‘Launders Lane Steering Group Has Been Telling The Council For Three Years About The Serious Impact This Site Is Having-A High Court Judge Has Now Validated This.’

“Please Havering Council-for all our sake’s use these court findings proactively, give urgent attention to this very critical matter, the residents and their children’s lives depend on it.“

Residents living in Rainham were able to finally celebrate a victory yesterday as the High Court ruled that Havering Council have acted unlawfully over Launders Lane, the toxic landfill site. Endless comments and quotes have been issued, but the most important people to listen to-are those who have had to live next to these fires-the Launders Lane Steering Group.

The group who have lived with over twenty years of choking fumes, not being able to open their windows throughout the summer, allow their children to play in the garden, wear masks inside their homes and have an endless series of serious health issues such as COPD and cancers-were delighted with the news.

“Not only are we delighted with this news, but also the fact that this is the result we wanted. What the court has done is to validate what the steering group and residents have been saying all along,” Catherine from the Launders Lane Steering Group told the Havering Daily.

“As Clear the Air has said this really is a huge step forward one of which we are frightened to get excited about as we all know Havering doesn’t like to be proved wrong. The steering group has been telling the council for almost three years of the serious impact the site is having on residents and schools. What the judge has said, validates what we’ve been saying.”

These residents endure summers that consist of choking fumes and endless fires and have been fighting for years to make their voices heard.

“We have begged and pleaded with the council to act on the fact that this land was registered as Green Belt, did they listen, of course not. It’s quite worrying to find that the judge believes they misunderstood the law, when time and time again their response to the steering group and residents bordered on contempt as if we didn’t know what we were talking about.

“How many times have residents told the council of how they were suffering the effects of toxic smoke with those with more serious respiratory health issues suffering unbearably . Now the judge has validated our position by saying “The Council wrongly ignored the effects of toxic smoke”. The first ITV news report and the findings of Dr Elizabeth Cooper, spelt those facts out but, Havering Council said the time Dr Cooper spent testing wasn’t long enough. Validated again,” continued Catherine.

The spotlight is once again on this toxic landfill site in Rainham, with residents keeping their fingers crossed that something will finally be done and hoping that the council now listen to them.

“We remain extremely concerned about the missing monitoring data but then again they’d be none now because we have no monitors. Given the court’s findings and the fact that the land needs proper legal assessment, our question to Havering Council would be just how quickly is this proper assessment going to take? Given the fact that the landowner is willing to remediate the land, will the council look for ways to speed up the process of working more effectively with the landowner, is there now a renewed willingness to do this?”

The steering group finish with a desperate plea to Havering council.

“Finally and this really is a plea from the steering group and residents. Yes the council’s shortfalls have very much been highlighted in these findings. Please, rather than do what Havering Council always seems to do and come back appealing against the findings. Take them on board, learn lessons from them and please, please for all our sake’s use them proactively, give urgent attention to this very critical matter, the residents and their children’s lives depend on it. There is still time to turn this around so please do so.”

Catherine,Coral, Sean and all the residents who have lived with this awful situation for so many years now, need to be heard and have the right, to have a summer where they can open their windows like the rest of Havering.

The Member of Parliament for Romford-Andrew Rosindell was invited to join campaigner Ruth Kettle-Frisby at the Parliament Summit last week for Zane’s Law, that highlighted the horrendous impacts toxic landfill sites can have. Mr Rosindell was truly appalled by what he heard and has vowed to support residents as a Havering MP.

“This is a tremendous victory for the people of Rainham. For too long, residents have suffered the dangerous consequences of inaction at Launders Lane – yesterday, the court has confirmed that the Council got it wrong!

I want to congratulate Ruth and everyone who stood firm and demanded better for their community. I stand with the people of Rainham as one of Havering’s MPs,” Mr Rosindell told the Havering Daily.

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