News for the community, by the community.
The possible cancellation of two St George’s Day parades in Havering sparked concern across the community this week. But in an extraordinary show of local support, a Collier Row businessman has stepped in to personally fund the entire amount needed to keep the much loved events alive.
Residents are being urged to have their say on controversial plans that could see a huge data centre campus built on Green Belt land in Havering.
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Havering residents were once again queuing across supermarket fuel stations yesterday as petrol prices rose sharply across the borough.
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On the 23rd of February 2026, the government released its long-anticipated SEND White Paper. The White Paper sets out proposed changes
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Residents in Harold Hill are raising growing concerns over the lack of public toilet facilities, with some elderly residents saying they are being forced into humiliating situations simply because there is nowhere else to go.
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Havering Green Party have launched their “Change for the Better” campaign for the May 7th local elections, fielding candidates with a strong mix of experience, local knowledge and community commitment in every council seat.
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Two Romford Conservative councillors have reaffirmed their loyalty to the Conservative Party, making clear their commitment to the residents who elected them and the principles they were chosen to represent.
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Across Havering, countless residents are opposing proposals for development on Green Belt land. Let us take a step back in time. Spring and summers were full of birds. Trees were their habitat and swallows marked the start of summer. Endless insects arrived, noticeable in your garden. Foxes were heard at night. Badger setts were visible in fields. Our wildlife was present.
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Local environmental activists in Hornchurch have come together to build a hopeful resolution with Network Rail and their contractors, Homegrown Timber, for 40 carefully and collaboratively planned new trees.
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Residents in Havering will be paying almost 5% more in council tax from April. Havering Council is set to approve a tax hike of 4.99% for 2026/27, according to a recently published report writes Sebastian Mann.
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Animal Justice Project (AJP), with the support of TV celebrity Peter Egan, has secured sanctuary placement for 51 Jersey cows at Hillside Animal Sanctuary in Norfolk and has launched a nationwide petition urging the farmer to relinquish the animals. Campaigners say that a sanctuary home would allow these “working mothers” to live out the rest of their lives in peace, free from the threat of slaughter.
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Havering should have had an updated Air Quality Action Plan in 2023. But it’s been put on hold yet again by the council’s Havering Residents’ Association administration. And now we’re in 2026. We have been told that this urgent unfinished business is now being left till after the May council elections.
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A new report from the public policy think tank Re:State is calling for a major overhaul of how London’s local government is organised, suggesting a dramatic reduction in the number of boroughs and the creation of an official “opposition mayor” role to strengthen democratic checks and improve strategic governance across the capital.
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Residents fighting the proposed East Havering Data Centre are stepping up pressure on Havering Council, demanding the maximum possible consultation
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Havering is singled out as one of the worst-affected boroughs, with four Green Belt and open land sites- Lodge Farm, Baldwins Farm, Benets Road and a proposed data centre in North Ockendon, highlighted as being under threat.
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Eating more fruit and vegetables is one of the simplest ways to boost your health and wellbeing. But as we head to the supermarket, one thing becomes immediately clear: the majority of our produce is wrapped in heavy plastic. From organic apples to sweet long peppers, our fruit and vegetables sit on the shelf tightly sealed, often in layers of packaging.
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Kaleidoscope is currently the only dedicated LGBTQ+ space in Havering, providing monthly community meetups for locals aged 17-24, since it was established in 2022. The success of Kaleidoscope has now led to a new 5-month project aimed at providing a social and creative space for those aged 25+, funded by Havering Council’s ‘Community Chest’. The outcome of this project will be a series of community-designed LGBTQ+ Pride stickers which will be displayed in shop windows around Romford to foster a more welcoming atmosphere for a marginalised community.
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A study launched this week by Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK) has found residues of the weedkiller glyphosate and its toxic breakdown product AMPA in English playgrounds raising serious concerns about children’s exposure to potentially harmful chemicals in public spaces.
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Labour councils across London have committed to defending the Freedom Pass in full after strong opposition to proposals that could
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Havering has done it. Our borough has been crowned first place winner at this year’s London New Year’s Day Parade, beating every other London borough in the capital’s biggest and most celebrated annual event.
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