EXCLUSIVE:’It’s truly unbelievable our houses still haven’t been built and we are being held to ransom with a three year tax levy’.

Wennington residents who lost their houses in the fire have still not had their homes rebuilt and are now faced with a three year tax levy if they move.

“They really are preying on people’s feelings. We haven’t even had one brick laid in the re-building of our homes and we now have a Community Infrastructure Levy to deal with,” Carol told the Havering Daily. Carol and her family were one of the eighteen families whose homes burnt down in the terrible Wennington fire in 2022.

“We have signed forms that allow us to be exempt from paying over £7,000 to Havering Council and over £3,000 to City Hall. However, it states that if we move in the three year period, then we have to pay all of this money. How is that acceptable? Some people here have mental health issues after the fire and are struggling to return to their properties-what are they supposed to do?

“Landlords who rent the property have been told they have to pay this tax levy.Why? Nobody chose to have their home destroyed and why should people pay for an infrastructure levy , what new infrastructure is there here?

“As a community, we have already been through so much and now we have this to deal with. It really is unbelievable. I am lost for words at the lack of compassion people seem to have. We should not be held to a three year period or forced to pay over £10,000.”

The fire destroyed eighteen homes in Wennington in the summer last year and was the biggest disaster Havering has seen. Yet, despite all this time, no building has been started and these families are still nowhere near having their homes back.

Carol continued: “Not one brick has been laid, everything has taken so long.People are still very traumatised at losing their homes and now we have this additional worry to add to our problems.

“We can’t see any infrastructure here that we should pay for. Look at Beam Park, they were promised a station and a doctors surgery and have had neither. All these issues have upset people a great deal. Our community has suffered enough, surely we should be exempt from this three year period and not have it hanging over our heads.”

The Dagenham and Rainham MP Jon Cruddas has been working with local residents in Wennington, he told the Havering Daily:

“I have been advocating on behalf of those residents who lost their homes since the tragic event itself last summer. Residents of Wennington who lost everything through no fault of their own are now looking to rebuild their homes only to find that they have CIL liability. Havering Council have stated the legislation is inflexible and prescriptive at a local level, so I am contacting the Minister for Housing and Local Government to seek exemptions in these unprecedented and exceptional development circumstances.”

Labour Prospective Parliamentary Candidate fro Dagenham and Rainham Margaret Mullane told the Havering Daily:

“I just can’t believe that families who have suffered a traumatic event are being penalised for trying to rebuild their lives. I understand the red tape in place at a planning level and will be lobbying government alongside Jon Cruddas MP to intervene on this situation. Havering Council are signposting Wennington residents to the existing CIL exemptions, but these exemptions take no consideration of the situation which has led to redevelopment. This urgently needs looking at.”

Rainham Ward Councillor Sue Ospreay told the Havering Daily:

“i am always there to support the community and my understanding is that the levy applies to landlords. However, my heart goes out to the residents who have already suffered enough.”

Stay up to date with all of our latest updates and content by following us on our social media accounts!

We have created community pages where we will share our up-to-date stories happening in the area. Add the area closest to where you live.

Support Local Journalism
We at The Havering Daily appreciate your support of quality journalism. Your generous donation, no matter the size, allows us to continue bringing unbiased and informative news to the community. Your contribution helps us maintain our independence and allows us to continue providing high-quality journalism. Thank you for valuing the work we do and for supporting our mission

Thank you