Friday 29 September 2023
 This week Havering Council published its finance report for Period 4 ahead of October’s Cabinet meeting next week (Wednesday 4 October). The report sets out the authority’s latest financial position which will set the context for attempting to set a balanced budget next year.
Unfortunately, we find ourselves in an even worse position than last year which will mean some more difficult and painful decisions to come.
As Leader, I am pleased to lead a well-run and efficient low cost council, as verified by several different independent organisations. However, we are not complacent and everyone is working hard to do even better. We are doing all the things you must do to balance the books every year which includes reducing head count, finding better low cost ways of delivering services, increasing income and selling any surplus assets.
We are at the stage now though that whatever we do, it is not enough due to the massive increase in costs of social care and homelessness. And unlike the NHS, this has been badly funded by the Government and does not take into account individual circumstances of councils like Havering.
For example, we have high council tax, but low government funding due to the way the funding formula works. We also have one of the oldest populations in London, and one of the fastest growing younger populations in the country. Add to this, COVID-19 which impacted us immensely especially around young people needing mental health care support along with more long term conditions as a result for elderly care.
 More people moving in to the borough means more strain on housing too, especially homelessness. Government legislation has also made it more onerous on private landlords and the number of private sector leasing properties available to us has dramatically reduced too. The policy on benefits caps also impacts what people can afford.
All of this means we just can’t keep up with demand.
When looking at our budget position we have £48m of General Balances and Earmarked reserves left and with a projected overspend in 2023/24 of £23m. Next year we have a potential gap of £14 million rising to £51.8m over a four-year period to 2028.
Over the coming months we will continue to work hard to find savings. This includes an immediate stop on recruitment and non-essential spend within the Council.
We will also ramp up our ongoing lobbying to government – calling on an urgent review on the funding formula to give Havering its fair share along with a change so we can keep 100% of business rates over the next five years. This would help us plug our funding gap and stop the burden being pushed back on residents through higher council tax – which I appreciate is already much steeper than in other areas of London.
I’m afraid I can’t shy away from the fact that the situation is desperate. We are now at the point where bankruptcy (Section 114) could happen in the next six to twelve months. This will mean we will only deliver statutory services, sell off assets, increase charges and be forced to find other savings and efficiencies. None of us want this and we will continue to do all we can to prevent it.
This will mean some very tough decisions over the coming months. But just as we did last year we want to ensure that we engage with residents throughout the process to hear their views and to help us make these difficult decisions we will need to take in order to deliver a balanced budget and to avert the risk of going broke.
Cllr Ray Morgon
Leader, Havering Council
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 Havering has taken home a flurry of awards from this year's London in Bloom competition, including the top prizes in four categories, including the Best Borough.
Hornchurch Country Park was awarded Gold and won the Country Park category, whilst Langtons Gardens won Park of the Year and a Gold award.
Bedfords Park Walled Garden won the Walled Category. The garden was taken over by the Council in 2018, working with the Friends of Bedfords Park to transform it into the award-winning space it is now.
Overall, Havering took home 12 Gold awards and three Silver Gilt awards from multiple categories for green spaces across the borough, including South Essex Crematorium, as well as Dagnam, Haynes, Harrow Lodge and Spring Farm Parks.
Havering was also awarded the Best Borough across the whole of London - a crowning achievement for our green borough.
The Friends of the Secret Sensory Garden for the Blind at Harrow Lodge Park also won the It's Your Neighbourhood category, as well as several Gold awards, and the Friends of the Upminster Windmill Gardening Group took home three awards.
Havering in Bloom
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 Meanwhile, budding gardeners and green-fingered residents have dusted off their gardening gloves once again for this year’s local Havering in Bloom competition.
The popular horticultural competition saw the Council receive over 100 entries from gardening enthusiasts across the borough, bringing some tough competition for the judges.
Entries included communal gardens that make up the heart and soul off shared spaces, as well as elaborate hanging baskets and floral displays – including a wall of wellies reused as plant pots.
Finalists came together for a special ceremony last Friday (22 September) at Havering Town Hall, Romford, hosted by the Mayor of Havering, Councillor Stephanie Nunn.
The winners of this year’s competition were:
- Best Back Garden – Mel Darvill
- Best Front Garden – Roland Harden
- Best Communal Garden – Paul Sainsbury, Upminster Windmill
- Best Hanging Basket – Susan Andrews
- Best School Display – Harrow Lodge Primary
- Tallest Sunflower – John Prentice (pictured), measuring at 162 inches.
All finalists and winners received certificates, as well as gift vouchers for B&Q, kindly donated by sponsors Mears, BTS and M&M Demolition.
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Havering Council has created a new email news bulletin for residents affected by the ongoing issues at Launders Lane.
These updates will be sent to all residents that subscribe to the bulletin, as and when there are developments with the site.
This will likely include updates on:
- Site contamination and soil sample testing
- Meetings with the landowners, contractors and partners
- London Fire Brigade (LFB) monthly reports
- Air quality monitoring reports.
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Havering Council’s trading standards team has returned to court to ensure a company director who was prosecuted for selling unsafe electrical goods, pays back profit he made.
