You will likely have seen the national issues that have come to light recently around reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

RAAC is a potentially dangerous material that was used to construct schools, colleges, and other UK buildings between the 50s and 70s. It has since been found that these buildings could be at risk of collapse.

Over the past two years, the Council has arranged for all local authority-run schools to be inspected for RAAC.

Follow-up inspections were arranged where RAAC was suspected, and to date, none has been found in any local authority-run schools.

The Department for Education arranged its own inspections of school buildings up and down the country and has set up a dedicated fund to tackle the problem in schools.

The Coopers Company and Coborn School in Upminster, which is an academy and not Council-run, has had to temporarily close parts of the school as the new term begins. 

We’ll be supporting the school as it makes alternative arrangements for staff and pupils while work is carried out to make the buildings safe. If any parents or carers have concerns they should speak directly to their school.

#AskAboutAsthma is back for 2023.

Now in its seventh year the campaign encourages simple changes to children and young people’s care that will make a big difference to how they experience their asthma. 

The campaign runs from Monday 11 to Sunday 17 September, ahead of the rise in asthma attacks in September when students go back to school after their summer holidays.

The campaign helps people get informed about asthma and how to manage it with four steps:

1. get an asthma action plan in place
2. understand how to use inhalers correctly
3. schedule an asthma review – every year and after every attack
4. consider air pollution and its impact on lung health.

The campaign is also highlighting wider factors including housing, mould and vaping, which affect all residents across Havering, and particularly children and young people with respiratory conditions such as asthma.

Learn more

The Mayor of Havering, Councillor Stephanie Nunn raised the official ‘999 flag' at Havering Town Hall in Romford today to mark Emergency Services Day, which takes place tomorrow, Saturday 9 September.

The ceremony paid tribute to those who work and volunteer across the NHS and emergency services throughout the UK.

A two-minute silence was also held to remember the emergency service workers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

Guests included serving personnel of the Metropolitan Police and London Fire Brigade, who joined borough representatives alongside the Mayor of Havering and the Leader of the Council, Councillor Ray Morgon.

August was another busy month for the Havering Joint Taskforce - also known as the Section 92 officers, or S92s.

These are the five police officers funded by Havering Council to fight crime and issues across the borough that matter to residents, including burglary, robbery and theft of motor vehicles.

Last month (August) saw the S92s make 15 arrests for a number of different crimes, including GBH (grievous bodily harm) motor theft and drugs offences.

They also carried out 30 stop and searches, with 20 leading to further action. Nine stolen vehicles were also found and returned by the taskforce.

You can keep up with the S92s on Twitter.

Don't forget to open a Tax-Free Childcare account today to save up to £2,000 per child on your yearly childcare bills. 

You can use your Tax-Free Childcare account to pay for any approved childcare including holiday clubs, breakfast and after school clubs, child minders and nurseries.    

The scheme, from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), provides working families up to £2,000 a year per child for children up to the age of 11. Children that have a disability are eligible for up to £4,000 a year, up to the age of 16.

For every £8 paid into a Tax-Free Childcare account, the government will automatically top up £2. You can save up to £500 every three months for each child, or £1,000 if your child is disabled. 

Start saving now

The Local Area Coordination team would like to say a big thank you to everyone who went along to their Connecting with the Community day at The Hope Café in Romford last week.

The local area coordinators met residents, businesses and community groups and talked to them about the support they can offer with everyday life issues, such as their health and wellbeing, housing, and handling bereavement.

A number of residents also volunteered to be on the recruitment panel for two new local area coordinators for Romford.

For further information about Local Area Coordination, email Claire Monmirelle or find out if there is a local area coordinator in your area online.

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Grass or lawn rust was to blame for orange residue on some green spaces in the borough earlier this week.

While it is a fungal disease, it is a common occurrence at this time of year and is not harmful to humans or animals. It goes away naturally and does not kill the grass.

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Havering Council is currently replacing all of its Pay and Display machines across the borough.

This will be completed by the end of the year.

New machines will no longer accept coins, however people will have the ability to pay contactless with debit and credit cards, or use nearby PayPoint facilities to continue paying with cash.

