Churchgate Street and other areas of Harlow hit by flash flooding
News / Tue 9th May 2023 at 08:21pm
THE EMERGENCY services have been in attendance at a number of flooding incidents across Harlow on Tuesday evening.
Much of their work was concentrated in the Churchgate Street area of Old Harlow that saw cars semi-submerged in water.
It is uncertain at this time why Churchgate Street had been particularly affected.
YH has learned of other flashpoint including Howard Way and Red Lion Lane.
We also understand that water came through the ceiling of a Lidl supermarket in Staple Tye.
We have contacted the emergency services press offices more information.
More follows
Kay
2023-05-10 00:57:35
Awful news! Surely this must send a signal that too much land is being built on in this area. Have developers got away with making huge profits and not properly addressing drainage/ flooding issues perhaps?!
NickL
2023-05-10 03:32:30
This is not the first time it has flooded here. About 35 years ago (approx) it flooded, but maybe not as badly. The brook which runs in this area takes rain runoff from the local fields, and there was a lot of rain yesterday afternoon.
Prof
2023-05-10 06:53:42
Old Harlow is always getting flooded now....... can't be a coincidence that it has been since Gilden Park has been built.
geoff turner
2023-05-10 06:55:38
so sad for the residents of this road but unfortunately you cant keep building houses on open spaces and not change anything under the ground.this area has been here for years without problems then we start to build whole new estates on gilden way and this happens. you have to ask yourself if this is part of the problem
Colleen Morrison
2023-05-10 07:23:32
It isn't just rainwater runoff from the fields around Newhall that floods Churchgate Street, Newhall's and Church Langley's SuDS (its so called, Sustainable Urban Drainage System) pumps water from Newhall Reed Beds and the fields and the stream that runs through Newhall into Halowbury Brook at Churchgate Street. That's caused relentless flooding of Churchgate Street and Sheering Road for years. The SuDS also floods Gilden Way.
Gilden Park Massive
2023-05-10 08:19:01
Loving all the saltybaseless nimby like comments on this article after extraordinary rainfall...let it go.
Kim Oconnor
2023-05-10 09:13:54
Gilden Park massive. Call it what you will. If we keep on concreting over our lands we will flood. The water has no where to go. If that's what you call nimby so be it. This government, theses councils do not listen to reasons why this happens, they only hear the roll of money coming in, with no thought of damage that's happening to our lands trees ,wildlife Ecosystem s. In Harlow this is just the start of it, wait till they build 7 new unaffordable housing estates around our river stort valley, and a 4 lane road through the river stort, Epping projects, all around our boarders. Something will give, when this happens, flooding will happen. New Hall has not got a mention here, they suffered flooding yesterday, all new estates eare s, built on Marsh lands. Then ask your self why churchgate flooded. If government and councils don't listen, they will reap what they sow.
Rain
2023-05-10 09:59:48
Sorry guys, won't happen again
Glenda
2023-05-10 10:45:22
I went out afterthe storms ended yesterday and i can honestly say that i have never ever seen so many small areas of flooding and blocked drains in harlow and i have lived in harlow for over 50 years so something has gone wrong. Building all these new builds is what has possibly caused all this Flooding.
Rain
2023-05-10 11:00:54
It flooded 30 odd years ago and there was not much building around, stop blaming on new builds, yes drainage needs improvement but you mourning Brits/anti development will always use such tragic circumstances to make a point.
Glenda.
2023-05-10 11:02:37
Stupid naive comment from gilden park massive.lol. A comment from a certain type no doubt.you let it go.
Nicola
2023-05-10 11:09:00
I live right in front of the brook at churchgate and it was very clear to see that problem was to do with the brook that goes under the road either to do with it being blocked or it was just too much water in such a quick time, it is quite old now and possibly not maintained enough!
Fran Mckellar (
2023-05-10 11:17:41
When was the last time anyone saw the lorry which used to suck all the sludge and debris from the drains to allow the rain to flow away?
Simon
2023-05-10 11:21:48
Troll alert, ignore and hope one day some sort education may come their way. "Loving all the saltybaseless nimby like comments on this article after extraordinary rainfall...let it go."
Jerry
2023-05-10 14:27:32
Rain, go and rain somewhere else. Yawn!!! Fran mckellar, i was only talking about this to someone yesterday and u are right.It has been so long since i see one of those lorries clearing the drains, and we need them now more than ever wirh the amount of people here that do not know what a bin is.
Terry Kirkby
2023-05-10 17:02:06
All as the headlines in all the news state it was flash floods caused by extreme rain! Look at Hampshire too as it was obliterated by flooding! look where it was flooded ! Bottom of hill, near a brook, and im sorry I dont see how house building has caused it! take a look at the M11 yesterday and no ones built on that! it was closed due to flooding and all that water ended up in and around Harlow! if you look back in history Harlow has flooded on many occasions and again none of Newhall or even Church Langley were built so I rest my case!
Steve Allen
2023-05-10 18:36:20
It’s nothing to do with new builds - they are built with adequate drainage etc.. The problem is that over the years, many many many people have had driveways and patios built on their premises.. Example 25ft front garden and 75ft back garden… pave all of the front for a drive and and 25ft of the back for a patio.. suddenly you have lost 50% of your natural resource to soak up rainfall… so.. nobody who had done this can moan.. the total collective of this work over 40 years of more homeownership means the problem is our own doing.
Reg
2023-05-11 06:56:52
The sewage drain next to Tanys Dell School has been overflowing after heavy rain for over 30 years. The council are aware of it but nothing is ever done (clearly doesn't matter who we vote for) Toilet paper and sanitary towels all over the place, it's grim and god knows what it does to the local environment.
Glenda
2023-05-11 10:46:40
New builds have added to the problem and also as Steve Allen has said, all the hardstandings that have paved over the front lawns are also a massive part of the problem. The green spaces that would have soaked up a lot of the rain the other day have allbeen paved over and built on. Its a disaster.
Lewis carol
2023-05-12 17:57:34
There have been floods since the dawn of man. Just ask Noah
Lewis carol
2023-05-12 17:58:57
There have been floods since the dawn of man. Just ask Noah No homes built in his era
21 Comments for Churchgate Street and other areas of Harlow hit by flash flooding: