 Last night (Wednesday) was Havering Council's annual tax-setting meeting. You can read more below on the Council's decisions on Council Tax for the year ahead.
Many Havering residents have been impacted over the last two years by the awful coronavirus pandemic. Whilst the unemployment rate remained low, the ending of the various schemes that the Government introduced to help people through the pandemic, combined in some cases with reduced working hours or incomes, left some people in a difficult financial position.
That's why we invested £1.5million into the Havering Helps scheme where residents can get a cash grant of £100, three times a year, to help pay for utility bills, food or furniture, white goods and other help. But I felt it was right we also look at continuing to support those who have been impacted by the increases in the cost of living driven by higher fuel costs and inflation.
I don't want any Havering residents having to choose between heating or eating.
That is why we made the decision last night to priortise supporting those residents most in need in our community.
We have been able to find further efficiencies to provide us with an addiitonal £1.35million so that we can continue with some of the support we offered during the pandemic.
£1million of this budget allocation will allow us to continue with our School Holiday Meal Scheme for eligible families through each school holiday in 2022.
We will also boost our Havering Helps scheme by £250k, this is in addition to £500k that remains in the fund. This will help residents pay bills, buy white goods if they have broken down, or support them in other ways.
We will invest a further £30k into our Community Hubs. Building on the good work of the Harold Hill Community Hub with its thriving community food shop, this money will allow the Rainham Community Hub to also set up a community food shop and establish a new one in Romford.
The remaining £70k will go to the voluntary sector to help them bid for funds to support our communities in these challenging times. Havering Council will be able to provide the vital funds that will allow local charity and voluntary organisations to fund hot meals, access for help with food and fuel, as well as warmth and mental health support.
This financial package will help our most hard-hit residents and complement the support from the Government in the form of the £150 Council Tax rebate. You can read more on that below.
The budget we passed last night means we can continue with our vital services for our our residents. We will be able to maintain our roads, invest in our green spaces and leisure centres, keep our libraries open, provide new homes, and find £13million in savings with a smaller, but more efficient and better managed, Council workforce. See our video for a summary of how your money will be used in the year ahead.
Lastly, if you want to contact me directly, you can email me.
Cllr Damian White
Leader, Havering Council
At the Annual Council Tax setting meeting of Havering Council last night (Wednesday), councillors approved the budget for the new financial year beginning in April.
They also voted to approve the recommendation from the Cabinet that Havering's portion of the Council Tax bill should increase by 2.99 per cent. This includes one per cent that is ring-fenced to provide additional money for adult social care where costs have spiked due to high demands as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Overall Council Tax payers in Havering will see a 4.1 per cent increase once the part of the bill known as the Mayor of London's precept to fund the Greater London Authority (GLA) is factored in.
The GLA part of Council Tax bills will rise by 8.8 per cent. This part of the bill funds the Metropolitan Police, Transport for London and the London Fire Brigade.
The net effect of these changes will mean that the overall Council Tax bill for a Band D property in Havering will rise by £1.49 per week.
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 To help protect households against rises in energy costs and a cost of living squeeze, households in Council Tax bands A-D will receive a £150 rebate on Council Tax bills for the financial year ahead.
If you don't already pay your Council Tax bill by direct debit you may want to sign up now. That way you will receive your £150 rebate faster as it can be paid straight into the same bank account you use to pay your Council Tax direct debits. The rebate is likely to be paid into your bank account following your first direct debit payment for the 2022/23 financial year.
If you don't pay your Council Tax bill by direct debit more details will be provided shortly on how you will receive this rebate.
Under this Government scheme this £150 rebate does not need to be repaid.
Second homes or empty properties will not benefit from this rebate.
There will be additional support for vulnerable households who may not qualify for the £150 Council Tax rebate. This includes people on low incomes in Council Tax bands E-H. Again, more details on that will be provided in the near future.
Havering is the top London borough for offering nearly 92 per cent of pupils their first or second choice of secondary school place.
Nearly 95 per cent of children due to start secondary school this September have been offered a place at one of their top three preferred schools.
Havering has outclassed schools across London, where 89 per cent of London pupils - 82,733 children - were offered a place at one of their top three preferences of secondary school, a two per cent increase from last year.
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OWL (Online Watch Link) is a new scheme designed to make it easier for residents and communities across the borough to keep up to speed with incidents in their area.
This includes issues around crime and anti-social behaviour. It will also help people hear directly about the action being taken.
Residents can subscribe for free by signing up on the OWL website and will receive details via email.
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Hornchurch Library will be shut for just over a week from tonight (Thursday 3 March) following the closure of the vaccination centre that was located in the building.
This temporary closure is to allow the books and other equipment to be moved back down to the ground floor.
Hornchurch Library will re-open on Monday 14 March.
- Due to health and safety concerns following damage to the roof during Storm Eunice, Gidea Park Library will remain closed this week. It's hoped that normal service will resume next week. Keep an eye out on social media or this newsletter for updates.
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On Havering Council's website you can see details of any applications to change a Premises Licence.
There are currently five applications open for consultation.
These applications range from the new Ibis Styles Hotel in South Street Romford to Ped's Pizza in Main Road in Gidea Park which has applied for a licence to supply alcohol.
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Although overall COVID-19 infection rates are falling, last week more than six hundred people in Havering tested positive for COVID-19.
