Massive Countil Tax Debt

According to the 2008/09 Council accounts, residential Council Tax debt has increased by £2.6m since 2006 and now stands at a breathtaking £13.8m, despite an average of £2.8m being written off in each of the last three years.

Information emerging from a Council question by Leader of the Residents' Association, Cllr Clarence Barrett, revealed that there were 10,413 recovery actions for council tax arrears in 2008/09. Of those actions, there were:

81 Attachment to earnings orders
244 State benefit reductions
7,174 referrals to bailiffs
30 bankruptcies obtained
264 summons to court

The balance were either withdrawn or paid up.

In 2006/07 there were 9,461 recovery actions and in 2007/08 10,500.

Cllr Barrett said: "It is important that Council Tax debt is pursued in a firm, fair and efficient manner, and that residents who pay should not be expected to subsidise those who do not.
"However, despite an average of £2.8m being written off in each of the last three years, it is very worrying that residential council tax debt has now increased by £2.6m to £13.8m under the watch of this Tory council".

notes:

Residential council tax debt (as per LBH statement of accounts)

2005/06 £11.205m
2006/07 £11.526m
2007/08 £12.523m
2008/09 £13.842m

Holocaust Memorial Day

Havering will commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day with a service of remembrance and reflection to be held at the Holocaust Memorial in Coronation Gardens, Romford on Sunday 24 January at 2pm.

Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) is the international day of remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust and of other genocides including those in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and during the ongoing atrocities in Darfur.

Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January marks the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. On this day, the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust is challenging everyone across the UK to become part of a Legacy of Hope. HMD 2010 offers an opportunity to listen to the voices from the Holocaust and Nazi persecution, and to make the lessons of hope for a safer, inclusive society where the differences between us are respected a reality today and in the future.

Havering's Holocaust Memorial Day Service will also provide the opportunity for reflection on war, peace, tolerance and eliminating discrimination from our community. It will be led by Reverend Lee Sunderland, Rabbi of Romford and District Synagogue, and Reverend Stephen Waine, vicar of St Edward's Church, Market Place, Romford. The Service will feature poignant reading entitled Auschwitz Remembered and a musical reflection.

2010 Freedom Pass re-issue

The 2010 Freedom Pass re-issue is now taking place, and will end on 6th February 2010. Your existing Freedom pass will expire on 31st March 2010 and you must renew it.

Under new arrangements, you can only apply for your FreedomPass from any one of the 24 local Post Offices in Havering. The implementation of the new style photo ID card means your FreedomPass cards will no longer be available at the time of application. Your application will take up to 10 days to process.

The re-issue period will start from 4th January 2010 unlike previous issues when it commenced from February. The early start is necessary to ensure that all pass holders have applied for their pass and received it through the post, prior to their existing pass ceasing to operate on 1st April 2010.

For a list of Post Office branches in Havering click on the link on the right of this page.
Please see timetable below to work out when you should apply:

Look at the letter your surname that begin with, and then go along during one of the dates to apply.

A / B / C / D / E
04 - 16 Jan

F / G / H / I / J
18 – 23 Jan

K / L / M / N / O
25 – 30 Jan

P - Z

01 – 06 Feb

If you miss your week, please apply 08 – 13 Feb. For more info click here, or on the picture above.

Refuse Collection back to Normal

Refuse collections are now operating to the normal schedule, ie collections due on Monday will be made today.

However, as many residents may not be aware of this, Havering refuse collectors are also trying to catch up on collecting refuse that was left out last Friday and Saturday.

In order that the collection crews can collect the volume of refuse that will be presented, for one week only both black sacks and recycling sacks will be collected by the same vehicle. After one week, the separate waste and recycling collections will run as normal.

The Green Waste Collection Service will also be suspended until the week beginning Monday 18 January.

If you have excess green waste that cannot be contained in the wheelie bin, please present this is an open container or untied sack alongside your green bin and this will be collected.

SUSPENSION OF REFUSE COLLECTIONS

Due to the severe weather conditions Havering Council has stopped all refuse collections for the rest of the week - Thursday 7th January to Saturday 9th January.

Full copy of the details below:

We are very sorry for any inconvenience this may cause but the icy conditions mean that it is impractical to send these large lorries into residential streets.

We plan to start collections again on Monday 11th January, and this will follow the normal collection schedule and not the revised Christmas collection schedule that was due to run until Saturday 16th January.

In order that the collection crews can collect the volume of refuse that will be presented, for one week only both black sacks and recycling sacks will be collected by the same vehicle. After one week, the separate waste and recycling collections will run as normal.

The Green Waste Collection Service will also be suspended until the week beginning Monday 18th January. If you have excess green waste that can not be contained in the wheelie bin, please present this is an open container or untied sack alongside your green bin and this will be collected.

Please accept our apologies for the disruption and if you have any further questions then please do call us on 01708 434343.

Weather Update - Thursday 7th January 2010

Weather Update - Thursday 7th January 2010

Havering continues to be covered in snow this morning. At the time of updating this post, at 08.30, it is again snowing in Collier Row.

With overnight temperatures as low as minus 5 in Collier Row, the snow has now become compacted and icy. The average daytime temperature is expected to be no higher that one degree today. The daytime temperature for the next four to five days is also expected to be around one degree.

This will therefore not melt the snow and any fresh fall will settle on top, compounding the 6 or 7 inches that have fallen in the last 24 hours.

