Havering Council-“Residents Are Relying On You To Make The Right Decision In Regards To The Land On Launders Lane.”

By Ruth Kettle-Frisby – Guest Writer and Community Activist

Ruth is passionate about fostering positive change within the local community and regularly contributes insights and stories to The Havering Daily.

Clear The Air in Havering Campaigner Ruth Kettle Frisby has written to Havering Council urging them to make the correct decision in regards to Launders Lane in Rainham. Campaigners are hoping that following a court ruling in their favour that went against Havering Council’s decision to rule Launders Lane land as ‘not contaminated’, the council will now take the right steps to help residents.

Please see the letter below:

Dear Havering Council,

Residents are extremely concerned about your imminent new decision regarding the contamination status of the illegal landfill on Arnolds Field, Launders Lane.

I appeal to you to take into account the following important factors when making your decision:

 • The evidence-based significant impact of the spikes in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during the fires; this summer, these have been ongoing from Mid-May.

 • An assessment of the impact of the site and its fires on themental as well as physical health of Rainham residents.

• Since 2022, Rainham has become a hot spot for increasing incidents of wildfires. In this context, leaving such a large site constantly smouldering is reckless given the palpable impacts of climate change here in Havering.

 Page 11 of the UK’s Climate Change Committee’s April 2025 Adaptation Report states that:

 “The period between October 2022 to March 2024 was the wettest 18-months on record for England. Large amounts of farmland were underwater for long periods, which led to the second worst arable harvest in England since modern harvest records began. This came on the back of record-breaking heatwaves in summer 2022, which saw temperatures exceeding 40°C for the first time in many places and resulted in a record level of nearly 3,000 heat-related deaths recorded in England. Simultaneously, the hot and dry conditions in summer 2022 led to an unprecedented number of wildfires, with many fire and rescue services declaring major incidents in July 2022 following a 500% increase in 999 calls.”

• This report means that Havering Council’s monitoring period has taken place during the wettest 18 months on record, therefore it is unlikely to accurately reflect the danger the site on Launders Lane poses at its worst. 

Residents are relying on you to make the right decision, taking into proper account this relevant information regarding climate change, significant health impacts, and air quality data assessment methodology.

Yours sincerely,

Ruth Kettle-Frisby

On behalf of Clear the Air In Havering

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.