Friday 28 July 2023
 Transport for London (TfL) has launched a consultation on recent changes to its large-scale 'Superloop' bus network - the same Superloop that completely ignores Havering.
The Superloop is a proposed network of 10 express bus routes that are supposed to improve connections and journey times between outer London town centres and key transport hubs within the city.
Despite repeated calls for urgent upgrades to Havering's public transport network, Havering has once again been missed out, with the Superloop 2 (SL2) services stopping at our neighbours' doorsteps in Barking and Ilford, without looping Havering in.
We understand that residents of Havering are feeling short-changed by these decisions. Havering needs better public transport to help us travel around the borough rather than always depending on cars. Especially with plans for the introduction of ULEZ.
An extension to the Superloop will show that we are being listened to and we are getting the investment we need to help the borough thrive.
Have your say in the consultation to get Havering included in the TfL Superloop.
 Voter ID is now required at polling stations. Under new rules, residents without a valid form of photo ID will not be able to vote.
Accepted forms include (but are not limited to):
- a UK or Northern Ireland photocard driving licence (full or provisional)
- a UK passport
- a passport issued by the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or a Commonwealth country
- a PASS card (National Proof of Age Standards Scheme)
- a Blue Badge
- an older person’s bus pass
- a disabled person’s bus pass
- an Oyster 60+ card
If residents don’t have an acceptable form of photo ID, they can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate for this election. Applications can be made online or by post. For a paper application, please contact the elections office on 01708 432444.
You must apply for a Voter Authority Certificate by 5pm on Wednesday 2 August 2023.
The by-election for the Upminster ward will take place on Thursday 10 August 2023.
Rainham Leisure Centre will host a second free, family fun weekend, on Saturday 29 July and Sunday 30 July.
Managed by Everyone Active in partnership with Havering Council, the centre will be showcasing its brand new swimming facilities over the weekend, with free swimming available for everyone.
Running from 10am to 4pm, the centre will be offering free lane and family swimming sessions, use of the new children’s outside play area, along with face painters, balloon modellers and stilt walkers, on Saturday, with free swimming sessions available on Sunday.
To book onto an activity, visit the website.
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 Havering Council's joint venture partnership with Wates Residential, has been the cornerstone of our housing and regeneration ambitions for the borough. The first site, New Green, has already created 197 new homes, as well as over 200 jobs for local people, including Cranham resident Keith Ward.
Keith Ward is now a Project Director for Wates and is a lifelong Havering resident. He said:
"I was born in Hornchurch 64 years ago, and now live in Cranham. I joined Wates four years ago to head up the production team for the Havering Council and Wates 12 estates joint venture project.
"I initially worked on Napier and New Plymouth, now known as New Green, and Solar Serena and Sunrise, the new Park Rise retirement village in Hornchurch, that will be completed later this year. I’m also working on the Harold Hill Town centre masterplan including the Chippenham Road development and the proposed regeneration for Hilldene and Farnham.
"It is massively exciting to be creating new homes for people where I live. Everything is very personnel to me, as a Havering resident, and with all the schemes being so close to where I live.
"It was great to recently attend the residents' meeting at New Green and talk to residents that have moved into their new homes. Listening to all the good feedback from them about their new homes and how happy they were makes my job all the more worthwhile."
The community garden at Cotleigh Road in Romford, celebrated its grand opening on Saturday (22 July) as it was officially presented to the local community.
The garden is part of an ongoing ‘meanwhile use’ project at the Waterloo and Queen Street site, part of Havering Council and national developer Wates’ largest social housing regeneration in London.
Meanwhile use means using part of a development site before it is turned into what it will eventually become (homes for local people), and taking advantage by making use of the land for that period of time.
Designed by the residents over a series of workshops with the help of an urban garden specialist, Nomadic Gardens, the celebrations formed part of the St Andrews Parish Summer fete, at which the joint venture provided food for the barbecue.
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If your child is aged 4-11 years old, they may be overdue for their polio and/or MMR vaccinations.
Pop-up vaccinations clinics are taking place across the borough (appointment only).
- Sunday 6 August (9:30am - 1pm) at Fairkytes Art Centre, RM11 1AX
- Thursday 24 August (10am - 3pm) at Rainham Library, RM13 9GP
If you would like an appointment at the pop-up clinics, please call 0208 017 4292 or email appointments@v-uk.co.uk.
