Friday 3 November 2023
 I have mentioned a few times the current financial state our budget is in. Due to year-on-year reductions in Government funding, plus a massive increase in costs for adult and children's social care, as well as increased numbers of homeless residents, we will find it difficult to set a balanced budget for 2024/25. We are also going to be millions overspent in the current financial year.
Despite independent analysis showing that we are a low-cost Council, costs are much higher than our resources and as a result, we could potentially issue something known as a section 114 notice in six months to a year’s time, effectively stating that we are bankrupt.
This is not because we are a badly run council or have made any unsound decisions, but because the services that we have to provide by law are overwhelming the resources that we have available.
We are doing all we can to make further savings, but after around £160 million in savings over the past decade or more, the easy choices have gone. This week we have published papers for the next week’s Cabinet meeting which sets out some of the hard choices we may need to make. Currently we have a budget gap of £31.2 million.
You will see a number of difficult decisions, which include increased parking charges, reviewing our libraries and children’s centres and cutting our Christmas activities including lights and trees next year, plus many other savings options.
All of this will save around £13.2 million, but will still leave an £18 million gap in our budget before council tax is taken into consideration.
 This is not where we want to be and you can see this puts us in a difficult position. We continue to lobby the Government and are having weekly meetings with officials to try and see if they can provide us with further help. We have also recently met Lee Rowley MP, the Local Government Minister. As yet, other than offering us a loan, there has been little help.
What we are also pushing for is for the Government to review how it funds local government. We have been stuck with an out-of-date funding formula that does not reflect the changes in our population or needs. For example, we have the fourth fastest growth in 0-14 year olds in the UK as well as the second oldest population in London.
Next week we will be launching our consultation on our budget so you can tell us your views – and I urge as many of you as possible to do this. We will also have some public meetings that you can attend and ask questions. Details will be published on both when the consultation starts.
In other matters, I recently had a successful and productive meeting with a number of faith leaders in Havering who all pledged to work together for Havering and its residents and committed to meet on a regular basis to ensure that the best outcomes are achieved for all faith groups in the borough.
What is happening in Israel and Gaza is extremely harrowing and my heart goes out to all those innocent victims who are being affected by the war. We need our community to remain strong and I am committed to working with all groups to make sure that happens.
Best wishes,
Cllr Ray Morgon
Leader, Havering Council
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Residents across the borough are invited to gather at Remembrance services this month to honour those who have served our country.
A service for Armistice Day will take place on Saturday 11 November, with Remembrance events being held throughout the borough on Sunday 12 November.
Armistice Day – Saturday 11 November
Service at 10:45am in Market Place, Romford.
Remembrance Day – Sunday 12 November
Romford
Parade from outside the Liberty shopping centre, Western Road at 10.45am, followed by a service in Coronation Gardens
Upminster
Parade at 10:40am, followed by a service at the War Memorial, Corbets Tey Road
Hornchurch
Parade at 10:15am, followed by a service at St. Andrew’s Church
Elm Park
Parade at 10:50am, followed by service at 11am at the Royal British Legion
Harold Hill
Service at 11am at the War Memorial, Hilldene Avenue
Harold Wood
Service at 11am at the New War Memorial, Arundel Road
Harold Wood
Service at 10:50am at Memorial Hall, parade to St. Peter’s Church
Rainham
Service at 10:30am at Rainham War Memorial
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Over 1,000 residents have already signed up to a new scheme to have coffee pods collected and recycled alongside their waste collections.
Havering Council is working in partnership with Podback a not-for-profit recycling service, to help residents to recycle used coffee pods.
The new coffee pod recycling service supports the Council’s aims to reduce waste and increase recycling.
It enables residents in-house collections to recycle their plastic and aluminium coffee pods at home. Once signed up to the scheme, residents will receive bags for putting the pods into, which can be placed alongside their other rubbish and recycling for collection.
Once collected, the coffee pods will be sent to specialist recycling plants.
The plastic and aluminium is recycled into new products, including packaging, car components and building products, while the coffee grounds will be treated to create soil improver and renewable energy.
The scheme is another addition to Havering Council’s new rubbish and recycling service with Urbaser ltd.
The new partnership with Urbaser began last week, with a service that enables residents to recycle more items such as plastic pots, tubs and trays and have glass bottles and jars collected for the first time.
Other new additions to the service is the collection of small electrical items and batteries plus clothes.
Urbaser has also taken on the street cleansing service, as well as the existing weed control services, garden waste collection service, fly-tipping clearance, graffiti cleaning and collection of clinical and bulky waste.
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Remember to stay safe this weekend if you're celebrating Bonfire Night, and consider attending professional fireworks displays instead of hosting your own.
