Staple Tye online

Joyners Field fence

noreply@blogger.com (The Staple Tye team) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 06:42:00 +0000

The fence that runs along the cycle path behind 61-88 Joyners Field is badly damaged in a poor state of repair. Following an approach from the local police, council officers have suggested removing or replacing it. The preference of the police is to remove it entirely. Do you live in this block at Joyners Field? What do you think the council should do? Send us your views.

Litter picking

noreply@blogger.com (The Staple Tye team) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:50:00 +0000

Local councillor Lorna Spenceley has taken up a complaint about litter not being picked in the garden area in front of the Chinese Centre, especially near the pagoda. This area should be included in the council's regular litter picking schedule.

Graffiti

noreply@blogger.com (The Staple Tye team) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:18:00 +0000

An outbreak of 'HQC' graffiti on an estate name board at Barleycroft has been cleaned up, after local councillor Lorna Spenceley reported it to Contact Harlow.

Moorfield garage project

noreply@blogger.com (Lorna Spenceley) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 22:37:00 +0000

Disappointingly, only four residents, apart from residents' association chairman Derek Coles, turned up at the special meeting called by the residents' association for people whose rear garden wall backs on to the Moorfield garage block which is scheduled for demolition and replacement.

Two thirds of those who replied to the residents' association survey support the option of reducing the height of the wall - and all those who attended the meeting were in favour.

Legal note: as I've attended this meeting and discussed the matter with residents, I now won't be allowed by law to consider it if it needs to be put to the Planning Committee as a planning application!

Surgery at Barleycroft

noreply@blogger.com (Lorna Spenceley) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:56:00 +0000

Su and I held the second of our regular surgeries at 40 Barleycroft this evening.

When Su arrived, she noticed that the garden fence between 39 and 40 Barleycroft had blown down, so we reported it straight away by email to Jane at the council, who's responsible for consultation with residents in Barleycroft and Lower Meadow, and therefore for the building.

Our next surgery at 40 Barleycroft is on Wednesday 9 April, from 6:00pm to 7:00pm. If you're a resident of Barleycroft or Lower Meadow, do drop in - you don't need an appointment.

Police public meeting

noreply@blogger.com (The Staple Tye team) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 07:46:00 +0000

A public meeting for residents of Staple Tye has been called by the local neighbourhood police team. It will take place on Wednesday 26 March at seven o'clock at the Gateway church on Perry Road - and refreshments will be provided. All residents of the ward are invited to come along and meet their local police team.

Staple Tye police meeting

noreply@blogger.com (The Staple Tye team) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 21:51:00 +0000

Su and Lorna attended the local police neighbourhood action panel at The Briars, to discuss a range of community safety issues in Staple Tye. Priorities remain graffiti across the ward, drug dealing and the Chinese Centre (following the recent bin fires).

Harlow now has 32 Police Community Support Officers, compared to the four that were in place before Harlow Council took the decision to part-fund four additional PCSOs for the town. Su says:

"The Council has been attacked by the Conservatives for taking the decision to fund a boost in the number of PCSOs in Harlow, but the growth in numbers that has resulted has shown how right we were to take this decision. Unlike the Conservatives, most residents really value the work that our local PCSOs do, and the links they have with the community."

Don't forget you can find out what's happening in the the local neighbourhood police team on their web site - and that 07896 813033 is the mobile number to ring to contact the local police team about local issues. (Police emergencies should continue to be reported on 999, and non-urgent incidents to the police station on 641212).

Illuminated sign

noreply@blogger.com (The Staple Tye team) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 22:42:00 +0000

Units 2-4 Staple Tye (the stationers' and post office) have been granted planning permission by Harlow Council officers for an illuminated sign.

New bus route for Staple Tye

noreply@blogger.com (The Staple Tye team) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 09:10:00 +0000

Don't forget the new Trustybus service now sets off every fifteen minutes from the town centre for Kingsmoor, Staple Tye and Passmores - costing only £1.

Maunds Hatch

noreply@blogger.com (The Staple Tye team) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:32:00 +0000

The Maunds Hatch project continues to develop; Su and Lorna were both at a very positive meeting where the Judo Club and the Boxing club both talked about their interest in taking on space at the community building when it's been refurbished. There's £350,000 in Harlow Council's budget for the actual building. Everybody came away feeling very positive.

Questions about floods

noreply@blogger.com (Lorna Spenceley) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:10:00 +0000

After the floods that hit the news in much of England last summer, the Government appointed Sir Michael Pitt to lead a review of 'the lessons learned' from the flooding. The review team published an interim report in December and will publish a final report in the summer.

