Havering Enforcement Officers have used powers under the Environmental Protection Act to seize a vehicle linked to an allegation of fly-tipping in the borough.

This follows some vehicle seizure training that was delivered to the officers a few weeks ago.

After the seizure at 6.21am on 26 July, the owner of the black Ford Transit van was identified and the investigation work continues.

A number of residents have been in touch with Havering Council about smoke and fires in Arnold’s Field, Launders Lane – an issue that is urgent and important to many local people. 

A number of meetings have taken place over the last three weeks.

These include meetings with the Environment Agency, Imperial College, London, and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), to agree the next steps in testing air quality and determining the content of the smoke being emitted.

It's a challenging situation beacuse Arnold’s Field, Launders Lane, is private land, and the change of owners over the years, has made it even more difficult for the Council or the Environment Agency to take action.

However, we know and appreciate this is not what residents want to hear. Therefore Havering Council will continue to work with all the partners and agencies involved to improve the situation for the community surrounding the Arnold’s Field site.

More information will be shared with local residents shortly to update them on the latest agreed actions.

The new term in Havering will see more schools take part in a trial of a School Street Scheme.

Following the success of phase one of the scheme in 2020, ten more schools will begin phase two, starting on 5 September, and running for an 18 month-long trial.

A School Street Scheme is when the roads immediately surrounding a school are closed off to vehicle traffic during specific times - Monday to Friday in term time only.

The scheme, is part of an initiative by Transport for London which has provided funding for the schemes to go ahead.

Although parents will not be able to use their cars, residents living in the affected streets will still be able to access the roads. Those residents will be able to register for an exemption to the scheme so they are not at risk of a penalty.

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GCSE students began arriving at their schools early this morning in anticipation of their exam results.

It was the first time in two years that students were able to sit their exams and in many cases able to gather at their schools to find out their results.

At Gaynes School, Upminster, (pictured), Cllr Gillian Ford, Deputy Leader of the Council, and Trevor Cook, Havering Council's Assistant Director of Education, were on hand to find out how pupils had performed, and to congratulate the students.

Students who didn’t achieve the grades they’d hoped for can speak directly to their schools about the options open to them.

They can also visit the gov.uk website for careers advice.

The polio virus has been discovered in sewage in London.

Polio can be incredibly serious for unvaccinated children and can cause paralysis, but with an effective vaccine we have the opportunity to protect our children.  

Parents and carers can check whether their child is up to date with their vaccinations by looking at their child’s personal health record – ‘the red book’ or by contacting their GP if they are still unsure. If they have any gaps, they can get vaccinated at their GP surgery.

Older children who have missed school age vaccinations can also attend special sessions planned for next week. You can take children on Tuesday, 30 August, to Fairkytes Art Centre, Hornchurch, or to myplace, Harold Hill, on Thursday, 1 September.  

For more information call 020 3432 1971 or send an email.

Parents will be contacted when it's their child’s turn to come forward for a polio booster or catch-up polio dose. 

As children go back to school next month, HM Revenue and Customs is reminding families in Havering to not miss out on up to £2,000 a year towards their child’s care.

Tax-Free Childcare provides financial support towards the cost of childcare for children aged 11 or under, or up to 17 if the child has a disability.

For every £8 paid into a Tax-Free Childcare online account, families will automatically receive an additional £2 in government top-up.

Families receive up to £500 every three months (£2,000 a year) per child, or £1,000 (£4,000 a year) if their child is disabled, helping towards the cost of before and after-school clubs, childminders and nurseries, holiday clubs and other approved childcare schemes.

In June, more than 39,000 working families in London benefitted from Tax-Free Childcare – but thousands more could be missing out.

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In recent weeks there have been reports that some local residents have been bitten by ticks in Havering.

Ticks are small, spider-like creatures which feed on the blood of birds and mammals, including humans.

They vary in size, usually between 1mm to 1cm long and they have either six or eight legs.

They can be found anywhere there is wildlife, usually in woodland or uncut grassy areas, and are particularly common between March and October. Ticks do not fly or jump but climb on to animals or humans as they brush past.

About tick bites

Tick bites aren't usually painful and sometimes only cause a red lump to develop where you were bitten. However, in some cases ticks can transmit microbes that cause infections such as Lyme disease. A characteristic circular rash, possibly with a bull’s eye pattern (as pictured), is present in most but not all cases of Lyme disease.

Contact your GP or NHS 111 promptly if you begin to feel unwell with flu-like symptoms, or develop a rash (which usually appears within 1 to 4 weeks after being bitten). Remember to mention if you were bitten by a tick or have recently spent time outdoors. 

Lyme disease can be contracted anywhere in the UK but is more common in the south of England and the Scottish Highlands. Being bitten doesn't mean you'll definitely be infected. However, it's important to be aware of the risk and speak to a GP if you start to feel unwell.

You can reduce your chance of tick bites by walking on clearly defined paths and using insect repellent.

Bites from ticks are not painful, so you may not realise you have one attached to your skin. It's important to thoroughly check yourself (or each other) for ticks during and after outdoor activities and remove any ticks promptly and safely.

Lisa Keane, Education Officer for
Recycle for Your Community will read the book The Tin Forest and run a recycling workshop at Gidea Park Library tomorrow (Friday 26 August) at 11am.

