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REGISTER FOR A POSTAL VOTE |
The Havering local elections will be held on 6th May where residents will have an opportunity to vote in a new Council for the next four years.
In recent elections, postal voting has become more popular with electors. The registration process is simple and can be made by following the link at the bottom of this feature.
COUNCIL TAX DEBT ROCKETS BY £2.6m SINCE 2006 |
According to the 2008/09 Council accounts, residential Council Tax debt has increased by £2.6m since 2006 and now stands at a breathtaking £13.8m, despite an average of £2.8m being written off in each of the last three years.
151 AVON ROAD SHOP APPEAL |
Following concerns raised by Cranham Residents' Association councillors, the council refused planning permission (P1537.09) to build an additional shop with a 3-bedroom maisonette on land adjacent to 151 Avon Road (land next to fish and chip shop), however the applicants have lodged an appeal which will be heard at a public hearing.
BEDFORDS PARK WINTER FOLIAGE WINS PHOTO COMPETITION |
The Havering in Winter photograph competition attracted a bumper crop of high quality wintry images, however the winning entry was captured by Phil Wailing of Romford with his composition 'Bedfords Park Winter Foliage'.
OPINION DIVIDED ON 20mph ZONES |
Opinion appears to be divided as to whether 20mph zones in residential streets are a good idea. The result comes from an on-line poll staged by the Havering Residents' Association which asked readers: ‘With Islington introducing 20mph zones in residential streets, would you support the same in Havering?' Of the 180 responses received 46 per cent agreed, 46 per cent disagreed and 8 per cent were unsure.
Editor of the website, Cllr Clarence Barrett, said: “While the introduction of 20mph zones has divided opinion in the poll, the challenge and relative benefits of such a scheme would depend on how it would be adequately enforced”.
1.2.10
HEALTH CARE SERVICES SET FOR CHANGE |
Health Care services in Havering are set for big changes over the next five years if major plans are agreed.
The Health for North East London scheme - a clinically-driven overhaul of the health system in the region - is part-way through its 13-week protracted public consultation period.
£6M IN FINES FOR USING MOBILE PHONE WHILE DRIVING PROVES NO DETERRENT |
Two a day Issued in Havering
Over the last four years nearly £6 million worth of fines have been issued to motorists across London for using a mobile phone while driving.
However, based on the 111,000 tickets issued over that period, it works out at just 76 penalties per day across the whole of London.
POPULAR CHOIR IN CONCERT AT QUEEN'S THEATRE |
The Dawn Chorus will be holding its first Tea Dance Concert of the New Year at the Queen's Theatre between 3-5pm on Friday 29th January 2010.
The choir had a successful 2009. It helped raise over £2000 which was shared between “Help For Heroes” and the Saint Francis Hospice. The choir's success has led to its dramatic expansion under the leadership of Musical Director and professional singer, Paul Rhodes.
RESIDENTS INVITED TO COMMUNITY SAFETY CONFERENCE |
Residents who are concerned about antisocial behaviour or want to get some crime prevention tips are invited to book a place at this year's Community Safety Conference.
Around 500 places are available at the event at the Queen's Theatre in Hornchurch on Friday 12 February , which includes a theatre performance starring actress Anna Karen from EastEnders and On the Buses.
HAVERING RESIDENTS FROZEN OUT OF COLD WEATHER PAYMENTS |
The recent spell of very cold weather has unsurprisingly triggered extra £25 ‘cold weather payments' for pensioners living in Havering, but in an extraordinary twist of postcode lotteries, only those living in Havering-atte-Bower and Noak Hill (RM4) are entitled to the payment!
BEWARE THE E.MAIL BANK SCAM |
Along with the ever increasing usage of e.mail comes the proliferation of scams aimed at obtaining your bank details for dishonest purposes. This advice from a local bank provides some good guidance in dealing with suspicious e.mails.
REFUSE COLLECTIONS REVERT TO NORMAL COLLECTIONS SCHEDULE |
Notice Published by Council
Refuse collections are now operating to the normal schedule, ie collections normally due on a Monday will be made Monday, etc.
UPDATE ON GRITTING |
Update from Havering Council
On Friday evening (8th January) Lord Adonis, Secretary of State for Transport, asked all Councils to lower the amount of salt that they are using by 25 per cent. This is because of the prolonged cold weather which means that national stocks are running low. In Havering we have and will continue to prioritise our main roads and high footfall pavements. In order to keep these clear we have changed our ratio of gritty sand and salt to reduce the amount of salt that we are using, but prevent there from being any impact on Havering's drivers and pedestrians.