If you are planning to launch your own fireworks or light a bonfire, please remember to follow basic safety advice to protect your family and neighbours:
- only buy fireworks that carry the CE safety mark and are from licensed sellers
- only have bonfires if they are clear of buildings, sheds, fences and hedges
- store fireworks safely, in their original packaging, away from children and pets, keep dry and away from anything that generates heat or ignition
- always follow the instructions with fireworks for safe use and disposal
- keep a bucket of water near and make sure any used fireworks are completely out before getting rid of them
- pets should be kept inside when fireworks are being let off and checked on to ensure they are not distressed
- keep an eye on everyone using sparklers as these stay very hot for a long time. Wear gloves and place in a bucket of sand or water once they have burnt out
- buy quieter fireworks if you can, which will cause less noise and distress to vulnerable neighbours and pets.
Also remember that fireworks, sky lanterns and the release of helium balloons are not to be released on Council-owned or managed land.
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Havering Council’s licensing and trading standards teams have been out across the borough checking on whether local retailers are selling age-restricted goods such as vapes, to young people aged under 18.
In the latest operation in Collier Row, Hornchurch, Upminster and Romford last week, the teams visited different premises with teenage volunteers helping officers by going into the businesses to attempt to buy a vape, also known as e-cigarettes, that can only be sold to someone over 18.
The team was pleased to report that all of the seven businesses visited on that particular operation, refused to sell an e-cigarette to the young volunteer.
If a business is found to be selling age-stricted goods to those underage, they are issued with warnings if it is a first offence. Council officers will then work with them to support with training and complying to regulations.
All businesses are re-visited and any further failures may result in a review of their licence or prosecution.
The Council’s licensing and trading standards also work with businesses to encourage them to sign up to the Challenge 25 Scheme.
Challenge 25 is a scheme that encourages anyone who is over 18 but looks under 25 to carry acceptable ID when they want to buy alcohol.
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Safe Connections is a support network for people across North East London struggling with emotional and psychological distress, self-harm, or suicidal thoughts.
If you are concerned about yourself, or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, Safe Connections gives you access to support through an easy-to-access app, as well as the Safe Connects Community Hub, and the free suicide prevention hotline.
You can call the hotline on 0300 561 0115, Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 4:30pm.
Safe Connections also provides training for local residents looking to help their communities and offer nearby support for people feeling suicidal.
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 Havering Council staff raised over £2,700 for Havering Mind in September, when volunteers walked from the Mind headquarters in Hornchurch to Southend Pier - over 26 miles.
The sponsored walk took the team of nine (five from the Youth Justice Service and four from Children's service) 10 and a half hours to complete, setting off at 9am on Sunday 24 September.
The route took the volunteers along roads and footpaths, through woodland, fields and country roads - and more than their fair share of muddy puddles and tracks.
Mark Gadsden, a Justice Coordinator with Havering Council, was part of the team who took on the marathon. He said:
"We originally had the idea just after the pandemic and finally got around to doing it this year. We felt it would be tough but fun and also generate funds to support a charity we all felt very strongly about – Havering Mind.
"We wanted to promote mental health awareness, and support those who are struggling with their mental health. It felt incredible to do something like this, and we're glad we were all able to finish together at Southend Pier."
The intrepid adventurers were greeted by friends and family at Southend Pier after their trip. In total, the group raised £2,754.
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BT will soon be switching over its home phone service to Digital Voice.
This means that instead of customers using their phone socket, their home phone handset will connect to a router linked to their broadband, if they have it, over the next few months.
If you’re a customer and would like more information, you can attend a special session being run by BT at Hornchurch Library, 44 North Street, RM11 1TB on Tuesday 7 November, 10am to 3pm.
Customers with additional needs will be provided with extra support from BT, such as residents with a healthcare pendant, who use landlines only, who are over 70, have no mobile signal and where there are known additional needs.
Check on neighbours, family and friends who may be affected or who can’t attend the event.
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 The NHS winter flu and Covid-19 vaccines are being offered to those most at risk of getting seriously ill.
This year, it’s more important than ever for people at risk to get their free winter vaccines, before the cold temperatures start.
Stop by Harold Hill Library on Thursday 9 November between 12noon and 4pm for your flu or Covid-19 booster if eligble.
 To submit events for possible inclusion in this section of the newsletter, please use the form on our website or send an email
Do you care for someone with dementia? Alzheimer's Society holds a weekly Carers Information and Support Programme to help carers to better support relatives with dementia.
The sessions provide a listening ear, as well as equip carers with the tools to look after loved ones and ensure they are getting the right emotional and financial support.
The sessions take place at Fairkytes Arts Centre, 51-59 Billet Lane, Hornchurch, RM11 1AX. The next session is next Tuesday (7 November) at 1:30pm to 3:30pm, with further sessions the following three Tuesdays. Please book in advance by emailing or calling Nyree on 07759 119516.
The Elm Park Horticultural Guild Winter Show will be taking place at St Alban's Church Hall, Langdale Gardens, Elm Park, RM12 5JX, on Saturday 11 November from 2:30pm to 4:30pm.
Featuring brilliant floral displays and art, painting and photography, children's classes, homemade items, cakes and refreshments. Entry is free.
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 United Singers Choir presents We Will Remember Them, an event of reflections and remembrance of Armistice Day through music, drama and poetry.