Children will have the opportunity to design their own eco-themed gadget.

The event is aimed at children aged 4 - 11 years old and is free to attend. Book a spot by contacting your local library.

To commemorate Brookside Theatre's 10th anniversary and 110 years since the infamous Titanic tragedy, the Brookside Theatre in Romford will be staging Titanic The Musical.

The original Broadway production of Titanic The Musical won five Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book.

It plays until 28 August. For more details and bookings visit the Theatre's website.

Romford BID will be hosting a weekend-long celebration in the town centre from Friday 9 September to Sunday 11 September.

This three day event will be a celebration of all things “street” – street food, entertainment, art, and music.

It will also mark the 775th anniversary of Romford Market.

See many more details of the special events on Romford BID's website.

The Arts Society Havering's September event is a talk on an Impressionist painter entitled Berthe Morisot: “une finesse fragonardienne” given by Dr Lois Oliver.

It's at 10.30am on 13 September at the New Windmill Hall Upminster. The event is open to visitors for a fee of £8.

More details on the Society's website.

Blueprint Festival is a fortnight of new and unusual theatre being held at the Queen's Theatre Hornchurch.

It runs from from 12 to 24 September.

There's something for everyone ranging from new writing, immersive experiences, culinary experiences, to a sensory family show.

Most events are just £5 and some are free.

Visit the Queen's Theatre Hornchurch website for more details.

Enjoy elevenses with best-selling author Kate Thompson on Tuesday 20 September from 11am at Collier Row Library.

Kate will be talking about her latest book "The Little Wartime Library" which has just come out in paperback. You'll also be able to purchase a copy for £7.99 and refreshments will be provided.

Booking is essential and the cost is just £2.50. You can book your place through any Havering Library or by sending an email. 

The Big Charity Quiz is an event being staged by the King George and Queen's
Hospitals Charity on Friday 23 September.

Running from 6.45pm until 11.30pm it will feature BBC TV Egghead Barry
Simmons. It's just £10 to take part.

To book tickets call 01708 774866 or you can send an email.

Lastly, the Comedy Loft at Coopers is a fundraiser for the Coopers Coborn Parents Association held at the school featuring fresh, alternative stand-up comedians brought direct from London's Covent Garden.

It's on Saturday 1 October at 7.15pm. Tickets cost £15 for early birds and £20 on the night. 

This is an aged 18+ event and there will be a cash bar. Tickets can be bought online. 

Come and talk to your local public
transport providers about your travel options.

The Accessible Transport in Havering event will be held at the YMCA in Rush Green Road, Romford on Friday 2 September between 10am and 2pm.

It's a public drop-in event that will also feature as guest speakers Seb Dance, London's Deputy Mayor for Transport, and Havering Council Leader, Cllr Ray Morgon.

Pop along for the chance to talk to transport providers and officials representing the range of Transport for London services including London Buses, DLR, and the Elizabeth line.

Night-time survey work by Transport for London (TfL) on the A127 Southend Arterial Road means that the slip road connecting the eastbound carriageway of the A127 with the M25 junction 29 roundabout may be closed at certain times.

This survey work may continue until 17 November but any closures of the slip road will be between 9pm and 5am and an alternative route will be signposted.

Also, from next month, TfL will be carrying out surveys on the foundations of the Gallows Corner flyover. The aim is to then get Department for Transport funding for repairs and improvements to the flyover so that the full capacity of the current flyover can be used again and current weight and speed restrictions removed.

The survey work will be carried out on site from Monday 5 September until early November. It will take place overnight on weekdays only from Mondays to Fridays between 9pm and 5am. During these times there will be a single lane closure on the A12 (Eastern Avenue East), the A127 (Southend Arterial Road), and the inner ring of the roundabout. 

Claremont Gardens in Upminster will be closed from the junction of Ingrebourne Gardens to the junction of Deyncourt Gardens for gas main replacement work from 8am on Monday 29 August until the work is completed.

Helmsdale Road in Chase Cross will be closed between Nevis Close and its junction with Lower Bedfords Road for pavement resurfacing from Tuesday 30 August until 9 September, or whenever the work is completed.

Following the completion of the road resurfacing in Havering Road, Romford, a return visit on 30 August is planned to apply a special surfacing to the pedestrian crossing by Bower Park School and the approach to the junction of Lower Bedfords Road and Chase Cross Road.

Lastly, Glenton Way and Glenton Close in Chase Cross will be resurfaced on 30 and 31 August.

Public transport

Transport for London (TfL) has announced this week that Elizabeth line trains will run directly from Shenfield via Romford to Paddington (pictured courtesy of TfL/Tom Nicholson) from Novermber.

The brand-new Bond Street Elizabeth line station, at the heart of London’s West End, is also set to open by November.  

From Sunday 6 November, the lines from Reading, Heathrow, and Shenfield will connect with the central tunnels of the Elizabeth line. This means that customers travelling from any of the Elizabeth line stations in Havering will be able to travel west all the way to Paddington without changing at Liverpool Street.

When lifts open at Ilford station shortly, all 41 stations on the Elizabeth line will have lifts providing step-free access to platforms.