Launders Lane Residents Meet With Dagenham And Rainham MP.

Concerned local residents met with the Member of Parliament for Dagenham and Rainham, Margaret Mullane MP, on Friday 19 September to discuss proposals to stop the ongoing scandal of underground fires at Arnolds Field, Launders Lane.

The really positive meeting heard residents’ frustrations with the apparent lack of progress with reaching a solution and the damage to the health of people in Rainham were expressed by those present.Disappointment was shared about the inaction with a promised planning application which was claimed would resolve the problem.

Margaret Mullane stated her anger at the situation and set out actions and pressure that she has and is continuing to put in place. Among these issues, she is to go back to Thompsons solicitors with the documented reports of individuals whose health has been damaged. 

Margaret told the Havering Daily “The residents have suffered for far too long, we can’t have another year of pollution impacting lives. 

In the absence of the landowner taking any responsibility for getting any form of remediation underway at Arnolds Field, I am calling on all relevant public sector bodies, such as the GLA / London Fire Brigade, Environment Agency / DEFRAto jointly fund with Havering the system that theCouncil has identified.

This will not only help protect residents, it will also be a sensible ‘invest to save’ measure. HaveringCouncil is estimating it will have to spend close to £1.5m dealing with the aftermath of the problem. I have also asked the London Fire Brigade how much attending to the fires has cost.”

It was agreed that the residents and Margaret will meet on a regular basis to ensure a good flow of information. 

Margaret added “It is vital that I hear the detailed concerns of those who are directly impacted by this blight on their lives so that I can put pressure to bear.I am so pleased that we have set up our next session.

I will be meeting in the next two weeks with the officials in Parliament who are undertaking the study into the health impacts of historic landfill sites such as Launders Lane. My plan is to use the findings of the report and its recommendations when it is published early in the New Year to lobby for national action.”  

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