Harlow Council has added £750,000 to this year's events budget, more than doubling March's £650,000, after finding the original sum could not run it safely.
Harlow Council has put another £750,000 into this year’s community events budget. The £650,000 it set aside in March was not enough to run the programme safely, the council says.
The programme includes the Harlow Town Show, Proms in the Park and a Christmas Extravaganza. It takes the sum set aside for events in 2026-27 to £1.4 million, more than double the original figure.
The Leader of the Council, Councillor Dan Swords, signed the decision on 14 September. It is not subject to call-in, so it takes effect straight away. It was published in the council’s decision register the same day.
Where the money comes from
The £750,000 moves out of the council’s Regeneration and Enterprise reserve, through its Discretionary Services Fund, and into the events budget.
The report behind the decision gives the reserve’s balance as £2.710 million on 31 March 2026. It says there were “no actual or planned commitments” against it. The transfer takes more than a quarter of that balance.
It explains the gap in one sentence:
“It is now apparent that this level of funding will not be sufficient to safely deliver the planned programme of events.”
The report adds that a programme “of the scale and quality envisaged” needs “significant technical resources and security arrangements to ensure public safety”.
What the council ruled out
The report considered two other options and rejected both:
- Scaling back the events to fit the budget. Rejected because of “levels of public expectation and the advanced state of planning for the Town Show”.
- Raising more from sponsorship and charging. Rejected because those opportunities “have already been maximised”.
The report is dated 27 August, the day before the Town Show opened in Town Park. The decision itself came a fortnight after the show had finished.
The Town Show contracts on record
The council’s decision register already showed where a large part of the original budget had gone. Four Town Show contract decisions were published in August:
| Contract | Supplier | Value | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technical production | D&B Solutions Ltd | £240,331 | 10 August |
| Security and stewarding | GSS Ltd | £237,327, excluding VAT | 13 August |
| Performers D to F | Not named | £59,500 | 7 August |
| Performers G and I | Champions UK Plc and ADS Events and Promotions Ltd | Not published | 25 August |
The three contracts with a published value add up to £537,158. That is 83% of the £650,000 set in March for every event in the year, before the Proms or Christmas.
The security report says plainly that the GSS contract “will be funded from the Events budget for 2026/27”. It also records that a procurement waiver was approved to let the contract be awarded. (Town Show security provision report)
The register does not show a value for the performers G and I contracts. It says only that they were entered into “as detailed in the report”, and no report is attached. Those acts provided Sunday Night at the Musicals and warm-up support. We have not counted them, so the real Town Show total is higher than £537,158.
Published on the same day as the finance update
The council also issued a press release on 14 September about its finances. It said the council “is on course to deliver its 2026/27 budget in full” and that its credit rating had improved to AA-.
Cabinet’s finance report for the same meeting forecasts a £0.124 million adverse variance on the General Fund, which it calls “small”. The events top-up is paid for from a reserve rather than from the year’s income. The Section 151 officer advised that this is “an appropriate use of the fund”.
The report also says the council “has a healthy level of mitigation reserves”. It does not expect the transfer to put its financial standing at risk.
What it means for you
- The council is keeping the programme rather than cutting it. Proms in the Town Park is still free with no ticket on Saturday 19 September; our Proms guide has the times.
- It does not change your council tax bill. The money comes from a reserve the council already holds. This year’s charges are in our council tax bands guide.
- The regeneration reserve is smaller. That reserve was set up for regeneration and enterprise, and £750,000 of it now pays for events instead.
- You can see the decisions yourself. Every contract and budget change above is in the council’s decision register, which anyone can read.
Christmas plans are in our guide to the Harlow Christmas market. The Town Show contracts were first reported in our Town Show story in August.
Sources
- Harlow Council, decision 1248: Discretionary Services Fund, 14 September 2026, and its Portfolio Holder report, dated 27 August 2026, for the £750,000 transfer, the £650,000 March budget, the £2.710 million reserve balance, the events named and the options rejected.
- Harlow Council decision records 1234, 1235, 1240 and 1241, and the security provision report, for the Town Show contracts.
- Harlow Council, Cabinet 14 September 2026, corporate performance, finance and risk report, for the Period 4 forecast.
- Harlow Council press release, 14 September 2026, for the budget and credit rating statements.
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