‘We feel like we are fighting a losing battle everyday.’

The infamous mound at the back of the new Harrow Lodge leisure centre still remains and is now creating anti social behaviour despite residents’ year long battle to have it removed.

“It’s still there,” tells us Tina Vorley who lives behind a large mound of earth at the back of the new Harrow Lodge leisure centre in Hornchurch. “We were assured that it would be removed and told repeatedly that it wouldn’t be staying, that it was just there during building works and of course it would go. Yet here we are a year on and the mound is still there. Not only is it still there, but it is now being used by teenagers who access it by breaking the fence and going there to let off fire works.”

Tina and other residents whose properties back this mound have been fighting for a year to have the mound remove since it was first established.

“We were told that whilst they were building the new leisure centre it was just a temporary measure and that obviously it wasn’t going to stay. However, the centre is now built and active and the mound shows no signs of going. Nobody wants to meet with us, I am repeatedly emailing and phoning council officials asking for a meeting to discuss this.

“We have now been told that the council have passed this on to Everyone Active and that the mound now belongs to them. Still no one wants to help us and have this mound removed.No one is taking responsibility for it.

“Remedial drainage work was done and that then left water everywhere. We really feel like we are fighting a losing battle.”

Havering Residents Association Councillor Ray Morgan has been working with Tina and other local residents to have this issued resolved.

Councillor Morgon told the Havering Daily:

“I recently visited the area and now after work done, there are actually two mounds. There is water that has been left hanging about at the bottom of the hill where you can see ducks sitting happily on top of it. It is a shame as that used to be a nice part of the park used by dog walkers and now is ruined and left unusable.

“I saw the broken fences where teenagers are accessing the mound and saw the debris of left over fireworks. This really is a health and safety issue now as well as a danger because of the anti social behaviour.

“It is crazy really that no one seems to be worried about this.They shouldn’t have been able to dump their spoil there in the first place. Most companies have to remove the spoil not leave it there. More neglect from the council.”