Friday 17 September 2021
 The last year and a half has been a tough time for all, including Havering Council staff, and that has impacted our services including our work to keep Havering clean.
That's why we launched our Autumn Blitz this week. It is designed to help us reset where we were before the pandemic and make sure our streets get back to how they should be.
Earlier this week I joined Andrew Blake-Herbert, our Chief Executive, and our frontline workers as the clean up began in Kingsmead Avenue in Romford (pictured).
I am proud of our borough and this is one way of making sure residents can be proud too.
You can read more about the action we are taking in the article below and watch a short video.
The environment really matters and we all have a role to play. Together we can help people feel safe walking along streets in Havering that aren't covered in litter or suffering graffiti on the walls and dog mess on the grass verges.
Working alongside community organisations and by reducing the pollution we can help our children breathe clean, fresh air on the way to school or in the playground.
We can all help our country meet its international climate change obligations to cut carbon dioxide emissions and reduce global warning.
In particular Havering Council wants to hear from teenagers and young people who care about protecting the environment and addressing the challenges ahead.
Young people in Havering will be taking over this Living in Havering e-newsletter on Tuesday 28 September to mark the United Nations Youth Climate Change Summit that will be held in Milan at the end of this month.
If you know a young person who has ideas about what can be done to protect our environment better – by recycling more, walking to school or college, reducing waste, the quality of the air we breathe, how we use energy, whatever it is - we want to hear from them. Get them to tell us what they think should happen in relation to climate change in Havering and beyond.
Send stories, pictures, graphics, poems, or just comments in no more than 200 words, to us by email by Friday 24 September. Put "Youth Summit" in the subject line.
Lastly, if you want to contact me directly, you can email me.
Cllr Damian White
Leader, Havering Council
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Havering Council has launched its Cleaner Havering ‘Autumn Blitz’, a series of deep-cleaning activities across the whole borough, as part of its recovery plans following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Autumn Blitz will focus on street cleaning, weeding, grass cutting, litter picking, enforcement of environmental issues, graffiti removal and jet washing.
Two special blitz teams have been set up to target each area over the coming weeks.
The teams will start in the north of the borough and then work their way down, ending in Rainham.
However, key areas such as busy high streets, Council estates and parks will still see normal service.
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Parking permits in Havering are now virtual which means you no longer get a paper permit to display on your vehicle.
Havering Council's enforcement officers scan vehicle licence plates and cross reference them with its records to check that they are parked correctly.
Havering Council works with a firm called MiPermit to administer permits and you can buy and make changes to your permits through their dedicated permit managing website or app that you can download to your phone.
Virtual permits that you can buy include resident parking permits and permits for your visitors, replacing the old scratchcard permits. The MiPermit page contains the full list of virtual permits.
Read our news story that includes a step-by-step guide to applying for, and using the new permits.
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COVID-19 infection rates are still high in Havering as our weekly COVID-19 report shows.
If possible, travel at times when public transport is less busy and make sure you wear a face-covering on your journey, unless you are exempt.
When you’re travelling use hand sanitiser and make sure you wash your hands when you get to your destination and when you get home.
By taking a rapid test twice a week, you will help protect yourself and your colleagues as you’ll be coming into contact with more people throughout your day. If you’re feeling unwell, make sure that you stay home and take a PCR test if you suspect you have COVID-19.
You can order a test kit online or pick one up from many places in Havering.
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 the following weeks.
Have symptoms?
It remains vitally important to book a test if you have COVID-19 symptoms.
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All children aged 12 to 15 across the UK will soon be offered one dose of the Pfizer jab.
More information about how these will be delivered will be out soon.
Our local NHS is working with schools and the Council over how the programme will be rolled out. The programme will start slowly over the next few weeks and then ramp up from mid-October.
The NHS will also be rolling out COVID-19 booster jabs from next week. Details of how this will work for Havering residents will be available shortly.
People over 50s, people in care homes, frontline health and social care workers, and vulnerable people aged between 16 and 49 are among those who will be offered a third dose. At least six months must have passed since a second jab was administered.
Please be patient while plans are finalised.
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 No booster or "third" shots will be offered at the pop-up vaccination centres
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The seminars are taking place on the following dates:
Friday 24 September 2021, 10am – 11.30am
Saturday 25 September 2021, 10am – 11.30am
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Saturday 2 October 2021, 10am – 11.30am
Location: Pinney Talfourd, 54 Station Road, Upminster, RM14 2TU
Bookings: Call 01708 229444 or book online.
