You can meet the Leader of Havering Council, Councillor Roger Ramsey, and Cabinet Members on Friday 5 February, 1pm – 2pm, near Starbucks in The Liberty shopping centre, Romford. This is an opportunity for residents to let the Leader know what is important to them.

The first community group to volunteer to get involved with Clean for the Queen is 6th Squirrels Heath Beaver Scouts and Harold Wood Park is their target area to clean.

If you're involved with a community group, school or business why not follow their example and volunteer too?

Clean for the Queen takes place from Friday 4 to Sunday 6 March and is a campaign to clear up Britain in time for Her Majesty the Queen’s 90th birthday, which will be officially celebrated in June 2016.

When she came to the throne litter was not the problem it is today so during that weekend the aim is for community groups, businesses, schools and individuals to spend an hour or two clearing litter from part of their neighbourhood. We all know a local place where litter gathers so register your interest in a Havering Clean for the Queen event here and let’s get it cleared up.

On Sunday 12 June 2016, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate her 90th birthday. 

Communities across Havering can be part of this national celebration by organising a neighbourhood street party.  Street parties are a great part of British life and an opportunity for communities to come together and celebrate national occasions. 

Find out more about street parties in Havering here.

Havering residents can have their electric blanket tested free of charge on Friday 5 February, 10am – 2.30pm at Hornchurch Fire Station, at an event organised by Age UK.

There will also be portable appliance testing (PAT) for small electrical appliances, and Fire Officers will be available to provide advice on fire safety at home.

Book your appointment here.

On Wednesday fly tipping happened again in Sunnings Lane, Upminster, blocking the road for some time. If you have any information about who is responsible for this fly tipping, or see incidents elsewhere in Havering, please let us know.

As well as making our Borough look unsightly the cost of removing fly tipping is considerable, around £136,000 a year, and means less money available for front line services. Havering Council prosecutes fly tippers whenever possible.

Report fly tipping online here.

Havering residents now have the chance to lower their gas and electricity bills by taking part in the Big London Energy Switch.

Residents can sign up online for the scheme until Tuesday 1 February 2016. Get more information about the scheme and how to sign up at the Big London energy switch webpage​. ​

Havering Council is currently consulting on what residents would like to see at Jutsums Park, Crow Lane, Romford.

The deadline for submitting your views is Monday 15 February.

You can let us know your views here.

Havering Council is currently consulting on proposals for additional Post-16 provision in Havering for young people aged 16-25 with special educational needs and/or disabilities from September 2016 has opened.  

Deadline for comments is Monday 29 February 2016.

Submit your comments here.

Highways England has launched the next stage in the formal consultation on the Lower Thames Crossing project, beneath the Thames at a location east of Gravesend and Tilbury.

The Highways England proposed route would connect the A2/M2 in Kent with the M25 north of the river at a new junction between Junctions 29 and 30 (A127 and A13). The proposed route would join the M25 between North and South Ockendon close to Ockendon Road in Havering.

The plans will be exhibited at Upminster Junior School, St Mary’s Lane, Upminster, RM14 3BS, on Monday 15 February, 11am – 7pm. Full details on the proposals can be seen here and views submitted here. Deadline for comments is Thursday 24 March.  

The Greater London Assembly elections are on Thursday 5 May and you need to be on the electoral register in order to vote. To help residents know if they are registered, we will be sending out a Household Notification Letter to every property in the Borough between 5 and 15 February. 

The letter will state who is registered to vote at your property.

If everything is correct, you don’t need to do anything.

If someone’s name is missing from the list, they will need to register to vote here.

If anyone’s information is incorrect, needs updating or if somebody has moved out, you must email the elections team with details.

Find out more about elections here.

More than 130 people have already volunteered to help in their local library - our thanks go them and library managers will be in touch soon.

While 130 is good we are still looking for more volunteers to work alongside staff. Volunteers can help with everything from creating exciting book displays to shelf stacking, to helping with baby-bounce events or teaching people how to use computers and iPads right through to fundraising or helping libraries reach more people. 

See what we are looking for here and sign up here to register your interest.

Residents are encouraged to comment on proposals to increase Council Tax to fund care for elderly and vulnerable adults before the deadline of Tuesday 2 February. The current consultation is separate to the budget consultation which closed in December last year.

This consultation has been launched after a £10.8 million cut in government grant to Havering for next year. 

If you own a dog a new law means it must be micro-chipped before Wednesday 6 April.

You can get your dog micro-chipped by The Dog’s Trust on  Thursday 11 February, 11am - 3pm, at Dunningford Close, Hornchurch, RM12 5JJ. More details here.

Money for the Market …

An outline application for £1 million, submitted to the Mayor’s London Regeneration Fund to deliver the physical transformation of Romford Market has been successful.

The grant is subject to match funding being released by the Council, the signing of the grant agreement and the building of a robust business case.

… and for A1306 corridor in Rainham

Havering Council will receive £498,000, as a first tranche of funding, from the Transport for London Major Scheme Fund for the A1306 New Road in Rainham.

If you have a Freedom Pass that expires on 31 March 2016 you should soon receive a letter explaining how to renew it.

That letter has a unique renewal number. As soon as you receive that letter you need to log on here to renew your Freedom Pass.

In Havering there are 4,737 elderly persons Freedom Passes and 530 disabled persons Freedom Passes due for renewal.

As passes take up to four weeks to arrive renewing as soon as you receive your letter is important.

More information on the Freedom Pass is available here.

Customers can now apply for copy Birth, Death and Marriage certificates online and make payment by debit/credit card.

You also now book an appointment online if you want to:

• register a birth at Langtons House
• register a death at the South Essex Crematorium
• give Notice of Marriage or Civil Partnership
• use the Nationality Checking Service

or book a Group or Private Citizenship Ceremony.

See full details here.

Our website gives you a simple way to access whatever you need – from planning applications to swimming pool opening times – on your computer, tablet or smartphone, at a time that suits you.  If you don’t have your own device, you can log on at your local library, where staff will be on hand to offer help.

More than 89,000 subscribers now receive the award winning email updates from Havering Council including:

NEW THIS MONTH

Launching in February is a new email update providing news and information to local voluntary groups and their members. Sign up here to receive your copy.

The full list of award winning email updates currently produced by Havering Council can be seen here.

You can access information on everything happening in Havering by visiting our website.

You can also follow us on Twitter @LBofHavering, check out the Havering YouTube channel, see us on Instagram and stay up-to-date with Havering events on our Facebook page.