We are working with all the London boroughs and TfL to make sure that we keep London moving. There are mutual aid arrangements in place to make sure that salt is made available to the areas that it is most needed.
12.1.10
FREE MUSIC EVENINGS AT HORNCHURCH LIBRARY |
Recorded music played on excellent quality sound equipment. All programmes start at 7.45pm and admission is FREE !
LONDON PLAN - YOUR VIEWS NEEDED |
Further Risks to our Green Belt
The Mayor of London has published his London Plan for consultation. Whilst the plan covers many aspects, one area which impacts directly on Havering and in particular areas where there is Green Belt land, is the proposal that between now and 2017 Havering will have to accommodate 42 additional pitches for Gypsy and Travellers or Travelling Show People.
COUNCILLOR IN 13,000 FT SKYDIVE DRAMA |
With new year resolutions abound, Cllr Clarence Barrett (RA, Cranham) has undertaken to leap from a plane at 13,000 feet in a tandem skydive before parachuting down to terra firma.
SIXTH UNIT AT CRANHAM GARDENS REFUSED |
Following representations by Cranham councillors, planning permission to construct an additional dwelling at 155 & 157 Cranham Gardens has been refused by the Council.
SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS |
There have been many enquiries about the severe weather conditions currently being experienced and the council's response to it. The following is a fact file which residents may find useful.
EXTRA VAT ON CAR PARK CHARGES SHOULD GIVE FREE BOXING DAY PARKING |
An additional £20,500 of car parking income has been generated by the Council by not passing on the reduction of VAT from 17.5 per cent to 15 per cent from December 2008.
ADVERT INCOME HITS £500,000 SHORTFALL |
Income from advertising on council assets (lampposts, roundabouts, etc) is projected to underachieve by £500,000 this year. The information was given in response to a question at Full Council by Leader of the Residents' Group, Cllr Clarence Barrett, following concerns about income shortfalls in the previous year.
101 ARRESTS IN KNIFE CRIME DRIVE |
Figures released by the Metropolitan Police show a 4.6% decrease in the total number of offences committed in Havering for the year ending October 2009. Motor vehicle crime saw a 31% drop on last year while burglaries saw a 9% increase. The total number offences for the 12-month period to October 2009 amounted to 17,272 compared with 18,070 for the same period in 2008.
POLL SAYS KEEP DARTFORD CROSSING PUBLIC |
A record busting 94 per cent of readers agreed that the Dartford Crossing should be kept in public ownership. That's the outcome of an on-line poll conducted by the Havering Residents' Association in response to the recent Government announcement that the Crossing, among other public assets, may be sold off .
HAVERING IN WINTER PHOTO COMPETITION |
The Havering Residents' Association has launched a photographic competition with the theme of ‘Havering in Winter'.
First prize is two tickets to The Pyjama Game to be performed at the Queens Theatre on 14 th and 15 th February 2010. The tickets have been kindly donated by the producers, the Havering Music Makers. There will also be prizes for 2 nd and 3 rd places.
CHRISTMAS COMES TO CRANHAM |
Christmas begins in Cranham this Saturday (5 th Dec) when the annual best ‘Christmas shop window' display will be judged by the Deputy Mayor of Havering.
St Lukes Choir will be give a rendition of carols at 12 noon in the Village before the Deputy Mayor judges the best Christmas shop window at 1pm. The Social Centre in Front Lane will be open to all for mince pies and other festive cheer.
MUSHROOM FARM PROPOSALS SPARK CONCERNS |
With the demise of the Mushroom Farm in Folkes Lane, Cranham, a planning application (P1443.09) has been received which is seeking a significant change of use of many units from agricultural use to office, research & development, light industrial, general storage and distribution use.
TONY COTTEE OPENS NEW PLAYGROUND AT CORBETS TEY SCHOOL |
Corbets Tey School, based in Upminster, held two very important assemblies last week. Both were to mark the opening of their brand new playground and to say a proper thank you to everyone involved in raising funds for this project.
M25 MEGA WORKS COMPOUND AT JUNCTION 29 |
In recent months motorists passing Junction 29 of the M25 will have noticed the emergence of a works compound.
