Today I've taken the opportunity to raise a number of local highways matters with Essex County Council. These include yesterday's flooding in the ward; as well as road safety outside St James' School, possible traffic regulation orders; speed and safety on Commonside Road; non-replacement of damaged bollards on road humps*; and the condition of various individual pavements, roads and humps.

Some good news is that the road hump near 7 Woodhill should finally be repaired in the next six weeks - though the bad news is that this will need a road closure to enable this, which is why Essex County Council have waited for the school holidays.

*Residents can let Essex County Council know directly about damaged road hump bollards by ringing 642500. Inspections are only three- to six-monthly, so if people don't tell the county council there's a damaged bollard, there could be a considerable delay in replacing it.

This evening's flooding has once again hit homes in Barleycroft and Sakins Croft, with many of the same homes flooded out for the second time in just a few weeks.

At least three different bodies - Thames Water, Essex County Council and Harlow District Council - maintain different parts of the drainage network. In some cases, there are suggestions that the problem is simply inadequate capacity in the Thames Water main drains; in other cases, tree roots, lack of maintenance and other possible causes are being suggested by residents.

Clearly the present situation, which is very traumatic for residents, can't go on, and the various organisations need to agree what can be done to alleviate the problem where possible.

Play areas at The Briars and Longbanks are among those on which Harlow Council is seeking residents' views in a consultation event on 24 July.

These play areas are among 20 town-wide which are due to cease as equipped playgrounds after the summer holidays, as part of the council's £1 million investment programme in new equipment and improvements at the 42 playgrounds that will remain - including Lower Meadow, Joyners Field and Latton Bush.

Residents are being asked their views on what should happen to the sites at The Briars and Longbanks when the play areas cease. Options for the ceased play areas include return to formal grassed areas, trees and shrubs, or meeting points and facilities for older children such as basketball hoops and seating.

This morning includes a visit with Harlow Council's community engagement team to the playground at Lower Meadow - it's a mess, with rubbish strewn everywhere, the internal 'cage' missing from one of the litter bins and another containing the mangled and dangerous remains of a bicycle frame. I email a report straight away to Contact Harlow.

But the real purpose of the visit is to see the Youth Council's preferred site for a new ballzone - somewhere young people can kick a ball around, that's well lit and safe without being right up against residents' homes and gardens. The green area between the playground and the Pink Cottage is their preferred choice. They've already been allocated the necessary £8,000 from the Essex Community Initiatives Fund.

The Youth Council have already begun a programme of consultation with nearby residents, and will continue this over the summer.

I've received a complaint from a resident today about excessive dust and noise associated with the demolition of the Builders Merchants building on Parnall Road. I've passed the matter on to Harlow Council's regulation service - which includes planning and also environmental health - to see whether there's anything they can do to minimise the impact while work is in progress.

Longbanks is the first estate in the Staple Tye ward to receive one of Harlow Council's new 'block cleanses'. We're delighted that the council has committed such significant extra funding to make these possible.

A large council team with several vehicles and large paladin bins spends the whole day on the estate, street sweeping, collecting heavy rubbish and generally tidying up the place. It's the first time all this activity has been so coordinated, and so concentrated on a particular estate.

In a few weeks' time there will be an estate clean, including litter-picking, that will be repeated on a regular cycle.

The bulldozers have moved in to demolish the former Builders Merchants Federation building, near the Jehovah's Witnesses' Kingdom Hall opposite the entrance to Longbanks in Parnall Road.

The demolition of the building, which has been empty for a very long time, is to make way for a new elderly people's home.

Staple Tye ward councillor Lorna Spenceley was in the area today to snap this picture of the old building being torn down.

This week sees the start of Harlow Council's major clean-up campaign, beginning with estates in Staple Tye. The clean-up schedule for our area is as follows.

• Tuesday 4 July: Longbanks


• Wednesday 5 July: Risdens and Peterswood


• Thursday 6 July: Berecroft


• Friday 7 July: Barleycroft and Lower Meadow



• Monday 10 July: Woodhill, Aylets Field and Copshall Close


• Tuesday 11 July: The Briars, Lodge Hall, Gibb Croft and The Mews


• Wednesday 12 July: Spruce Hill and Sibneys Green


• Thursday 13 July: Moorfield


• Friday 14 July: Joyners Field and Gladden Court



• Thursday 20 July: Sakins Croft


• Friday 21 July: The Readings, Tysea Close and Latton Green

If you have unwanted large items for disposal, look out for the refuse truck and green bins on your estate between 08:00 and 14:30 on the day of your clean-up. The council's Community Response Team will also be available to carry out small jobs identified by you, including shrub and hedge maintenance, graffiti removal, sign cleaning, removal and repairs, drain cleaning, hard landscaping, bollard reinstatenemt, and dog waste and litter bin repairs. With notice the team can also carry out painting, paving and fence repairs, walling and masonry repairs.

After the clean-up day the council will return with a cleaning team to undertake an extensive street clean and litter pick.