Despite some positive boosts in the government’s recent spending review announcement, Havering Council is still expecting to have to find a further £34.2m savings and efficiencies over the next 4 years in order to balance the budget and counteract the increasing demand and cost of services.
The Council has become more efficient in the way that we deliver services to reduce costs and keep council tax increases to the minimum.This is why it is important that we ask you for your views on helping us to prioritise these savings and how we spend taxpayers' money wisely. To that end we will be launching our 2020/21 budget consultation shortly.
I was very pleased that we have now introduced a new charge on developers who are building new homes and large retail projects within our borough. The Community Infrastructure Levy means that developers will now pay a statutory charge for regeneration projects. We have set two rates to apply in Havering with a lower rate for development in the south of the borough to incentivise developers to invest in the Rainham area. This money will go towards vital amenities benefitting local people.
Cllr Damian White
Leader, Havering Council
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Havering is definitely the pick of the bunch as it shone brightly at London in Bloom, winning a host of awards.
London in Bloom is a campaign and competition where London boroughs, communities, residents and businesses can work together to improve their environment to make them greener and cleaner places to live, work and visit.
Havering was awarded 16 gold awards, six silver gilt awards and one silver award.
It also won a number of special awards.
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Over 100 female students from seven local schools took part in an event to help develop their digital and entrepreneurial skills.
Tech-savvy students flocked to the Havering Young Entrepreneurs Program for an event that aimed to inspire and motivate young women to develop their IT and coding skills and hear from inspirational women in technology.
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A new regional adoption agency launched in Havering this week. It will help speed up the process of finding adopters for vulnerable children across East London.
Adopt London East, led by Havering Council, sees the borough’s adoption team joining forces with Barking and Dagenham, Newham and Tower Hamlets councils, to boost the number of people coming forward to adopt children in care, and reduce the length of time children wait to be adopted.
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The Havering Literary Festival is back.
Held from Monday 4 November to Saturday 23 November in libraries across the borough, the Festival programme is packed with events, talks and workshops for all ages, designed to celebrate, inspire and nurture a love of reading.
One of the first events in the festival will see Dr Claire Corkhill and leading travel writer Simon Calder discuss the nuclear disaster that changed the world. Chernobyl – Uncovering the Mystery is on Tuesday 5 November at 7.30pm. Tickets are £10.
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You could lower your energy bill by joining the many local people who have made the Big London Energy Switch.
This is the last week to register your interest. The closing date is Tuesday 8 October.
Signing up for the scheme is free and without obligation. Completing the registration form takes less than five minutes.
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 If you are an EU citizen living in Havering, a business that exports to the EU, or planning a holiday to an EU/EEA country, you may have questions about how the UK's planned exit from the EU will affect you.
Havering Council's website has a page of useful information and links.
A list of places that offer an ID document checking service is updated regularly on the UK Government's website.
If your business completes customs declarations you can apply for grants to help you manage the changes that will follow, particularly in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Click to see what grants you can apply for to get funding for recruitment, training and IT improvements if your business completes customs declarations.
Langtons Gardens in Hornchurch is holding free forest school sessions.
The sessions will include craft, den making and campfire cooking in Fielders Field for children of all ages and their parents/responsible adults.
They will be held on the following dates:
- Thursday 10 October 4 - 5pm
- Thursday 24 October 3 - 5pm.
Those taking part are asked to bring food to cook (e.g. sausages, marshmallows), wear shoes and clothes you don’t mind getting muddy, long sleeves and trousers, and shoes that cover your feet.
Please note that the session will be cancelled in the event of high wind or heavy rain.
No booking is required, but please email to save registration time: Lisa.DLock@havering.gov.uk
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Do you run a community project that needs some funding?
The Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership Project’s Community Grant fund is open for applications again.
Grants of up to £5,000 are available for local groups to run environmental or heritage projects within the Land of the Fanns area.
The Land of the Fanns area includes Havering.
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If you live in Havering the latest edition of our sister publication, Living in Havering magazine, should have dropped through your letterbox this week.
If you haven't received your copy, or you run a business and would like to reach the audience reading the most-widely distributed publication in Havering, email living@havering.gov.uk.
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