The director of the review team gave a briefing to a meeting at the Local Government Association, where I was present. Bearing in mind Staple Tye's experience of flooding in 2006, I asked him about the problems caused by agencies such as the water companies, who aren't as answerable to the public as local councils - we can't go along to their meetings, demand answers, or change them if we don't like them. They can be difficult to pin down after events such as floods, as many local residents have found.

I was encouraged to hear from the review director that his team has been very aware of this problem. It would be good if the review resulted in such bodies being placed under a 'duty to co-operate' so that they would be required to work with district and county councils and local communities in sorting out the dreadful problems that floods cause.

ID please!

noreply@blogger.com (The Staple Tye team) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 23:32:00 +0000

Su was very concerned to hear from a local council tenant last night that a council contractor had visited to try to carry out works to her home, without making an appointment and without having his ID to show her. He later went back to his van to fetch his ID, but Su says:

"This resident did exactly the right thing, by asking for the contractor's ID card and not being prepared to let him in until he produced it. Always remember, for your own safety, to do the same.

I'm contacting Harlow Council to express my concern that a council contractor should have behaved in this way, and to ask the Council to reinforce to everybody doing work on behalf of the Council that they must produce ID when visiting residents' homes."

Councillors' surgery at Barleycroft

noreply@blogger.com (The Staple Tye team) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:25:00 +0000

Local councillors Su and Lorna held their first ward surgery in the newly-opened housing information centre at 40 Barleycroft. Su says:

"We were very pleased indeed that several local residents popped in to see us - whether to talk generally about the future of the estate or to raise specific problems with us, which we'll be taking up with the council straight away."

The next surgery at 40 Barleycroft is on Wednesday 12 March, from six to seven o'clock in the evening.

Local action

noreply@blogger.com (The Staple Tye team) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:21:00 +0000

Local councillor Su Lawton has reported the light out at Maunds Hatch shops. She was also asked by Anita from the Chinese Centre to help in getting the debris from the recent bin fires at the Centre cleaned up; and has taken this up as well.

Road closures ahead

noreply@blogger.com (The Staple Tye team) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:35:00 +0000

On Monday 25 February, Southern Way will be closed between Parnall Road and Perry Road from seven o'clock on Monday night to six o'clock on Tuesday morning.

Abercrombie Way will be closed between Southern Way and Penlow Road on the same night from eleven o'clock on Monday night to six o'clock on Tuesday morning.

Vehicle access from Abercrombie Way to the Staple Tye shops will be permitted between seven and eleven o'clock on Monday night.

These closures have been announced by Essex County Council whose contractors will be carrying out roundabout resurfacing. The County Council hopes the works will be completed in the one night; if for any reason they are not, the work will be done on the following night or the next available night that week, with the road closures operating at the same time.

In the event of any queries, the office to contact at Essex County Council Highways is Jhn Muir on 01279 642500.

Gong Hei Fat Choy

noreply@blogger.com (Lorna Spenceley) — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 14:54:00 +0000

Thank you very much indeed to the Chinese community for once again opening their doors for Chinese New Year at the Chinese Centre - with the firecrackers, lion dance (two lions this year), traditional Chinese music, children's dancing and excellent food that this involves.

It was a truly excellent day, with a very large number of guests, and it was great to see so many non-Chinese residents coming along to share the celebrations, as well as the police and PCSO team for the neighbourhood - and even an off-duty Santa Claus popped in for the occasion.

*"Gong Hei Fat Choy" is the only Cantonese I know, and means, of course, "Happy New Year"!

Bin fires at Chinese Centre

noreply@blogger.com (Lorna Spenceley) — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 22:40:00 +0000

I've been in touch with the local police team about the recent bin fires at the Chinese Community Centre. It's really disappointing when this sort of mindless vandalism takes place, and I hope everyone will continue to be vigilant. If you know anything that can assist the police in fingering the culprits, do call them on 641212.

Meadow Court application gets green light

noreply@blogger.com (The Staple Tye team) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 23:51:00 +0000

The planning application for a replacement for Meadow Court has been given the go-ahead by Harlow Council's planning committee. The committee gave its unanimous support to the plans, which will provide fewer, but larger, flats and a much improved design.

Maunds Hatch - rumours and reassurance

noreply@blogger.com (The Staple Tye team) — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 21:31:00 +0000

A report in the Harlow Star has caused confusion among a number of residents about the redevelopment of the Maunds Hatch community building.

The report in this week's Harlow Star says that the Maunds Hatch redevelopment scheme has been frozen - leading some residents mistakenly to think that the scheme has been cancelled.

