‘We Can’t Live Like This’: Furious Rainham Residents Take To The Streets Over Launders Lane Fires
‘NO MORE TOXIC AIR’ — that was the message emblazoned across placards as angry Rainham residents took part in a protest on Saturday over the long-running problems surrounding Launders Lane.
Residents who have spent years living close to the site came out to make their frustration heard, with vehicles passing the protest and tooting their horns in support.
The Havering Daily joined residents at the protest as they spoke about what they say is the devastating impact the ongoing fires and smoke are having on their everyday lives.
For some, simply opening a window on a summer’s day has become something they say they cannot take for granted.
Resident Christine told the Havering Daily:
“We wake up with choking smells and we struggle to breathe. I have been battling lung cancer for years. I take sprays for my nose, sprays for my throat, sprays for everything. We have endless machines to help us battle against the toxic air. This has been going on too long. We can’t live like this.”
Another resident, Stan, spoke about the impact the situation has had on his family.
“It is awful, my wife has COPD and has been in hospital ten times. We believe someone will die before anything is done here.”
Residents say their anger has been building for years.
They questioned what they describe as the failure to resolve the problems surrounding the site and expressed frustration over what they believe has been a lack of meaningful action.
The community has also raised concerns about the status of the land and what residents believe should be done to address the environmental conditions around Launders Lane.
The anger is not simply about the latest fire.
Residents say they have been dealing with smoke, smells, dust and soot for years — and believe the problem has continued for far too long.
‘We clean our windows virtually every day’
Photographs recently shared on Facebook by a resident living close to Launders Lane appear to show dust and soot accumulating on windowsills.
The resident said they have been forced to clean the affected areas virtually every day.
Used wipes shared with the images show the extent of the residue the resident says they are dealing with inside their home.
For those living closest to the site, residents say the problem can feel relentless.
They describe trying to prevent smoke and smog from entering their homes and say that during hot weather, when most people would expect to open their windows, they instead find themselves trying to keep them shut.
‘It will take someone dying’
Perhaps the most powerful message from Saturday’s protest was the fear among residents that they will continue to be ignored until something even more serious happens.
Some protesters said they fear it will take someone losing their life before meaningful action is taken.
That is a view expressed by residents, rather than an established fact, but it demonstrates the depth of anger within the community.
Residents are demanding answers.
They want to know what is being done about the repeated fires, the smoke and the wider problems surrounding Launders Lane.
They also want greater reassurance about the impact on the communities living closest to the site.
‘We can’t live like this’
For people who do not live in Rainham, it can be difficult to understand what residents say daily life has become like.
But for those living close to Launders Lane, this is their home.
They say they should not have to spend hot summer days worrying about whether they can safely open their windows.
They should not have to repeatedly clean residue from their windowsills.
And they should not have to watch yet another fire break out across the land surrounding their homes.
The protest on Saturday showed that the anger has not gone away.
If anything, residents say it is growing.
Their message was clear:
Enough is enough.
They want action, they want answers — and they want to be able to live in their homes without constantly worrying about the next fire.
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