For more information on child vaccinations, visit the website.
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We’re working with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to refurbish and improve our public tennis courts at four parks across the borough.
As part of an exciting new partnership between the Council and the LTA, works will see improvements made to courts in Harold Wood Park, Haynes Park, Lodge Farm Park and Raphael Park.
There will also be works to install new gates to the courts at Harrow Lodge Park, Spring Farm Park, Upminster Park, Rise Park and Hylands Park.
The partnership between the Council and the LTA will see an investment of over £390,000 to refurbish the courts for the whole community, The project is funded jointly by government and the LTA Foundation to help improve tennis court facilities, including new gate-access and advanced booking systems
Works are set to start from next Monday (31 July), depending on the weather, and is expected to be completed between mid-September and early October. It means that some of these tennis courts will not be available for use during this time. Information will be available for other available courts to use.
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This weekend is your last chance to have your say on how the Council review its parks byelaws.
The current byelaws were last updated in 1983 and the Council wants to hear your thoughts on how these should be updated to reflect how our parks are used by people today.
Byelaws are local rules that have the force of law. They are there to help people enjoy these spaces safely, and make it clear that certain activities and behaviours are not allowed, such as camping, barbecues and unauthorised events.
These changes will include clauses on responsible cycling, events and activities. They will also be updated to include any spaces left out of the existing byelaws.
The Council is responsible for our public parks and open spaces across the borough. The consultation finishes on Monday 31 July.
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 Entries have been coming in thick and fast for this year’s Havering in Bloom competition.
By taking part, you will be helping to make the borough a brighter and more attractive place to live, work, visit and go to school.
Find out how to enter on the website. Entries close on Friday 1 September.
The Council is introducing a new way to report environment issues such as fly-tipping, litter and street cleaning. From this month (July) residents can no longer report these issues on the Love Clean Streets app.
Instead they should report using the council’s website.
Residents can still use the Love Clean Streets app to report issues with street lighting.
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 To submit events for possible inclusion in this section of the newsletter, please use the form on our website or send an email
The 8ft larger than life, interactive robot TITAN is entering The Brewery on Friday 11 August. He will be performing next to Costa between 11am and 3pm and entertaining the crowds with his unique blend of robotic comedy, dancing, theatre, and music.
It is a free event that will be an enjoyable experience for the whole family, as he is great for children of all ages and guaranteed to make you smile.
There is no pre-booking, so you can come along at the time that suits you best.
For more information contact Sarah Gregory on 07725041862.
Havering Museum is hosting a free, fun garden-themed crafting session, available to all children over four. All children must have an adult to accompany them. This event will take place on Friday 4 August, from 11:30am - 1:30pm. You can drop in at any time.
The event takes place at Havering Museum, 19-21 High Street, Romford, Essex, RM1 1JU.
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Author Jane Rhodes will be at Upminster Library on Wednesday 2 August, from 11am - 12pm, to read her children’s book “Margot and the Magical Plant”. After the reading, the children will be able to take part in a planting activity based around Margot’s adventures.
The event costs £3.50 per child. If you have any questions, send an email, or call 01708 434933.
An indoor boot sale is happening this Saturday 29 July, between 10am and 1pm at Elm Park Community Hall. Lots of great items with low prices will be on display, and a raffle will be held. A tearoom will also be available where you can sit down and have a drink and some cake. There is no entrance fee for this event, so head over and you could find yourself a bargain.
For more about this event, visit the website, or contact Mrs. Julie Wilkes via email, or call 07903820584.
This event takes place at Eyhurst Avenue, Elm Park, RM12 4RA.
Join us for a Summer Community Fun Day at Upminster Park on Wednesday 2 August between 12pm to 3pm for a free fun day that the whole family can enjoy and get involved in.
The activities provided will include sports, face painting, housing services, youth services, arts and crafts, a petting farm, a bouncy castle, lunch and fruit pots all completely free.
Do you want to perform on stage at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch (QTH) this summer? QTH is looking for young people from Havering aged 12 to 18 to get involved in their exciting new production 'New Beginning'.
They are looking for young people who enjoy exploring physical performance, are confident handling large objects and props, and are excited by the idea of creating an interactive theatrical experience for an audience.
