Reform UK Marks First 100 Days Running Havering With A Pledge To Put ‘Havering First’.
Reform UK’s administration at Havering Council marks its first 100 days in office, highlighting progress on Gallows Corner, council finances, temporary accommodation, HMOs, street cleaning and Launders Lane, while setting out its ambition to make Havering ‘London’s Super Suburb’.
Speaking at Full Council last night, ahead of the administration reaching its 100-day milestone this Friday, Leader of Havering Council, Councillor Keith Prince AM, said the first months of the new administration had been focused on stabilising the Council, understanding the scale of the challenges it inherited and beginning to deliver visible change for residents.
Among the progress highlighted was Gallows Corner, where Cllr Prince made completing the long-running works one of his first priorities after taking office.
After setting Essex & Suffolk Water and Transport for London a firm deadline to complete the project, Essex & Suffolk Water has now finished its work and handed the site back to TfL.
The junction is expected to fully reopen by the end of September.
Cllr Prince said:
“When residents elected Reform UK in May, they voted for change. They wanted a Council prepared to challenge the way things had always been done, get a grip on the finances, stand up for residents and restore pride and ambition to Havering.
“Our first 100-days were never about pretending every problem could be solved overnight. They were about putting the foundations in place and beginning to deliver.”
The administration has undertaken a comprehensive review of Havering Council’s financial position ahead of the next budget-setting process, with a renewed emphasis on value for money.
Work to reduce the cost of temporary accommodation is already expected to deliver around £1 million in annual savings, while the Council works with providers to secure better and more suitable accommodation for Havering families.
The Council has also delivered a Summer Deep Clean of Romford town centre, including enhanced cleaning and jet washing, with plans now being developed to extend the approach to other town centres across the borough.
Further measures being considered include stronger penalties for littering, graffiti and fly-tipping.
Cllr Prince added:
“Civic pride means having a Council prepared to clean up our borough, but it also means taking action against those who make a mess of it.
“We want residents to feel proud of where they live and to know that their Council is on their side.”
The administration has also begun its promised crackdown on Houses in Multiple Occupation.
A consultation is currently underway on extending an Article 4 Direction across Havering, which would mean new HMOs would require planning permission rather than automatically being able to proceed through permitted development rights.
The Council has also launched consultation on a borough-wide Public Spaces Protection Order, aimed at giving the authority additional tools to tackle anti-social behaviour.
At Launders Lane, the Leader confirmed that the Council is escalating its response after permission for temporary mitigation works was withheld by the landowner.
The Council is preparing further enforcement action, including a possible Remediation Notice, while considering use of its Step-In powers if those legally responsible fail to act.
Cllr Prince has also written to the Secretary of State for the Environment calling for DEFRA to consider Government-funded clearance or remediation.
He said:
“Residents around Launders Lane have lived with fires, smoke and disruption for far too long.
“Havering residents deserve the same urgency and determination that Government and the Environment Agency have shown at other serious illegal waste sites around the country.
“We will pursue every enforcement, legal and political avenue available until residents get the resolution they deserve.”
The Council has also highlighted efforts to bring more activity into Havering’s parks and town centres, including the Summer Music Sessions at Raphael Park, the return of the outdoor cinema at Upminster Windmill and the Meet Me By The Fountain programme in Romford.
The administration is now preparing to move beyond its initial 100-day programme with the forthcoming publication of The Havering Plan: 2040, setting out a long-term vision for the borough.
Cllr Prince said:
“Havering has an enormous opportunity.
“We sit at the gateway between London and Essex. We have fantastic parks, historic villages, established communities and town centres with huge potential.
“I want Havering to become London’s Super Suburb – combining the opportunities that come with being part of London with the quality of life people traditionally associate with living outside inner London.
“There will be one governing principle running through everything this administration does: Havering First.
“Havering people, businesses, jobs, schools and communities first – and when we spend taxpayers’ money, Havering taxpayers first.
The first 100 days have been about laying the foundations. The Havering Plan: 2040 will be about building the future.”
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