Residents will still be eligible for the free 30 minutes parking in on-street parking bays, except in Romford. They can activate this by either calling the number displayed on site or using the RingGo app.

The Council has also reviewed the use of machines in less-used locations and where machines are constantly vandalised.

The amount of income generated from these machines does not cover the thousands of pounds it costs to cover purchase, maintenance and the running of them.

People are reminded to always check at the location where they are parking, for further information.

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Havering Council welcomed over 1000 families to its free Community Fun Days that took place throughout the School holidays.

These six, hugely popular events included inflatables and bouncy castles, face painting, arts and crafts activities and more. We even had a visit from Wellgate Petting Farm, and the Metropolitan Police, who let children sit in their police car.

Representatives from many council services and ward councillors also attended to offer advice and support to residents in need of a listening ear. The Havering Holiday Activities and Food program (HAF) provided funding for the events, ensuring there was healthy food options available for all attendees. 

In addition to the Community Fun Days, Havering Children’s Centres and Resident Engagement team partnered up for another holiday session in Harold Hill on the Tuesday 15 August.

The free event gave parents the chance to meet with Local Area Coordinators, Havering Adult College, and the Mayor of Havering.

Fairkytes Arts Centre provided arts and crafts for all ages, while the early years practitioners ran enriching activities for the families as well as musical play and access to BookStart packs.

Sessions like this will run again during school half-terms. Look out for future events advertised in the borough’s children’s centres.

Hornchurch Library is hosting its next Meet the Author event on Thursday 21 September. 

British Science Fiction, British Fantasy, and World Fantasy Award–winning author Lavie Tidhar talks about his latest book - the story of a mathematician, a book dealer, and a mobster caught between realities and desperately seeking a notorious book that disappears upon being read.

A story that travels from the emergence of life to the ends of the universe, it is cosmic, inventive, and sly.

The event starts at 6:30pm at Hornchurch Library. Entry is free, but you must book in advance at any Havering library.

Romford Central Library holds weekly Reading Buddies sessions during term time to help children improve on their reading skills.

Sessions take place Mondays, 3:30pm to 5pm during term time. 

The Harold Hill and Rainham Community Hubs are hosting Employment and Training Events on Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 September. 

These are great opportunities for Havering residents to come along to meet with local services, employers and partners, to become better informed of local opportunities and gain the support needed to move forward in your work and learning journey.

You can find out about training opportunities, live vacancies, receive careers advice and CV-writing support on the day.

The Harold Hill event takes place at Harold Hill Library Community Hub from 11am to 2:30pm on Wednesday 13 September. The Rainham event takes place at Rainham Library Community Hub from 11am to 2:30pm on Thursday 14 September.

St Clements Avenue remains closed at its junctions with Elderberry Close and Copse Avenue until 5pm today, Friday 8 September.

Suttons Avenue remains closed daily for resurfacing works until 3pm on Monday 11 September (excluding Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 September). Warriner Avenue, Lambourne Gardens, Suttons Gardens, Wayside Avenue, Mansfield Gardens, Bedford Gardens, Shirley Gardens, Balmoral Road, Connaught Road, Belmont Road, Urban Avenue, Priors Park, Beulah Road will all be closed at their junctions with Suttons Avenue during this time. 

Cromer Road will be closed for gas mains repairs at its junction with London Road, 8am on Monday 11 September to 6pm on Friday 29 September.

Nelmes Road will be closed daily for resurfacing works at its junctions with Herbert Road, Parkstone Avenue and Elm Grove, between Tuesday 12 September and Friday 15 September, 8am to 5pm each day. As part of these works, Elm Road, Berther Road, Ernest Road and Burntwood Avenue will all be partially closed at their junctions with Nelmes Road.

Cambridge Avenue remains closed for gas works at its junction with Upper Brentwood Road until 6am on Wednesday 13 September.

National Highways are carrying out works to upgrade the M25, Junction 28. Work's will be taking place throughout September, between 10pm & 5am. You can find more details on the website.

Public transport