‘New Beginning’ is a one-of-a-kind 60-minute performance experience set in a fictional forest, questioning the impact we have on the natural world.
This performance experience is free for young people to take part in, and there is a free introductory workshop on Friday 4 August, 2pm to 4pm, at QTH, for anyone interested in signing up.
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Head down to MyPlace, Harold Hill, this summer holiday for a whole six-weeks of fun and creative activities for children aged 2 to 16 years.
Activities range from music and sports workshops, to theatre and circus skills classes, and start at just £3 per session per person. Visit the MyPlace Facebook page now for the full list of dates and activities.
Call 01708 376004 for more information or to book a place.
New Windmill Hall is hosting a new Summer Fling this Sunday 30 July from 10am to 4pm.
It is free entry for anyone to come along and enjoy, including dogs.
There will be a variety of stalls with lots of goodies up for offer, such as food, drink, games, gifts and handmade crafts.
This event will be held at the New Windmill Hall, St Mary’s Lane, Upminster, RM14 2QH.
Havering Council is looking for your thoughts on the Local Heritage List Consultation, and is hosting an online Q&A Session on Thursday 3 August, 2pm to 3pm.
Havering’s Local Heritage List helps our communities and the planning authority to identify much loved and distinctive buildings, monuments, sites and landscapes that are part of our local historic environment.
The consultation is currently live, where you can share what you think should be included in the criteria and share your views. This Q&A session is for any questions you have about the consultation. Drop in at any time throughout the hour session to get your questions answered.
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St Clements Avenue remains closed at its junctions with Wessex Lane and Wildcary Lane until 5:30pm on Wednesday 16 August.
St Clements Avenue will then be closed at its junctions with Elderberry Close and Copse Avenue, from 8am on Thursday 17 August, to 5pm on Friday 8 September.
The bus gate restriction on St Clements Avenue will be lifted during this time to allow access. Those needing to reach the Harold Wood Walk-In Centre can access via Lister Avenue and the bus gate.
Berther Road will be closed for resurfacing works at its junctions with Butts Green Road and Nelmes Avenue, 8am to 5pm from Monday 31 July to Wednesday 2 August.
Havering Road Service Road will be closed for electrical works from outside number 287 to the junction with Gobions Avenue, 8am on Monday 31 July to 5pm on Friday 4 August.
Hall Lane will be closed intermittently for drainage works between The Fairway and Ingrebourne Gardens, from 7am on Monday 31 July, to 5pm on Sunday 3 September. Closures will not be in place Thursday 24 to Monday 28 August.
As part of these works, there will be no waiting, loading or parking at any time on The Fairway, Ingrebourne Road and parts of Holden Way.
Hainault Road will be closed for maintenance works between North Street and A12, 9:30am to 3pm on Tuesday 1 August.
North Street, Hornchurch will be closed for maintenance works between Leather Lane and High Street, 9:30am to 3pm on Wednesday 2 August.
Farnes Drive will be closed for resurfacing works at its junction with Upper Brentwood Road, 9:30am to 3pm on Thursday 3 and Friday 4 August.
Upper Brentwood Road will be closed at its junction with Main Road, southbound only, 9:30am to 3pm on Thursday 3 and Friday 4 August, as part of the resurfacing work on Farnes Drive.
Gillian Crescent will be closed for resurfacing works at its junction with Farnes Drive, 9:30am to 3pm on Thursday 3 and Friday 4 August.
North Street, Hornchurch will be closed for maintenance work between Kershaw Close and the roundabout, 9:30am to 3pm on Friday 4 August.
Aveley Road, Upminster will be closed for maintenance works between its junctions with Gerpins Lane and Park Farm Road, 9:30am to 3pm on Thursday 3 August. The closure will be outside Bloom & Veg. The Harwood Hall Lane junction with with Aveley Road will also be closed during this time.
Public transport
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Following the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport worker’s (RMT) announcement, strike action is planned for Saturday 29 July.
On Saturday 29 July 2023, all c2c services will run to/from Fenchurch Street station and will not stop at Liverpool Street or Stratford.
There are engineering works on the c2c Rainham and Ockendon lines between Barking and Pitsea via rainham, and between Upminster and Grays via Ockendon, Sunday 30 July. A replacement bus service is running. Check the website for full details.
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