Rizwan Nasir (52), of Havering, was given a three-month prison sentence for offences of failing to comply with the requirements of safety regulations, last year. The sentence was suspended for 18 months.
Following what is known as a proceeds of crime investigation, the Council’s trading standards returned to court last month (August) to ask for the removal of the money Nasir made as profit, thought to be around £50,000, from the sale of the unsafe goods.
The Court heard that Nasir has £38,000 of that money available and has been given three months to pay that amount back. If he does not pay, he faces a prison sentence of at least seven months. In addition, he was asked to pay a contribution of £2,000 towards the costs of the investigation.
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Essex & Suffolk Water has reached out to customers to offer support with those struggling with the cost of living.
This support can include:
- setting up payment plans
- low-income discounts
- providing advice on saving water and lowering energy bills
- helping customers access debt and financial advice.
They have also offered help for those in need of additional support, such as elderly customers, those with disabilities, physical or mental health issues, and those with very young children.
Check out their website for more information.
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The rising cost of living is continuing to hit people across the borough, with high energy and fuel bills, and inflated costs for everyday essentials. As winter approaches, this is likely to get worse for many people – make sure you’re ready.
Sign up for free Cost of Living Updates from Havering Council today, and be the first to receive news and information on the latest advice and support from the Council, government and partners.
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 Is your child a budding politician who wants to make a change locally and nationally?
Nominations for Havering Youth Parliament are now open for 11-17 year-olds who live or attend school or college locally to put themselves forward.
Six candidates will stand in the elections next January, with two successful candidates going forward to sit on the national Youth Parliament.
The closing date for nominations is Friday 20 October.
Havering Council’s waste and recycling team will be at Romford Market next Friday, 6 October, to give residents a look at the forthcoming improvements and changes for the new waste service contract.
Staff will be joined by representatives from Urbaser Ltd, who will be the Council’s new contractor.
At the event, from 9am to 4pm, they will be handing out information and answering questions on what the new service will include, plus leaflets and tips on how to reduce household waste.
The new contract starts on Monday 23 October and includes an improved recycling offer for residents with glass bottles and jars being added to orange sack recycling collections for the first time.
The range of plastics collected in the orange recycling bags will also increase to include plastic pots, tubs and trays.
Urbaser Ltd will also take on the current in-house street cleansing service, as well as the existing weed control services, green garden waste collection service, fly-tipping clearance, graffiti cleaning and collection of clinical and bulky waste.
In the meantime, residents should keep to the current guidelines for waste and recycling collections until the new contract is underway.
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 Havering school pupils will once again be offered meal support during the upcoming half-term break.
Applications for the October half-term School Holiday Meal Scheme are now open and allows eligible families to apply for £15 per child to buy food to replace the meals their child would have received at school.
The scheme is run by Havering Council and is part of the government’s Household Support Fund.
Families that have previously received money for their child or children from the scheme and are still eligible, do not need to apply again, and will automatically receive the money into their chosen account.
However, parents and carers should check the claims criteria on the Council’s website as they may now be eligible to make a claim or are able to claim for an additional child.
Applications will close at 5pm on Friday, 6 October.
Stoptober is back and we’re calling on smokers across Havering to join others around the country who are quitting this October.
This year’s Stoptober mass quit attempt is as important as ever, with quitting remaining one of the best things a smoker can do for their health. It will help them to move better, breathe more easily and to save money.
Our Local pharmacists below are offering free, flexible and expert support to help you stop smoking:
- Crescent Pharmacy, Harold Hill
- Mim Pharmacy, Romford
- Asvacare Pharmacy, Rush Green
- Orchard Village Pharmacy, Rainham
- Williams Dispensing Chemist, Rainham
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Havering Council is keen to hear your views about how it plans to support local people affected by drugs and alcohol.
Working with the Metropolitan Police and NHS, we’ve developed a new strategy which outlines our approach.
By completing the consultation, you can tell us what you think. The survey closes on Sunday 29 October.
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The NHS winter flu and COVID-19 vaccines are being offered to people most at risk of getting seriously ill.
Those who can get both vaccines through the NHS will include everyone aged 65 and over, pregnant women, care home residents, people with certain health conditions, frontline health and care staff, unpaid carers and household contacts of those at higher risk.
If you are eligible, it is important to top up your protection, even if you have had a vaccine or been ill with flu or COVID-19 before, as immunity fades over time and flu and COVID-19 viruses change each year.
For eligibility and how to book, please visit the website.
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 Havering Council will mark Baby Loss Awareness Week 2023 with a special ceremony of remembrance from 6.30pm on Monday 9 October, at Havering Town Hall, Romford, to commemorate much-missed babies in Havering.
This year is the 21st year of Baby Loss Awareness Week (Monday 9 - Sunday 15 October) nationally - it provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the impact of baby loss, whilst recognising the important role of bereavement support for parents and families.
Residents are welcome to join the ceremony where guests will be invited to light LED candles and place personalised written messages on tree branches outside Havering Town Hall in memory of all the babies’ lives gone too soon.
