Tuesday 18 May 2021
As the Government's roadmap out of lockdown continues, I am so proud that my Cabinet colleague Cllr Viddy Persaud was yesterday able to officially open the long-awaited Harrow Lodge Leisure Centre.
Leisure is at the forefront of the Council’s ambition and I am very excited to see the local community benefit from this new centre. Read more on this below.
This past year has been a constant reminder of how important health and wellbeing is. As we move towards better days, this leisure centre provides the facilities residents need to live happy, healthy lives.
Our leisure centres play an important role as COVID-secure spaces for people to get healthier by being physically and mentally active as we emerge from lockdown.
The opening of our new centre in Hornchurch is the next step in the Council’s ongoing investment in leisure facilities. Later this year construction will start on another brand-new leisure centre for Havering residents, this time located in Rainham.
Whatever you choose to do in the weeks ahead, please remember that COVID-19 hasn't disappeared.
As you will see later in this bulletin, the number of cases and COVID-19 infection rate in Havering both rose last week. Cases of the new so-called "Indian variant" of coronavirus have been identified in many parts of London. That means it's vital that you get your vaccination when it is offered.
If you are over 40 and have not taken a vaccine when it was offered to you, please think again.
Remain cautious not complacent as you go to work or enjoy a meal out. Continue to follow the hands, face, space and fresh air advice - and test yourself regularly. It's now so easy to do with over 50 locations in Havering where you can get tested, or pick up a home testing kit. See more on this below.
Lastly, if you want to contact me directly, you can email me.
Stay safe.
Cllr Damian White
Leader, Havering Council
Harrow Lodge Leisure Centre has opened the majority of its facilities for the first time, following the further easing of restrictions on 17 May.
Havering Council Cabinet Member, Cllr Viddy Persaud cut the tape at the opening ceremony.
The new multi-million pound leisure centre, which was completed in December 2020, opened its doors just for gym and swimming pool use on 12 April.
Despite now being able to offer more facilities and activities with the latest lifting of restrictions – the new centre is still running under strict COVID rules to keep everyone safe.
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 Havering Council will continue to fund the School Meal Holiday Scheme for those most in need during the May half term.
The scheme is a way of providing funds to ensure that eligible families can purchase food over the holidays to replace the meals a child would have received during a school day.
Eligible families are now able to apply to receive £15 per child to support with meals to cover the May school break.
The window for new claims applications closes at 5pm on Monday 24 May.
Come and meet Havering Council's Waste and Recycling Team at Romford Market tomorrow, Wednesday 19 May.
The team will be on hand to provide help, information and tips on recycling, the Love Food Hate Waste campaign, home composting, real washable nappies and how to reduce single use plastic.
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 This Saturday (22 May) Hornchurch Football Club meet Hereford FC at Wembley Stadium in the FA Trophy Final.
The club reached the final after a dramatic 5-4 penalty shoot-out victory over Notts County in the semi-final. The team are pictured celebrating after that win.
Read more on the club's history and revival after a financial collapse in 2004.
The FA Trophy Final will be shown live on BT Sport 1 and has a 4.15pm kick-off.
Residents of Havering are invited to enter this year's Havering in Bloom competition.
By taking part, you will be helping to make the borough a bright
and attractive place to live, work, visit and go to school.
There are six categories for you to choose from ranging from 'Best Front Garden' to 'Tallest Sunflower'. There is also an award for best school display.
The closing date for entries is 10 September 2021. Entries can be submitted by email.
Judging will be completed at the end of September and the winners will be announced shortly afterwards.
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London's Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is expanding from 25 October 2021.
Have you checked your vehicle?
Four out of five cars already meet the ULEZ emissions standards, but owners of the remaining older cars, motorcycles, lighter van and minibuses need to take action.
Check your vehicle meets the ULEZ emissions standards and the interactive map of the zone.
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 Every week Havering Council publishes a report on coronavirus in the borough on its website.
It includes data on infection rates and testing, as well as the vaccine roll-out. It also compares the success of that programme in Havering with other parts of London and the rest of the country.
The graph above is taken from the report. It shows the number of Havering residents testing positive for coronavirus each week since 6 March last year.
There were 28 cases reported in the last week, five more than the previous week.
This corresponds to an incidence rate on 14 May of 11 new cases per 100,000 population. This is lower than the London (20/100,000) and the whole of England (22/100,000) figures.
Sadly a total of 921 people in Havering have died with COVID-19 but no new deaths have been reported in the four weeks up to 7 May.
Vaccines
The latest data shows that by 9 May 59 per cent of all adults in Havering have had at least one dose of the vaccine.
Nearly 30 per cent of all adults in Havering have now received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Hospitals
As of 17 May there were 15 inpatients admitted due to COVID-19 to our local hospitals.
The trust that runs those hospitals, BHRUT, also publishes weekly data on the number of patients it is treating.
Not every relaxation in COVID-19 restrictions or guidelines for the general public will be mirrored exactly in schools.
