The first residents have moved in to the new Park Rise development in Hornchurch over the last week.

The retirement village is made up of 175 high-quality apartments which have been designed and built exclusively for over 55s to live independent lives whilst being part of a wider community.

Park Rise is the second development on Havering Council’s flagship 12 Estates regeneration joint venture with Wates Residential, providing vital homes to the people of Havering.

The new homes are a mix of council, shared ownership and private sales, on the edge of Harrow Lodge Park.

Eve and Mohsen (pictured above, with Cllr Williamson) moved out of the old Solar, Serena and Sunrise Court estate in 2019 in order to allow the major regeneration to take place. They are among the first residents to move in to the site under the ‘right to return’ scheme.

This is a promise that is made to all council tenants that are rehomed as part of the regeneration and have first refusal on returning to the development.

They are joined by Christine and Nigel, and their small, friendly dog Bobby, who bid for one of the council properties.

Eve said: “I am so very happy here. I’m a keen gardener and look forward to making use of the raised flower beds.”

Mohsen added “I loved living here before and I know I’m going to be happy here.”

Christine and Nigel, said: “We’re so happy that this is our forever home!”

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Havering Council is currently installing new modern Pay and Display parking machines in Council car parks and its on street parking bays across the borough.

Residents will still be eligible for one free 30-minute parking session, per day, in on-street parking bays and council car parks, except in Romford.

The new machines will no longer accept coins and people will be able to pay contactless with debit and credit cards. They will also accept smartphone payments (Apple Pay and Google Pay).

Those wishing to still pay cash, can use nearby PayPoint facilities, including in local shops.

If you are in a car park without a machine, you can still get your 30 minutes free by calling Ringo or using the app. Please refer to details on the signs where you are parking.

The new payment machines will be provided in all our town centres and busy locations replacing the previous machines which were regularly vandalised by thieves for cash.

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Last week saw another major milestone in Havering’s bid to be named London Borough of Culture, as our plans were shared with a panel from the Greater London Authority ahead of the decision on winning bids, set to be announced on Monday 11 March.

The bid’s presentation included showcasing all of the continued work to secure the award for Havering, the support we have received so far from those ‘backing the bid’, our ongoing consultation with communities to shape our vision, and details on all the major funders who are inspired by our plans.

Whatever the decision next month, Havering is on a journey that will grow and enhance the local culture on offer in our borough. 

Back the bid

New stronger orange recycling sacks are currently being rolled out to all households in the borough.

These sacks will help residents with recycling glass and the other new items that can now be recycled as part of the weekly collection.

Residents should continue to use any existing orange recycling sacks first before moving on to the new, tougher sacks.

The Council began a new partnership with Urbaser in October 2023, which has seen more items for residents to recycle, including glass bottles and jars being collected alongside household waste. The aim is to help support residents in reducing general waste and recycling more.

The new sacks will also be available from libraries once households have received their delivery. In the meantime, you can continue to pick up extra rolls of the current recycling bags at libraries if you need more.

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The Council is currently carrying out repair work on the Farnham and Hilldene estate to make sure it is well-maintained for the benefit of everyone living, working and visiting the area ahead of the major regeneration works due to take place.

Last week, we circulated the latest newsletter to local residents to let them know about the improvement works, which includes roof repairs, redecorating communal areas, concrete repairs and graffiti removal.

We’ve also installed new secure tank room doors to help reduce antisocial behaviour and unauthorised roof access.

The pictures (below) show green dye testing to trace any leaks. The ‘after’ photo shows the defective section liquid coated to prevent any water getting through.

For a full update on the Harold Hill Town Centre Masterplan and regeneration, please visit the website.

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A new survey seeking the views of people with autism, and their parents and carers, has been launched.

As outlined in Havering’s All Age Autism Strategy, the vision is that Havering will become an autism-inclusive borough where people with autism have the same opportunities as everyone else.

The Council wants to design a new service with input from residents and your views will help to shape the current and future needs of the autistic community.

Two surveys are now open – one for people with autism and one for parents and carers.

The surveys close on Friday, 15 March 2024.

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Havering Police are asking residents to be aware and stay one step ahead of burglars and make sure their homes are secure.

Both uniformed and plain clothes officers continue to patrol across the borough to help deter criminals but ask residents to check they are locking doors and windows securely when inside their homes as well as when they go out.

Advice also includes making sure keys and other valuables are kept out of sight.

The NHS has been reporting an increase in measles and is encouraging everyone to check that they and their children have had two doses of the free MMR vaccine, for protection against measles, as well as mumps and rubella.