The 30-acre site, on the boundary of Brentwood and Cranham, is a works compound for the M25 road-widening scheme. The project, scheduled to finish by the summer of 2012, covers the M25 between junctions 27 and 30 (about 22.6km) and will widen the motorway from 6 to 8 lanes.
ROMFORD DRUM & TRUMPET WIN £50,000 |
The Romford Band and Trumpet Corps are winners of £50,000 from the Big Lottery Fund!
Following applications from over 800 bodies in the London Region for the Peoples Millions, the Corps were in the final head-to-head with a Hackney music club on Monday when votes were cast throughout the day.
AVON ROAD SHOP APPLICATION |
A further planning application to build a 3-storey shop incorporating a 3-bedroom maisonette on land adjacent to 151 Avon Road (next to former Munchies café) has been received by the Council. A previous application (P1278.09) was turned down on the grounds that the proposal would appear unacceptably dominant, intrusive and harmful to the appearance of the surrounding area.
VOTE FOR ROMFORD BAND AND TRUMPET CORPS! |
The Romford Band and Trumpet Corps could be the winners of £50,000 from the Big Lottery Fund with your help!
Following applications from over 800 bodies in the London Region for the Peoples Millions, the Corps are in a final head-to-head with a Hackney music club to win the cash which would be used to establish a permanent home.
The band has been going for 52 years and has played in front of world wide audiences at the FA Cup Final and performed to Heads of State
Voting begins at 9am on Monday and lasts until midnight. The number to call will be advertised on Monday at www.peoplesmillions.org.uk .
THE CORPS NEED YOUR VOTE!
20.11.09
PUPILS PRIZE RECYCLING |
Pupils from four schools have won prizes for collecting the most recycling in a competition organised by Havering Council.
The competition to see which school could collect the most paper, tins and cans per pupil in one month was aimed at making children more aware of the importance of recycling.
HAROLD WOOD HOSPITAL DEVELOPMENT DEFERRED |
The Planning (Regulatory Services) Committee last week (12 Nov) deferred an application for the redevelopment of 12.69 hectares of land at Harold Wood Hospital to provide 874 dwellings. The application was deferred on three main points; 1) t he size of the 9-storey building, 2) further information on Traffic and 3) the ratio of flats to houses.
GAYNES SCHOOL 1940's XMAS DANCE |
Gaynes School Parents' Association will be holding a 1940's Christmas dance on the 5 th December (7pm until 11pm) in the main school at Brackendale Gardens, Upminster.
Tickets are limited to just 150 and are priced at £10 each (please remember to bring your own rations & beverages). There will be a live band (The Zoltans), entertainment from the Bretons entertainers and a 1940's DJ plus a professional photographer to capture everyone on the evening (1940's dress is strongly encouraged).
For any further information please contact Diane 07982249138 or 01708 508080.
15.11.09
UPMINSTER HISTORY TALK AT LIBRARY |
Upminster Library in Corbets Tey Road will be hosting a local history event next week when local historian Richard Moorey will give a talk about the history of Upminster.
The talk, accompanied by a fascinating slideshow, is entitled "A Pictorial Stroll Around Old Upminster" and takes place at 3 pm on November 19 th - and there are still some tickets available at just £2 each.
Tickets are available from any Havering Library or can be reserved on 01708 434933.
Ed's (Cllr Barrett) note: I have attended a talk by Richard on the history of Upminster before and can thoroughly recommend it.
13.11.09
CONSULTANTS COST COUNCIL £1.6M PER YEAR |
A recent question to a Full Council meeting revealed that external consultants are costing Havering Council an average of £1.6 million per year over the last four years.
SPORTS STORE FINED FOR RUBBISH OFFENCES |
A sports store has been slapped with Havering's biggest ever fine for not disposing of waste properly.
JD Sports store in South Street, Romford, was ordered to pay £11,705 after repeatedly dumping cardboard boxes behind the store under a fire escape staircase and in the road.
CRANHAM GARDEN IS BLOOMING GREAT! |
The Havering in Bloom awards were announced last week with the category of Best Front Garden being won by Maureen Reed of Willow Walk, Cranham.
The winners of the best senior school award went to Campion, while the best school hanging basket category was won by Dunningford Primary School.