 To submit events for possible inclusion in this section of the newsletter, please use the form on our website or send an email
The Havering Museum Photographic Group's 13th Annual Exhibition opens tomorrow, Saturday 30 September. An exhibition of 48 beautiful prints by talented photographers with passion and a keen eye. You'll see a wide range of subjects, including landscapes, animals, people and architecture.
Entry costs £3.50 per person, or £3 concession prices, with free entry for children under 16 with a paying adult. For more information, or to check opening times, visit the website.
All Saints Church are hosting a Harvest Weekend on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 October.
Saturday, 11am to 2pm, will include arts & crafts, a treasure hunt and light refreshments. There will also be a special visit from Wellgate Community Farm.
On Sunday, 10:30am to 11:30am, there will be a short service with prayers and singing, and games to celebrate the harvest. All activities are free, and take place at All Saints Church, Ardleigh Green Road, Hornchurch, RM11 2LG.
Join the Big Heart Ladies Lunch in aid of Saint Francis Hospice on Monday 9 October, 12noon to 5pm at Stock Brook Manor, Billericay, and hear inspirational stories from guest speaker, Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije.
With more than 15 years journalism experience, Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije has notched up hours of live broadcasting, working with the UK’s biggest television channels including Sky, BBC, ITV and Channel 5.
Currently the face of 5 News Tonight, Claudia-Liza is the first black lead anchor to present the programme. Covering the day’s big and topical stories with discussion, debate and in-depth interviews with political leaders and those at the centre of major events.
Tickets cost £75 per person, and can be booked online.
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The Arts Society, Havering present its next lecture, The Irritating and Influential Mr Whistler, by Dr Julia Musgrave.
An American artist in London, James Abbott McNeill Whistler was a leading proponent of the idea of "art for art's sake". He signed his paintings with stylized monogram of a butterfly with a long stinger for a tail – as much a symbol of his love of Japanese art as his assertive and sometimes combative nature.
Having lived and worked with the Paris avant-garde he settled in London in 1859 having created a distinctive Post-Impressionist style at a time when many of his British contemporaries had yet to come to terms with Impressionism. Whistler’s art moved painting towards abstraction, sparked a renaissance in printmaking and gave us the Peacock Room, a masterpiece of interior design.
Inspired, influential, and infuriating, his art was full of subtle delicacy, he had a wide social network of friends and family and yet, if crossed, could be a formidable opponent. He mastered the art of making enemies.
The lecture takes place on Tuesday 10 October, 10:30am to 12noon at New Windmill Hall, Upminster. Tickets cost £8 for non-members.
Learn to Speak French at South Hornchurch Library, with French tutoring sessions available for all abilities, including ages 6+, Primary French, GCSE French, and Adults French.
Sessions cost £5 for 30 minutes, or £10 for one hour, and take place weekly, term-time only, from Saturday 7 October, between 10:30am and 3:30pm. Booking is required.
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Knighton Road in Romford will be closed daily from the junction of London Road for gas main works, 8am to 7pm from Monday 2 October to Sunday 29 October.
Little Gaynes Lane in Upminster will be closed daily at its junctions with Gaynes Park Road, Lime Avenue and Hornbeam Avenue, for resurfacing works, 9:30am to 3pm on Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 October.
Northumberland Avenue in Hornchurch will be closed daily from the junction of Squirrels Heath Lane for gas main works, 8am to 5pm on Monday 2 October to Sunday 8 October.
Amery Gardens in Hornchurch will be closed daily at its junctions with Belgrave Avenue for resurfacing works, 8am to 5pm from Wednesday 4 October to Friday 6 October.
Clunas Gardens in Hornchurch will be closed daily at its junction with Amery Gardens for resurfacing works, 8am to 5pm from Wednesday 4 October to Friday 6 October.
Norfolk Road remains closed for gas mains works at its junction with London Road until 6pm on Friday 6 October.
Belgrave Avenue in Gidea Park remains closed from the junction of Upper Brentwood Road for gas works, 8am to 5pm, until Sunday 8 October.
Highview Gardens, Upminster remains closed for gas mains works at its junction with St May's Lane until 6pm on Sunday 15 October.
Kingsbridge Close remains closed for carriageway construction works at its junction with Kingsbridge Close until Friday 20 October.
National Highways are carrying out works to upgrade the M25, Junction 28. Works will be taking place throughout September, between 10pm & 5am. You can find more details on the website.
Public transport
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Following the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) announcement, industrial action is planned for Saturday 30 September.
No c2c passenger services will run on this day, passengers are advised NOT TO TRAVEL. Further information can be found here.
Services for Sunday 1 October are also affected by the strike. Check the website for full details.
ASLEF strike action is planned for Monday 2 October, Tuesday 3 October, Thursday 5 October and Friday 6 October. A reduced service will be in place during the peak and two trains per hour will run on all c2c routes at all other times. Check the website for full details.
Engineering works are taking place affecting Greater Anglia services between Liverpool Street and Southend Victoria, and Liverpool Street and Southminster on Sunday 1 October. Buses will replace trains between Shenfield and Southend Victoria and between Wickford and Southminster all day on Sunday.
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