In fact, the report is about a council decision about which schemes would be needing funding between now and April, only three months away. It's quite clear that there won't be any spending on Maunds Hatch in the next three months - not least because there are no plans, no drawings, no lease agreements and no planning permission yet!

Therefore the money needs to be taken out of this year's budget (up to April 2008) and put into next year's, to be spent between April 2008 and March 2009. The council has also agreed that schemes like Maunds Hatch which have been held over from 2007/08 will have priority for spending in 2008/09.

Meadow Court redevelopment application

noreply@blogger.com (The Staple Tye team) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 11:44:00 +0000

Home Group have submitted a planning application (HW/PL/07/00397) for a major redevelopment of Meadow Court, off Commonside Road. The application would replace the existing buildings with a new development consisting of 21 'affordable' homes - three one-bed flats, six smaller two-bed flats and twelve larger two-bed flats. The application will be considered by the Planning Committee on Tuesday 29 January.

New 'hole in the wall' for Staple Tye shopping centre?

noreply@blogger.com (The Staple Tye team) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 11:33:00 +0000

A planning application (HW/PL/08/00009) has been received for a new 'hole in the wall' ATM at Units 2 - 4, Staple Tye Shopping Centre, with a corresponding application (HW/PL/08/00010) for an illuminated sign. Planning applications can be viewed at the Civic Centre from 09:00 to 17:00 Monday to Friday.

Maunds Hatch project news

noreply@blogger.com (The Staple Tye team) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:06:00 +0000

Staple Tye councillors Lorna and Su were both at the latest meeting to progress proposals for the redevelopment of the Maunds Hatch community building. Representatives of Berecroft, Longbanks and CABRA residents associations were also there, along with GPCA, the Chinese Centre, Moat housing and interested residents.

Under the current proposals, Harlow Council would continue to be the owner of the building, and GPCA the tenant. Two Harlow sporting groups have expressed interest in being considered as GPCA's sub-tenant - the meeting asked for them to be contacted, shown round the building, and invited to the next meeting in a month's time.

There was a lot of discussion about the best way to proceed with the project; although the money is available for the building itself, there isn't a budget for the all-year-round running costs, such as rates, energy and maintenance.

Lorna suggested that council officers should come back to the next meeting with figures showing three different sizes of building (as - subject to planning permission - the building could be extended outwards but also upwards) and three different budgets showing the running costs for each size of building. The meeting could then talk to potential sub-tenants about how much space they would want, what would be left for other activities, and how to raise the necessary income.

She also suggested a list of organisations - such as Adult Education, Essex Youth Service, Harlow College, the health service - that we should be approaching to see if they were interested in renting space in the building or paying to run specific sessions.

The meeting agreed this as a way forward, and will be meeting again in about a month.

40 Barleycroft opens its doors

noreply@blogger.com (Lorna Spenceley) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 21:48:00 +0000

Today sees the opening of 40 Barleycroft, the new housing information centre for residents of Barleycroft and Lower Meadow.

Guests at the 12 noon cutting of the ribbon (indoors, because of the rain) include myself and Cllr Su Lawton. The noon-till-2:00 session is well attended, with quite a number of residents coming along to find out more. The 4:00 till 7:00 session attracts considerably fewer residents. Council officers are on hand to pick up any issues people want to raise.

This is an excellent new resource for residents in Barleycroft and Lower Meadow, and I hope it will be well used.

Perry Road

noreply@blogger.com (Lorna Spenceley) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 22:45:00 +0000

Although Harlow Council has agreed to pursue traffic restrictions on Perry Road, we're still waiting for the process to finish for making the necessary orders.

In the meantime, I'm contacted by a resident expressing his concern at the dangerous driving of some vehicle owners at the bottom of Perry Road, around Lister House and the church. I ring the county council offices again, and speak to the highways manager, asking him to visit the scene and put temporary measures in place while we wait for the traffic order to be confirmed.

Road safety

noreply@blogger.com (Lorna Spenceley) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 17:08:00 +0000

I've been talking to our local Police Community Support Officers today about road safety at schools in the ward. It's something Harlow Council's Scrutiny Committee is currently looking into.

The mini-scheme at the junction of Rye Hill Road and Paringdon Road outside St James's School still isn't doing much to stop cars hurtling into the barrier outside the school, so I'll be asking Essex County Council once again to review this. The one-way system we've been campaigning for in Longbanks would be accompanied by traffic restrictions outside Stewards School which should help there.

But the PCSOs agree with me that there's still a real problem at Latton Green School; Essex County Council really does need to get its act together and do something.