If you haven't had a vaccination including a booster dose yet, please do so as soon as you can.

Later in this newsletter you will see details of walk-in clinics in Rush Green, Elm Park, Hornchurch, Romford and Harold Hill open today, and across the weekend. Get protected against Omicron and other coronavirus variants.

Government scientists believe it is likely that the Omicron wave has now peaked nationally but please remember that it is still a legal requirement for those who have tested positive for COVID-19 to self-isolate. That isolation period was reduced earlier this week to five full days with two negative tests on days five and six.

The end of Plan B restrictions is good news for shops, cafes, restaurants, and theatres. The Havering Small Business Awards are our chance to recognise the many shining examples of small businesses in our great borough, especially as they have been experiencing some tough times recently.

Whether it’s your local takeaway that always serves the best fish and chips, that small boutique you couldn’t live without, or a tradesperson who is always on-call if you need them, this is your chance to show these businesses what they mean to you - and to Havering.

These awards are community-led, so it’s up to you to nominate businesses that you think deserve to be awarded. My thanks to the many people who have already nominated businesses. Over 800 nominations have been received so far, so don't delay in adding yours.

Lastly, if you want to contact me directly, you can email me.

Wishing you a great, and safe, weekend.

Cllr Damian White

Leader, Havering Council 

Havering Council is commemorating the impact of COVID-19 on our communities through a series of local tree plantings at significant sites in the borough.

One of these is the Hornchurch Country Park Memorial Woodland site that will feature over 4,000 trees when complete.

Local communities and businesses are welcome to contribute to this legacy through the installation of dedicated memorial benches.

To receive more information regarding an individual memorial bench please send an email. 

Landscaping works for the Memorial Woodland at Hornchurch Country Park will begin on Wednesday (26 January). This work will close access and parking at the south entrance, off South End Road, for seven weeks. Access to the park and car parking will continue to be available at the north entrance.

Earlier this week the Government announced that the measures put in place under Plan B in England will be lifted.

Staff and pupils in secondary schools and colleges are now not required to wear a face covering in classrooms and teaching spaces.

From 27 January they will not be required to wear one in their communal areas either. They were a temporary measure introduced to help stop the spread of COVID-19. However, some schools may have their own rules regarding face coverings or need to temporarily reintroduce them if there are high numbers of cases in the school.

Away from school, face coverings will no longer be required in indoor venues from 27 January. You may continue to choose to wear one in crowded and indoor spaces where you may come into contact with people you do not normally meet to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

You are no longer asked to work from home, and from 27 January you'll no longer need to show your NHS COVID Pass at venues and events by law.

You should continue to follow safer behaviours to protect yourself and others. This includes getting vaccinated and boosted, wearing a face covering in most indoor public places and on public transport, letting fresh air in if you meet indoors, washing hands regularly, and getting tested and self-isolating, if required. There's more on testing below.

Plan B may be ending but last week more than 2,000 people in Havering were infected with COVID-19.

Find out if you, or members of your family, are infected by ordering a lateral flow test (LFT) kit online, or picking one up from a pharmacy, asymptomatic testing site, or library in Havering. See details on our website.

Take a LFT before you attend any social events where you are likely to be mixing with people indoors, and also before going to see anyone who may be particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 infection. 

Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms. should still book a PCR test.

Are you missing out on free childcare for your 2 year old?

You may be entitled to claim a maximum of 11 hours free childcare per week throughout the year, or a maximum of 15 hours per week during term time.

You may qualify if:

• you have a child aged two years (funding will be available from the term after their second birthday)
• your family is living on a low income or claiming income based benefits

For more information and to apply please visit www.havering.gov.uk/earlyyears

If you work in social care then the 'Grow Our Own’ online Zoom event next Wednesday, 26 January, from 11am to 1pm, will be of interest to you.

Organised by the Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge Health and Care Academy the event is all about facing significant workforce challenges and reviewing career planning opportunities for local people across East London.

Anyone working for local social care, voluntary and third sector organisations is welcome.

Find out more by watching a short video.

Register

As part of London libraries, Havering libraries are taking part in the City of Stories celebration, a series of free online creative writing workshops for adults.

No experience is required to come and try one out. But if you are a little more experienced in writing, that's great too.

The workshop takes place on Thursday 3 February from 6.30pm to 8.30pm with writer Amita Murray.

In the workshop you will explore short stories and take part in lots of creative writing exercises.

After attending a #cityofstorieshome workshop you can enter the project's writing competition with your 500 word story on the theme of "home". Competition winners will see their work published in an anthology, and win a place at a special day of masterclasses for talented writers.

The workshop will be BSL interpreted. Book your place online.

The Eagles are one of rock music's biggest bands and tribute band Desperado are as close as you could get to the real deal.

They are back at the Brookside Theatre in Romford at 8pm on Saturday 5 February.

Now in their 12th year, the band perform the whole repertoire of Eagles' tracks in their new show History of the Eagles.

More information and ticket ordering available online.

Havering Concert Orchestra will be holding its Spring Concert at 3pm on Sunday 20 March at New Windmill Hall, St Mary’s Lane, Upminster RM14 2QH.