If children and young adults have missed these vaccinations in the past, it’s important to take up the vaccine now from GPs, particularly in light of the recent cases.

Check your child’s Red Book to see if they’ve received MMR vaccinations or check with your GP surgery if you’re unsure. Most healthy adults will have developed some immunity to measles but can still receive two doses of the vaccine from their GP too.

Measles symptoms to be aware of include:

• high fever
• sore, red, watery eyes
• coughing
• aching and feeling generally unwell
• a blotchy red brown rash, which usually appears after the initial symptoms.

Anyone with symptoms is also being advised to stay at home and phone their GP or NHS 111 for advice.

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Dumped shopping trolleys are always an eyesore in the borough and Havering Council is asking residents to report any they see.

The Council continues to work with Trolleywise and all the main supermarkets to collect any dumped trolleys found across the borough and return or dispose of them.

If it is a dumped trolley that just belongs to Asda, then residents need to report via the Collex Trolley app.

Both apps are available on google play for Android and the app store for iPhones.

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Havering Council is continuing works on the South Street Romford Cycle Scheme.

While the majority of the scheme is now complete, current works are still ongoing around the Eastern Road area.

The works will see lanes introduced and improved for residents and visitors to cycle safely in these areas.

These works will improve the east-west routes for cyclists travelling through the town centre. 

Residents may experience some disruption to journeys along Eastern Road between South Street and Chandlers Way until around 15 March.

Works will then move to South Street between Havana Close and Eastern Road. Those works start from 10 March and are expected to last until 19 April.

Fairkytes Arts Centre is hosting a number of February Half Term Craft Activities for children from Monday 19 February to Saturday 24 February.

Activities start from £6 per child, and children must be registered in advance. You can find the full list of dates and activities on the Havering Active website.

Following registration, staff will be in contact to arrange payment when your booking is completed, please allow a few days for this.

The Fairkytes team have added a new event, Family fun craft & party time, to their half term activities. This family fun event with Ultimate Dance NRG features a DJ, party games and glitter tattoos. 

The party takes place on Saturday 24 February, 10am to 12noon. Tickets cost £12 for a combined adult and child entry. Children under free go free, but still need to book a ticket. Book your place online.

National Highways is hosting a series of public events around the plans for the Lower Thames Crossing.

The next meeting will be held at the New Windmill Hall, St Mary’s Lane, Upminster, RM14 2QH, on Wednesday 21 February from 3pm to 8pm.

Residents and visitors attending can chat with National Highways teams to discuss the planning application, details of the investment project and programme in local communities, plus a chance to look at designs and plans. You can find more information on the website.

New Windmill Hall is hosting an Open Day on Friday 23 February, 10am to 4pm. Learn about all that the New Windmill Hall has to offer the community, discover local groups and activities that take place every week, and explore the table top sale taking place on the day. 

Visit the website for more information.

Upcoming road closures 

Craigdale Road in Hornchurch will be closed daily at its junction with Brentwood Road for gas mains work, 7am to 7pm from Monday 19 February until Sunday 10 March.

Parkstone Avenue in Hornchurch will be closed daily for gas mains work, 7am to 7pm from Monday 25 February until Sunday 10 March.

Ongoing closures

Sylvan Avenue in Hornchurch remains closed daily at its junction with Woodlands Avenue and Elm Grove for gas mains work. Closures take place 7am to 7pm until Sunday 18 February.

Elm Grove in Hornchurch remains closed daily at its junction with Woodlands Avenue and Sylvan Avenue to its junction with Burntwood Avenue for gas mains work. Closures take place 7am to 7pm until Sunday 18 February.

Fernbank Avenue in Hornchurch remains closed daily from outside number 64 to the junction of Elms Farm Lane for sewer works, 8am to 6pm until Tuesday 20 February.

Jutsums Lane in Romford remains closed daily at its junction with London Road for gas mains work, 7am until 7pm until Sunday 25 February.

Douglas Road in Hornchurch remains closed daily at its junction with Brentwood Road for gas mains work, 7am to 7pm until Sunday 25 February. 

Burntwood Avenue remains closed daily for gas mains work, 7am to 7pm until Monday 26 February.

Southern Way remains closed daily at its junction with London Road for gas mains work, 8am to 5pm until Wednesday 28 February.

Eastern Road in Romford remains closed daily at its junction with Thurloe Gardens for cycle lane installations, 7am to 6pm until Friday 15 March. 

Public transport