VIDEO: Angry Rainham residents meet to discuss on going Launders Lane fires

On Thursday 28th July, angry residents from Rainham and the surrounding areas amassed at the La Salette Social Club in Rainham to discuss the ongoing plight of the Launders Lane fires.

The meeting, which was arranged by Rainham resident Mark Wheatley, saw over 180 residents show up to discuss how they can work together to bring this crisis to an end. Residents had the chance to hear from the Wennington LFB Station Commander about the challenges the LFB face tackling the fires, including not being able to access the land fully, due to cavities filled with burning waste below the surface making it unsafe for his team to walk on. This means that not all of the land can be reached by their hoses and equipment and some parts continue to burn.

Havering’s Leader of the council, Councillor Ray Morgon attended the meeting along with other local councillors from Rainham and Wennington, South Hornchurch and Beam Park. Residents are angry that the previous administration never dealt with this matter, however Cllr. Morgon assured residents he is on their side and will do everything in his power to bring this nightmare to an end.

For over 10 years, residents have endured potentially toxic fumes and poor air quality due to the continuous fires which the LFB have never been able to fully extinguish. The issue lies with the fact the land was used as a landfill for many years and pockets of waste under the surface continually stay alight, eventually reaching the surface again and filling Rainham with smoke and fumes.

Due to the previous land owner being in prison, this is thought to have delayed any action taken to resolve the problem in the past, however, now that there is a new owner, residents are demanding that action is taken immediately.

This Monday (1st August 2022), a multi-disciplinary team involving council officials, local councillors, officers from Public Protection, Planning, Planning Enforcement, Environmental Enforcement, and the London Fire Brigade will meet to discuss what can be done to assess the risks posed by the fires and bring an end to them once and for all. It is believed the current land owner has been invited to this meeting.