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If you need help with managing your weight and to live a healthier lifestyle, you might be eligible for a new 12-week Live Healthier Havering programme being run by Havering Council with Everyone Active.
Places are currently available for courses at Harrow Lodge Leisure Centre in Hornchurch starting on Tuesday (21 September).
You must be a Havering resident who is 18 or over to take part.
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 Di’s Diamonds photography group for the over 50s is run in conjunction with Age UK.
They meet on Tuesday afternoons between 2 and 5pm in the greenhouse at Langtons, Hornchurch. Email Di's Diamonds for more details.
Also at Langtons on Tuesday 5 October there's a free lantern making workshop for adults and a Halloween decor one for children. Both take place in the greenhouse between 11am and 1.30pm. No booking is required
The Upminster Tithe Barn museum is open again for visitors.
Upcoming Saturday open days include 18 September, and 2 October. On these days the barn will be open between 10.30am and 4pm.
You can find the barn (pictured) in Hall Lane, Upminster. The postcode is RM14 1AU.
Read more on the barn's website.
A free outdoor Christmas Fair will be held at the beautiful historic Langtons Gardens in Hornchurch, on Sunday 21 November. If you are interested in having a free stall at the event use the online registration form.
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South Street, Romford between Rom Valley Way and Melton Gardens will be closed for resurfacing tonight (Friday 17 September). Diversions will be in place from 7.30pm.
Resurfacing works will continue in South Street on Monday night (20 September) for the section of the road from Brentwood Road to Thurloe Gardens. Again diversions will be in place from 7.30pm.
Essex and Suffolk Water are repairing a water main outside St Mary's Church in Hornchurch Road, Hornchurch. This work will include the use of temporary traffic signals and is expected to be finished by Tuesday, 21 September.
Lanes Group wil be carrying out sewer cleaning work in Dagenham Road, Romford at its junction with Rush Green Road starting at 10pm on Monday 20 September. The work should be finished by 5am the next morning but during this time temporary traffic signals will be in use.
The stretch of South Street from Thurloe Gardens to Victoria Road will be closed for resurfacing overnight from 21 to 23 September with diversions in place from 7.30 each night.
North Street, Hornchurch, from its junction with the High Street to Sainsbury’s car park exit will be resurfaced from 7.30pm on Monday 27 September until 6am on Tuesday 28 September. A further section of the road from Theatre Road to Butts Green Road will be resurfaced between 7.30pm on Tuesday 28 September until 6am on Wednesday 29 September. During these times, North Street will be closed to through traffic and diversion routes will be in place to guide vehicles around the works.
On 29 and 30 September Cotleigh Road at its junction with Honiton Road, Romford, will see temporary 3-way traffic signals in use for cable diversion work by Powercare.
Between 29 September and 2 October, and also between 4 and 7 October, Upminster Road North will be resurfaced. This road provides access to many other roads north and south of the main road itself so please visit our website to see information on the extent and phasing of the works to minimise any inconvenience if you live near this road, or use it for your joruneys.
Advance warnings:
Contractor Cappagh will be carrying out sewer repair work on behalf of Thames Water in Junction Road and Kingston Road, Romford from 28 September until 10 October. The work, near the Asda car park, will require the use of temporary traffic signals.
Cappagh will also be carrying out sewer diversion work on behalf of Thames Water outside 113 Upper Rainham Road in Hornchurch, between 18 and 29 October. This work will require temporary traffic lights.
Cadent Gas will be working on pipes in St Marys Lane, Upminster at its junction with Upminster Road, from 1 to 12 November. Temporary traffic lights will be in use.
On the tracks
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On Sunday 19 September, there will be a reduced TfL Rail service between Liverpool Street and Gidea Park between 10am and 10pm.
Trains towards Shenfield will not stop at Harold Wood and Brentwood at these times.
Please use local bus connections between Gidea Park and Harold Wood, and travel via Shenfield for Brentwood.
Due to Network Rail engineering work in connection with the Barking Riverside Project, c2c train services will not be running on the Rainham line this Sunday (19 September). Rail replacement buses will run between Upminster and Grays via Rainham.
Also, due to Network Rail undertaking overhead line maintenance work between Grays and Pitsea on Sunday, c2c trains on the Ockendon line will start and terminate at Grays.
Rail replacement buses will run between Grays and Pitsea via Tilbury.
This weekend (18 and 19 September) there will be no service on the Circle tube line.
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