AVON ROAD SHOP REJECTED |
Planning permission to build a 3-storey shop incorporating a 3-bedroom maisonette on land adjacent to 151 Avon Road (next to former Munchies café) was recently refused by the Council on the grounds that the proposal would appear unacceptably dominant, intrusive and harmful to the appearance of the surrounding area.
The proposal (P1278.09) was vigorously opposed by Cranham Residents' Association councillors and the outcome underlines the importance of opposing applications which can lead to overdevelopment and are detrimental to the local environment.
4.5.09
COUNCIL'S PARKING DECISION IGNORES ECONOMIC REALITY SAYS ESSEX FEDERATION OF SMALL BUSINESSES |
Following the rejection of the Residents' Association motion to suspend out-of-town (outside Romford) car parking charges by the Conservative Administration, the Essex FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) has claimed that the decision to reject the proposal and continue with car park charges in out of town shopping areas will cause problems for businesses in the Borough.
CRIME FIGURES DOWN |
Figures released by the Metropolitan Police show a 5.6% decrease in the total number of offences committed in Havering for the year ending September 2009. Motor vehicle crime saw a 31% drop on last year while burglaries saw a 9% increase. The total number offences for the 12-month period to September 2009 amounted to 17,214 compared with 18,179 for the same period in 2008.
Among the changes were:
- 31% decrease in motor vehicle crime (from 2,918 to 2,234)
- 6% increase in all violence against the person (from 3,007 to 3,188)
- 9% increase in all burglaries (from 2,392 to 2,596)
- 20% increase in racist crime (from 207 to 249)
- 14% increase in domestic crime (from 824 to 939)
There was one homicide in the year to September 2009 compared with two to the year ending in September 2008.
To view the complete set of figures please visit -
http://www.met.police.uk/crimefigures/
datatable.php?borough=kd&period=year
30.10.09
POLICE ADVICE FOR HALLOWEEN |
With Halloween upon us, the Police have issued advice to tricksters, treaters and householders.
For fun and safety, trick or treating is always better in groups of friends. Don't split up into smaller groups.
Younger children should only go 'Trick or treating' when supervised by an adult. Stay with them.
MASONS ARMS ‘HELP FOR HEROES' DAY |
The Masons Arms in St Mary's Lane, Upminster, will be holding a charity fundraiser event for British service personnel and their families as part of the ‘Help for Heroes' campaign on Saturday 28 th November.
The event begins at 12 noon and includes Tug O' War, Fancy Dress, 50's Police Car Rides, Jive Display, Tombola, Big Prize Raffle and lots more beside. The fun continues into the evening with live music hosted by D.J. Matt from Force FM.
For more information visit http://www.themasonsarmsupminster.co.uk or call the Masons Arms 01708 640633.
25.10.09
TORIES REJECT SUSPENSION OF CAR PARKING CHARGES |
At Full Council last night the Conservative Administration rejected a motion put forward by the Residents' Association to suspend car parking charges at sites outside of Romford aimed at stimulating local trade during the recession.
ALL ABOARD FOR ROUTEMASTER BUS SERVICE FROM UPMINSTER |
Passengers will be able to hop on a classic routemaster bus in December.
A "Heritage" bus service will operate on Saturday 5th December, between Grays/Lakeside and Upminster station, serving all existing bus stops along the route. It is intended that operation of this special service will also run only on the first Saturday in December in future years too.
RSPB GIVE HELPING HAND TO GO WILD IN YOUR GARDEN |
Don't hide inside, just because summer has passed and the colder months are here. That's the message from the RSPB, urging everyone to get outside and get active now to help garden wildlife all through the winter.
The RSPB's Feed The Birds Day this year falls on 24 th October. It's a gentle reminder that garden wildlife needs our help during the colder months of the year.
KEEP THE CROSSING PUBLIC & SCRAP THE TOLL |
SIGN THE PETITION TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
The proposed sell-off of the Dartford Crossing will mean that the toll will not only remain but is likely to increase significantly as private operators seek to maximise profits.
The Crossing should not be sold off and, furthermore, the toll should be scrapped at the earliest possible opportunity in order to prevent the unacceptable levels of delay, pollution and cost to business.
SIGN THE PETITION TO THE PRIME MINISTER TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
http://www.gopetition.com/online/31379.html
12.10.09
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M25 Road Widening
AVON ROAD SHOP |
RA SHADOW CABINET 2008/09 |