus House in Harlow, Essex, in 2018.

Harlow Council has exchanged contracts to purchase the 14-storey building and wants to redevelop the site for new housing.

A spokesperson said the current owner, Claridon, would relocate the people still living there.

Terminus House is one of several converted office blocks in the town which has been used by London boroughs as temporary accommodation.

Police figures showed that in the first 10 months of people moving into the building, crime within Terminus House rose by 45%, and within that part of the town centre (a 500m radius) by nearly 20%

A BBC East and Panorama documentary highlighted the cramped conditions there.

In 2021, the government imposed a minimum size of 37 sq m (398 sq ft) on new office to flat conversions.

Harlow Council leader Dan Swords said his teams wanted to create one of the best town centres in the UK

The council says it plans to redevelop the site "into new high-quality housing for local residents to rebuild Harlow town bus station and transform Terminus Street."

Adams House and Market House have already been purchased by the council, with plans to acquire other sites in the town.

Conservative council leader Dan Swords said the purchase was a landmark moment: "This is the most significant property purchase that we are set to complete and our boldest one yet bringing another key building into council ownership.

"Our mission for the town centre is clear: to create one of the best town centres in the UK, an exciting, dynamic space that serves people of all ages, at all times of the day."

Caridon has said the building has helped hundreds of people avoid homelessness.