Havering Friends of the Earth voice their concerns over the recent Rainham flooding.

Havering Friends of the Earth has been campaigning on environmental issues in the borough for more than a decade. They are part of a national organisation and can draw on their expertise and experience. They are non party-political and are active with national campaigns such as the Bee Cause, to try to stop the decline of bees. They encourage pollinator-friendly gardening and planting, and reducing the use of pesticides.

They are also pushing for more recycling in the borough, and for better air quality, and a halt to the erosion of green spaces by over development and landfill improvements.

Ian Pirie from Havering Friends of the Earth told the Havering Daily: ” We were saddened to learn of yet more flooding of houses in the borough recently, due to very rainfall.

“In December of 2019 Havering Friends of the Earth wrote to the council pointing out that in the current climate crisis flooding is going to be more likely, and we asked what was being done to prepare for flooding emergencies.

“The council also had the chance some time ago to declare a climate emergency, and turned it down. There are now at least 282 1st and 2nd tier councils in this country who have declared a climate emergency. Havering’s complacency over this is to be deplored. 

“Cllr White can you not see that this flooding is the result of the climate emergency? When is this council going to take seriously the disruption that will be caused by even more heavy rainfall in the future?”