This week Havering Council's Cabinet Member for Schools, and its Director of Public Health, have written to all parents and carers.
They explained how Havering's schools will continue to ensure they have the right measures in place to reduce the risk of infection by staff, pupils and visitors according to each school’s risk assessment.
The more the virus spreads, the more opportunities there are for the virus to mutate and create new variants.
The best way to limit the risk of an outbreak is to get vaccinated when invited to do so, and for pupils in secondary schools, and all adults in households where a child is of school age, to test twice weekly using a rapid test kit and report the results online.
This will identify positive cases early and prevent the spread of the infection.
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Regular, twice-weekly rapid testing for people without COVID-19 symptoms is available for everyone in Havering to help make sure you're not passing on the virus without knowing.
There are over fifty places in Havering to get tested or to collect a home testing kit. Find your nearest testing site and collection point.
If you aren't sure how to do a rapid test at home, visit one of these centres first and be shown by the professionals. You can then take a test kit home with you to use in subsequent weeks.
You can also order a test kit online.
You should still use testing even if you have had one or both doses of the COVID-19 vaccination.
Have symptoms?
It remains vitally important to book a test if you have COVID-19 symptoms.
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If you are aged 36 or over (or will be by 1 July) you can book appointments at a larger vaccination centre or pharmacy now.
Alternatively, you can wait to be invited to go to a local NHS service.
Take up of the vaccine is a key way in helping to get things back to normal and will protect you, your friends and your family.
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 Community group Havering Cyclists has launched a buddy scheme to help new or returning riders get on their bikes.
Are you nervous about riding on Havering’s roads? Perhaps you want help riding to work for the first time, planning the route to local shops or trying out the route for your children to get to school?
Cycle Buddies puts new riders in touch with experienced riders in their local area.
Buddies can meet up and ride together – to work, to the shops or just to the park for some practice.
Online baby bounce sessions are held every Thursday between 2 and 3pm. They are organised by Havering Libraries.
You, your babies, and toddlers can sing along to your favourite nursery rhymes and songs, and there will be time to chat at the end.
To book a place, send an email.
The four year delay to a full Crossrail/Elizabeth line service hasn't dampened interest in homes close to stations served by the line.
Research by London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves has found that house prices surrounding Crossrail stations (like Gidea Park, pictured) are still largely outperforming the wider areas in which they are located.
Their research showed that, on average, property values in postcodes home to a Crossrail station sit 17 per cent higher than the wider area.
Prices of homes in the Gidea Park RM2 postcode area, have risen even more and were found to be 32 per cent higher than the Havering borough average price.
The average price of a house in the Romford RM1 post code area in July 2008 (when the Crossrail project was approved) was £199,635. It now stands at £354,024, a 77 per cent increase over that period. This compares with a 39 per cent increase in the average UK house price over the same period, and a 71 per cent increase for average London house prices.
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It's Foster Care Fortnight, and Havering Council's fostering team have been speaking about the importance of caring to encourage more local people to become foster carers.
Find out how you could become a foster carer for Havering at a special coffee morning, this Thursday, 20 May.
You'll be able to speak directly to an approved foster carer about what’s involved.
Read more about Foster Care Fortnight on our website and register for the coffee morning.
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Many Havering primary school pupils have put their best foot forward this week as part of Walk to School Week (17 – 21 May 2021).
Walk to School Week takes place during Living Streets’ National Walking Month each May, with this year’s campaign focusing on the health and environmental benefits of walking to school.
Families are encouraged to walk, cycle, scoot or ‘Park and Stride’ for the whole week to see the big differences that come from small steps, from healthier and happier children to fewer cars outside the school gates.
This year’s challenge will focus on the ‘walking superpowers’ that benefit individuals, communities and the planet.
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The timetable for TfL Rail services between Liverpool Street and Shenfield via Romford changed on 16 May.
These changes are in preparation for Elizabeth line trains from Shenfield to run directly into the new tunnels beneath London.
On weekdays between 6.30am and 10am, and also between 4pm and 7.30pm, trains in both directions will stop at all stations. They will run approximately every 4-6 minutes between Liverpool Street and Shenfield.
The new timetable will allow the extension of the current seven carriage trains and the eventual withdrawal of all older trains. The trains that will replace them are longer, more spacious, and have air conditioning, real-time customer information and walk-through carriages.
The extensions of platforms 16 and 17, and removal of platform 18 at Liverpool Street during works last Christmas and over Easter, mean that the station is now ready to support the new longer trains.
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The capacity of buses was doubled yesterday (17 May) meaning that a typical double-decker can now carry around 60 passengers.
Rear-facing seats in bays will continue to be blocked off to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
All school day only routes will continue to run as normal. TfL will also continue to provide additional buses signed as “School Services” for school travel on certain routes until at least the summer half-term.
When travelling on buses face coverings, covering both the mouth and nose, must continue to be worn, unless an exemption applies.
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