The event takes place on Remembrance Sunday, 12 November, from 7:30pm at Upminster Methodist Church, Hall Lane, Upminster, RM14 1AE. Tickets cost £12, concessions cost £10 and under 16s go free. Send an email to book your place.
St. Laurence Church Hall in Upminster is hosting a Market & Artisan Craft Fair on Saturday 11 November, 10am to 4pm. Head along to support your local crafts people with over 20 stalls selling a wide variety of items from wax melts and crystals to hand-made jewellery and jams.
Entry is completely free and ideal for the whole family, with disabled access. Dogs are also welcome.
Havering Over 50s Forum has teamed up with Havering Dementia Action Alliance for a Here to Help Community Event next Wednesday (8 November) at Queen's Theatre Hornchurch. The event will feature a whole host of local charities and organisations on hand to provide advice and support for people suffering with dementia, as well as their carers and families.
The event takes place from 1pm to 4pm, and refreshments will be available. For more information, call 07541 511973, send an email, or visit the website.
Havering Museum is running a Spooky Ghost Walk of Romford on Thursday 9 November, 7pm to 9pm. This two-hour ghost walk through Romford is perfect for those interested in the paranormal, but it is not for the faint hearted as you will be exploring the darkest of places and learn about present-day paranormal happenings, which will send a shiver up your spine.
Tickets cost £10, including a drink at the Golden Lion. Advance booking is essential. Upon booking you will receive an information sheet providing the starting place for the walk and other useful information. Book your place online or at the Museum Wednesday to Friday (11am - 4pm).
Remember, the museum is also hosting its next monthly lunchtime lecture, The East End in Photographs, on Thursday 9 November, 12noon to 1pm.
The lecture will draw on a variety of photographs and photographers that captured the many faces of East London over the years.
Book your tickets online, or by visiting the museum.
The Havering Repair Café is back for Saturday 11 November, 11:15am to 2:15pm, at the Elm Park Assembly Hall, RM12 4RA.
Residents have the opportunity to learn how to repair household items, bikes or clothes. Advice is also available on how to use these skills and save money at the same time. More information can be found on the website.
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Brookside Theatre, Romford, is currently showing its production of School of Rock - The Musical.
The show runs until Sunday 5 November. Tickets are available online or from the box office on 01708 755775.
Havering Music School is holding a Super Saturday Open Day tomorrow, Saturday 4 November, from 1:30pm. Featuring instrument try-out sessions for children, a raffle and second-hand music sale, and live performances from 3:30pm.
The event takes place at NCC College, Wingletye Lane, Hornchurch, RM11 2LL, and is free to attend.
Kaleidoscope is hosting Romford's first LGBTQ+ Film Festival at Premiere Cinemas, tomorrow, Saturday 4 November, 10am to 10pm.
The festival will have a mixture of independent and blockbuster films and other entertainment including special guests. The film festival aims to increase positive and accurate representation of LGBTQ+ people on screen. It will also be a place to celebrate the local LGBTQ+ community. Book your tickets online.
Elm Park Baptist Church is holding a Christmas Table Top Sale on Saturday 4 November, 10am to 2pm.
Grab a bargain on early Christmas presents, take part in the tombola and other games, and treat yourself to a home-made cake. Entry is free.
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Upcoming road closures
Ferguson Avenue in Gidea Park will be closed daily at its junction with Upper Brentwood Road for gas mains work, 8am to 5pm from Saturday 4 to Sunday 19 November.
Deyncourt Gardens in Upminster will be closed daily at its junction with Hall Lane for gas mains work, 8am to 5pm from Friday 10 November to Friday 8 December.
Ockendon Road in Upminster will be closed daily at its junction with Fen Lane in a northerly direction to its junction with B1421, for the installation of fibre optic cables. The road will be closed 9am to 6pm on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 November.
Ongoing closures
Burlington Avenue in Romford remains closed daily at its junction with London Road for gas mains work, 8am to 5pm until Monday 6 November.
Mungo Park Road in Elm Park remains closed daily at its junctions with Wood Lane and Simpson Road for resurfacing works. The road will be closed from 7am to 6pm until Saturday 11 November. Freeborne Gardens and Tempest Way will also be closed at their junctions with Mungo Park Road.
Crowlands Avenue in Romford remains closed daily for gas mains work, 8am to 5pm until Friday 17 November.
Public transport
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Due to engineering works between Barking and Pitsea, the c2c Basildon line will not call at Upminster, West Horndon, Laindon or Basildon on Saturday 4 or Sunday 5 November.
Due to engineering works between Barking and Upminster, the c2c Ockendon line will run as a shuttle bus service only on on Saturday 4 or Sunday 5 November.
Engineering works between Laindon and Leigh-on-Sea are affecting evening and early morning services on the c2c Basildon line from Monday 6 to Thursday 9 November.
Engineering works between Stanford-le-Hope and Pitsea are affecting evening and early morning services on the c2c Ockendon line from Monday 6 to Thursday 9 November.
Check the website for full details on all c2c service changes.
Engineering works are taking place affecting Greater Anglia services between Liverpool Street and Shenfield, Southend Victoria and Southminster on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 November. Check the website for full details.
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