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Welcome to our Spring Edition Newsletter

As we welcome the warmer weather, we have some important updates and reminders for all our tenants. Your safety, comfort, and well-being are our top priorities.

Thank you for being a part of our community. We hope you have a wonderful Spring season!

High-rise Hub Portal

We are excited to introduce the Highrise Hubs portal on our website.

This portal is designed to provide you with essential information on fire risk assessments, escape plans, and other safety measures.

We take the safety of our tenants living in our high-rise blocks very seriously. 

Let's keep our gardens tidy

With spring in full swing, it's the perfect time to maintain and spruce up our gardens.

Remember to use our Bulky Waste Service to dispose of any large items and visit our Recycling Centres for proper waste disposal. Let's work together to keep our surroundings clean and green!

Heroic caretaker prevents disaster

In a remarkable display of quick thinking and bravery, our caretaker Brian Marston, recently averted a potentially devastating fire at one of our properties. When he noticed flames emerging from a house, he immediately sprang into action. Without hesitation, he grabbed a hose and began to douse the flames, effectively controlling the fire before it could spread further. But his heroism didn't stop there. Understanding the urgency of the situation, he also knocked on the doors of neighbouring houses, alerting residents and advising them to evacuate. His swift actions not only prevented the fire from escalating but also ensured the safety of the local community. We are incredibly proud of Brian's initiative and courage, which undoubtedly saved lives and protected homes. Let's all take a moment to appreciate the everyday heroes among us who go above and beyond to keep us safe. Take a look at the London Fire Brigade's tips and information on fire safety in the home.

Home improvements: permission required

Are you looking to make improvements to your home? Please remember, you must get permission from the council before carrying out any work beyond painting and decorating. Recently, we have seen an increase in the construction of conservatories and lean-tos, which are not permitted. Tenants who have built these structures are being asked to remove them. If you have any questions about what is allowed, please visit our website at or speak to your Housing Officer.

Exploring your housing options

With a shortage of social housing properties, very few properties become vacant and are advertised. Therefore, we encourage those looking to move to explore the following options:

• Mutual exchange: You may find sites such as HomeSwapperuseful.
• Moving outside of London: Consider using Homefinder for opportunities outside of London via 
• Downsizing: If you wish to downsize, you will go to the top of our register and have top priority to bid on smaller properties. We have a designated officer, Kelly Rees, Relationship Manager supporting tenants looking to explore this option. Interested? Contact Kelly at comsolts@lbbd.gov.uk
• Seaside or Countryside moves: For tenants over 55 years old looking to move to the seaside or countryside, further information can be found at the Mayor's Seaside and Countryside scheme.

Thank you for participating in our recent workshops!

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all who participated in our Resident Discovery Workshops. Your input and feedback are crucial to help us understand your needs and improve our services. We are grateful for your engagement and look forward to implementing your valuable suggestions.

Introducing our Resident Safety Engagement Team

We are pleased to announce the introduction of our new Resident Safety Engagement team who are dedicated to ensure the safety of all our tenants.

The team will look to enhance resident engagement across the borough looking at exciting and meaningful ways for you to get involved and shape our services.

In addition to working closely with our Compliance Team to ensure communal areas are clear of items and the council is complaint with ensuring that tenants are allowing access to their homes for gas and electrical inspections.

If you are interested in getting involved, please email the team at residentsafetyengagement@lbbd.gov.uk

Introducing our Housing Managers

We are thrilled to announce that we have just appointed two Housing Managers, Jessica Warren and Nasir Uddin to our team. The Housing Managers will play a crucial role to oversee the day-to-day operational management of the service, ensuring we deliver an excellent housing service to our tenants. "Having worked as a part of the Housing team for the past ten years, I am excited to begin my new venture as a Housing Manager, continuing to work alongside my Housing colleagues and other key stakeholders to deliver excellent services for our residents; ensuring that they are placed at the heart of what we do." - Jessica Warren

"I am excited to be working with a very diverse borough such as Barking and Dagenham and look forward to all the challenges it has to offer. Together with all our Housing colleagues and partners we want to build a service that puts our residents first." - Nasir Uddin

Tenancy Surgeries

Did you know you can drop in to Dagenham Library for support with tenancy related enquiries?  These will take place every Monday between 10am and 3.30pm starting from Monday 12 May 2025.

Whoops ......we made a mistake

We noticed that in the last edition of our Newsletter that we included a typo for tenants to send information in relation to owning an XL Bully breed dog (including the Certificate of Exemption) to the housingservicesoffice@lbbd.gov.uk by 30th June 2025.

Need money advice

Are you struggling financially? Did you know BD Money offers a range of support and tools including a benefits calculator and budgeting tools to help you get back on track. Head over to BD Money to find out more.

Help make Dagenham East step-free – support our campaign! 

We’re petitioning TfL to make Dagenham East tube station step-free – bringing the station into the 21st century by making it more accessible for everyone. Help us by signing our petition here! With the new film studios, the Daggers’ football ground and Eastbrookend Country Park all nearby, we think Dagenham East should be made more accessible. Keep an eye out for more on this campaign to make Dagenham East step-free and share the petition far and wide!

Verbal or physical abuse towards staff will not be tolerated

In 2024, there were 113 incidents where council officers were physically or verbally abused…And this is something that we don’t stand for. Please treat our staff the same way you would like yourself and your family to be treated at work – with respect and courtesy. The council is committed to taking the firmest action possible when staff are threatened or abused as part of their work.