IT was all hands to the pumps as Harlow Council and HTS worked hard to cleans up after flash floods had hit Churchgate Street and other parts of the town on Tuesday evening.

YH went down to Old Harlow to speak to local councillor Joel Charles about the work that was going on and we interviewed Joel,

It had been a very busy night and morning for the portfolio holder for the environment, cllr Nicky Purse. She was out on Tuesday night and then again on Wednesday morning.

We also know that due to grid lock in Harlow she cycled to work in the town centre before meeting us to give us an update.

Councillor Nicky Purse, Harlow Council’s Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Environment, said:

“Following reports of local flooding in the east of the town, last night the council’s maintenance company HTS worked closely with the emergency services to provide support to those impacted. This is part of the work HTS and the council provide out of hours where flooding occurs. 

“HTS responded to calls from residents and delivered 20 sandbags to homes in Perry Springs where properties were at the risk of flooding. Thirteen calls were also received about water leaks and flooding in council homes across the town. We are aware of the problems council tenants are experiencing. If you are a council tenant and experienced water leaks or flooding in your home, please call 01279 446666 for further support and advice.

“This morning council teams have been out visiting the affected areas and this included speaking to residents and businesses in Churchgate Street to offer further support to those affected. HTS are delivering sandbags to assist homes with future flooding and teams have been clearing areas of debris. Teams remain on standby to help if there is further rainfall.  

“I would like to thank the emergency services and HTS for their response and thank residents and businesses for their patience during what is a concerning time.

“I know residents and businesses will quite rightly be concerned about what happened and be worried about the future flooding risk to their homes, premises and their communities. Other areas in the region including parts of Essex and Hertfordshire were also affected by flash flooding. A huge volume of rain fell in a short space of time on land which was already saturated with rainwater. However, what happened needs to be investigated, and we will work with Essex County Council, Thames Water, Environment Agency and landowners to establish what more can be done to reduce the effects of flash flooding in the future.

“Residents should phone 01279 446666 during work hours or out of normal work hours if their home is at risk of flooding or is affected by flooding. Flooding concerns can also be reported directly to Essex County Council and Thames Water. For more information and to report issues:

• https://flood.essex.gov.uk/what-to-do-about-flooding/report-a-flood/

• https://www.thameswater.co.uk/help/emergencies/sewer-flooding/types-of-flooding