The concert will take you on a European journey starting in Spain for Rossini’s overture to The Barber of Seville. Music from Faure, Beethoven, Dvořák and Elgar will also be included.
Location of

Tickets are £10 in advance and can be ordered from the orchestra's website.

Are you a parent of a child aged three or four?

If so, your child is due to start at an infant or primary school in September 2022 and you should apply now for your child’s place.

If you live in Havering, you can apply online.

If you live outside of the borough you should apply to the local authority you pay your Council Tax to.

If your child attends a school nursery then please remember that you must still apply online for a place in the Reception year.

The Government has updated its guidance if you use a car towing a trailer, vans or HGVs to transport goods within Europe.

From Wednesday 2 February you’ll need to use an online EU portal to register your journey if you transport goods between two points in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway for commercial purposes. This means that you load goods at one point and unload them at another point in any of those countries.

There are no fees to use the EU portal to register a journey.

In partnership with Real Nappies for London, Havering Council has organised two free online events for parents of babies and parents-to-be.

The first  is on Tuesday 22 February from 10am to 11am. Register for this introductory demonstration to learn about the main types of reusable nappies; how to use, wash and dry them, as well as other useful tips to help you get started.

The second event is a reusable nappy coffee morning that will be held on Wednesday 9 March between 10am and 11am.

If you register and attend this session you will receive reusable nappy advice and support, and meet other local parents with babies using reusable nappies. The session is for both those who have claimed an East London Waste Authority reusable nappy pack and those using reusable nappies in general living in Havering.

Have you claimed a free pack yet? If you live in Havering and have a child under 18 months old you can apply for a free washable nappy pack worth over £30.

South Street, Romford is closed between its junctions with Clydesdale Road and Rom Valley Way for scaffolding work on Vickers House.

This work is expected to be complete by 4 February. A diversion will be signposted.

Overnight work to modernise the traffic lights at the junction of Pettits Lane, Pettits Lane North and the A12 (Eastern Avenue East) is likely to continue until 12 February.

From Monday until Wednesday, (24 - 26 January), Marlborough Highways will be carrying out carriageway patching work outside 160-162 and number 242, Turpin Avenue, Romford.

Essex and Suffolk Water will be working in Collier Row Lane on Tuesday 25 January. They will also be renewing a water main in Highfield Road, in Chase Cross, between its junctions with Avelon Road and Highfield Link, from 24 January to 18 February, and working outside 32 Clockhouse Lane from 24 to 28 January.

Essex and Suffolk Water will also be repairing a fire hydrant in North Road, Havering-atte-Bower, near the Royal Oak pub, from 26 to 28 January.

Pipe and manhole work by Thames Water between 105 and 119 Upper Rainham Road in Elm Park may run until 28 January.

The installation of new waste water pipes in Nags Head Lane in Upminster, near the junction with Warley Road will mean that temporary traffic signals will be used until the work is complete. That's expected to be completed by 27 January.

Angel Way in Romford is closed between its junction with St Edwards Way to Rubicon Court to allow for new building work. The road is expected to re-open by 19 February at the latest.

From today (21 January) the southern section of Queen Street in Romford will be closed from its junction with St Andrews Road to allow for demolition and building work.

Heath Park Road and Manor Road in Romford will be closed from 7pm tonight (Friday 21 January) to allow access to a manhole in the middle of the road. A diversion will be signposted and the work is expected to be complete by the morning of 24 January.

Lambs Lane South in Rainham is closed between its junctions with The Glen and Primus Close for electrical work. Work is expected to be complete by 28 January, and a diversion route will be signposted.

Nightime road resurfacing work by Marlborough Highways in Brentwood Road, Romford from Osborne Road to The Drill roundabout will begin on 24 January. The work is expected to be complete by 27 January. Overnight on these days Brentwood Road will be closed in sections to through traffic and diversion routes will be in place.

Following the completion of that work in Brentwood Road, Marlborough Highways will move to Collier Row Lane to complete the resurfacing of a section of carriageway between Havering Road and Rosedale Road on the night of 27 February. During this work Collier Row Lane will be closed to through traffic from the A12 to Mawney Road with diversions in place.

Essex and Suffolk Water will be working outside Eagle House in Church Road, Noak Hill, from 1 to 3 February and also outside Fernside House in Broxhill Road from 7 to 15 February as they make a new service connection.

Overnight road resurfacing work on behalf of Havering Council will take place in St Marys Lane, Upminster from 7 to 9 February. During the work, St Marys Lane from Station Road to Garbutt Road will be closed to through traffic and diversion routes will be in place. 

Cadent Gas will be working to replace gas mains in Park Lane at its junction with  Brentwood Road in Romford from 12 to 20 February. Temporary traffic signals will be used during the work.

On the tracks

On Sunday (23 January) between noon and 10pm, TfL Rail will be operating a reduced service of four trains per hour between Liverpool Street and Shenfield.

Due to Network Rail engineering work, c2c trains on the Rainham line will not be running this Sunday. Rail replacement buses will run between Upminster and Grays via Rainham.

Also, due to engineering works c2c trains on the Ockendon line will start and end at Grays this Sunday. Rail replacement buses will run between Grays and Pitsea via Tilbury.

District line tube trains will not stop at Whitechapel Station this weekend (22 and 23 January).