Find out if you, or members of your family, are infected by ordering a lateral flow test (LFT) kit online, or pick one up at many locations 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 you don't usually meet indoors, and also before seeing anyone who is more at risk of developing severe illness.
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Thanks to everyone who voted in our Small Business Awards.
These awards will celebrate the diverse range of small, consumer-focussed businesses across our borough.
It has been a tough couple of years for businesses and these awards are our chance to thank them for going above and beyond.
Over 15,600 votes were received by the time voting closed last Sunday, and the winners will be announced later this month.
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 Maylands Green Adult Table Tennis Club is a community club. It runs six tables and meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 7pm and 10.30pm, with another session on Sundays between 9am and midday. Become a member or pay £5 per session. Coaches are available.
The club competes in the Romford League. They meet at The Barn (to the left of the Manor House) at Brettons Outdoor Recreation Centre, Rainham Road, RM13 7LP. More information on the club's webpage.
On Wednesday 9 March at 1.30pm, Dr Ian Browne will be giving a talk on Everyday Life in Tudor Havering at Havering Museum. It's free for members of the Friends of Havering Museum and £5 for non-members.
Book your place at the Museum, or call 01708 766571 between 11am and 4pm, Wednesday to Friday. More details on the Museum's website.
The Liberty of Havering Outdoor Bowls Club is holding open days between 11am and 4pm on Friday 6 May and Sunday 8 May. The club is looking for new members and you are invited to come and have a go at bowls.
Equipment is provided but please wear flat soled shoes or trainers. Refreshments will be available.
The club is located just beyond the leisure centre’s car park in Harrow Lodge Park. Club members will be available throughout the day to give advice. Alternatively, call Sheila on 07949 307336 or Richard on 01708 449245 for more information.
Home composting is the most environmentally friendly way of dealing with kitchen and garden waste.
You can join Havering Council's waste and recycling team for a free compost workshop.
Workshops will be held at Thames Chase Visitor Centre, Pike Lane, Upminster on Saturday 19 March, and at Langtons gardens in Hornchurch on Monday 21 March.
Spaces are available on a first come, first served basis and booking is essential.
Register your interest in a free compost workshop and complete the online form.
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Havering Council’s Arts Development Team's annual photography competition and exhibition is open for entries.
All ages are welcome to take part.
There's no theme this year, so all subject matters are welcome, providing that they are family-friendly in content.
To enter, or for more information, send an email.
The closing date for entries is 1 April. The minimum file size is 1MB.
Once the photographs have been received (and consent organised) a show reel of all the suitable photos will be shared on the Havering Culture and Leisure YouTube account. Winning entries will be displayed throughout Havering over the next year.
You can view previous exhibitions online.
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 With Ofgem’s announcement of a rise in the energy price cap from April, Havering Council is encouraging residents to check if they are eligible to receive help under a new scheme.
Under the Green Homes Grant scheme, delivered by Warmworks on behalf of Havering Council and through funding from the UK Government, householders can apply to receive improvements to increase the comfort and warmth in their home.
The scheme offers a wide range of insulation measures and renewable heating technologies which are designed to support homes to reduce their impact on the environment. This includes air source, ground source, and hybrid heat pumps.
The Green Homes Grant scheme is open to homeowners, private tenants and people in social rented accommodation, where the home has a low energy rating and a low annual income.
Gas mains replacement work means that Craigdale Road and Kyme Road will be closed at their junctions with Brentwood Road until 13 March. A diversion route will be signposted.
On the evening of Tuesday 8 March Essex and Suffolk Water will be working at the junction of Colchester Road (A12) and Gubbins Lane in Harold Wood.
Cadent Gas will be carrying out gas main replacement work in Ardleigh Green Road from 7 to 28 March, and also in Haynes Road from 7 to 20 March and in Butts Green Road between 14 and 27 March.
Cadent Gas will also be working in Frederick Road, Rainham from 21 to 25 March.
Telecoms work in Rainham Road South in South Hornchurch, near the junction with Simpson Road, will mean that temporary traffic signals will be in use from 7 until 11 March, and again from 21 to 25 March.
Thames Water will be working in High Street, Hornchurch over the weekend of 12 and 13 March.
Road resurfacing works are planned to start on Monday 7 March in Dee Way taking two days. Road resurfacing will also start in Upminster Road South on the night of Monday 7 March going through to the night of 10 March.
Road resurfacing works will then continue into Glanville Drive and Maywin Drive between 9 and 15 March (excluding the weekend of 12 and 13 March) and Ingrebourne Road between 14 and 18 March.
Later in the month road resurfacing work will take place in Cherry Walk, Rainham, between 8am and 5pm on Monday 21 March. Resurfacing work in Tomkyns Lane, Upminster will begin on 21 March and is expected to be completed by 4 April. These roads will be closed to traffic during the works.
Temporary traffic lights will be in use on Monday 28 March at the junction of Mungo Park Road and Freeborne Gardens in Rainham. This is to allow for the replacement of a BT telegraph pole.
On the tracks
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Wearing face coverings is no longer mandatory on TfL services, but they are recommended.
c2c trains on the Rainham line are not running this Sunday (6 March). Rail replacement buses will run between Upminster and Grays via Rainham.
Due to Network Rail undertaking overhead line maintenance work between Grays and Pitsea this Sunday (6 March), c2c trains on the Ockendon line will start and end their journeys at Grays. Rail replacement buses will run between Grays and Pitsea via Tilbury.
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