Almost all school sin North Romford are closed today, Thursday the 7th and a number will be closed tomorrow. Listen out to Time FM on 107.5fm for updates or go to Havering Council website for more information, or click on the Weather button at the top of the page.

Severe Weather warning in Havering

Havering has been covered in a blanket of snow this morning, for more information about school closures and travel information, click on the link above to take you to Havering Councils website.

For school closure information, listen into Time FM on 107.5 FM.

Time for Change in 2010

Havering Council Rubbish Collections

Refuse collection dates over the Christmas and New Year period will be subject to change. This pages gives full details together with information on the wheeled bin garden waste service and opening times of Gerpins Lane reuse and recycling centre.

Your new Collection day will be as follows:

Thursday 24th December - Collections as normal
Christmas Day - Tuesday 29th December
Monday 28th December -Wednesday 30th December
Tuesday 29th December -Thursday 31st December
Wednesday 30th December - Saturday 2nd January
Thursday 31st December - Monday 4th January
Friday 1st January - Tuesday 5th January
Monday 4th January - Wednesday 6th January
Tuesday 5th January - Thursday 7th January
Wednesday 6th January - Friday 8th January
Thursday 7th January - Saturday 9th January
Friday 8th January - Monday 11th January
Monday 11th January - Tuesday 12th January
Tuesday 12th January - Wednesday 13th January
Wednesday 13th January - Thursday 14th January
Thursday 14th January - Friday 15th January
Friday 15th January - Saturday 16th January

Normal collections resume Monday 18 January 2010.

Please note: The above dates also apply to clinical, cardboard and trade waste collections.
Bulky items collections (household furniture and large items) will cease on Christmas Eve and will resume on the 18 January 2010.

Wheeled Bin Garden Waste Service:
Customers of the Wheeled Bin Garden Waste Collection service should note that collections of this service cease between 22 December and 4 January. Collections resume Tuesday 5 January on the normal scheduled day (please see garden waste calendars for these dates).

All orange recycling sacks and sacks of domestic waste should be placed on the boundary of properties nearest the road by 7am on collection day.

Additional orange sacks can be collected free of charge from Havering Town Hall in Main Road Romford, local libraries or from the Public Advice and Service Centre in The Liberty Shopping Centre, Romford.

Gerpins Lane RRC Opening:
For opening times of Gerpins Lane Reuse & Recycling Centre, Upminster over the festive period please click here.

For more information on reducing and recycling waste and saving money over Christmas see Christmas Recycling Information article.

Further Information:
For further information on the refuse collection and other services including the disposal of bulky household items, call StreetCare on 01708 432563, e-mail: waste-team@havering.gov.uk

Havering Weather Warnings

Severe weather may continue to affect some services today, Tuesday 22 December. Regular information and updates are available on Havering Councils Website. They have links to other useful websites, such as travel, weather and StreetCare information.

Severe Winter Weather Conditions Questions and Answers from Havering Council

Gritting
The Council has a limited supply of grit and salt available for severe winter weather such as what we are experiencing now. This is not enough to treat every footway and road in the entire borough therefore gritting is prioritised as follows.

Roads
In the instance of severe winter weather the first areas to be gritted will be main roads and bus routes. This is to ensure essential services can still operate within the main road network. Priority 1 roads have been treated continuously over the last 5 days. Priority 2 areas include schools however this is not the case during school holidays.

A full list of priority one routes are shown in the winter service plan which can be found on the council website at http://www.havering.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1024

Footpaths
In the instance of severe winter weather footpaths in high footfall areas such as stations, schools, high streets will be treated as priority 2 after the major road network.

Service Requests
For all icy and snow related service requests please direct these through the StreetCare call centre on 01708 432563. They will deal with these requests in order of priority.

Salt Bins
Salt bins located in the roads are for use by Street Cleansing Operatives and are NOT for the personal use of residents.

What’s happening with Domestic Waste Collections ?
Domestic waste collections are continuing on the normal collection routes however there are a large number of side roads in the borough which the vehicles are unable to access due to icy roads and footways. These collections will be put on a priority list so that once the road becomes accessible again the service vehicles will resume the collection.

Christmas Waste collection schedule
Every year due to the bank holiday season the domestic waste collection schedules change for a short period of time. Please refer to the Havering website for full details of the changes to the schedules affecting your street. If severe weather conditions continue over the Christmas period then these seasonal waste collection dates will likely change again, however residents will be made aware of any changes on the Council’s website. http://www.havering.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4580

Advice
The Council’s advice to residents is to avoid travelling either by foot or by car, the roads and footways are very icy and due to limited supplies of grit and salt the Council is unable to treat every footway and road in the borough. Severe weather conditions are being experienced across the country causing grit stock replenishment to take longer than expected to arrive.

Click here for more info, or on the info panel at the top.

Warning on Selling GOLD

Havering Council is urging people who want to sell their gold to shop around after an undercover investigation discovered huge differences in quotes for customers.

Council officers posing as customers visited eight gold buyers in Romford on the same day and quotes they were offered differed by as much as £160. The officers asked for a quote for four rings, a pair of earrings, a pendant and bracelet. The quotes offered varied from £200 to £360. The average quote was £296.

Some of the gold buyers had signs claiming they were offering ‘the best price in town today’. Others failed to ask for identification from the seller - which helps deter thieves from selling on stolen goods.

Council weight and measures experts have since visited 20 gold buyers across the borough, including one hairdressers which buys gold, to test their scales and ensure that they are calibrated correctly and are suitable for business.

Officers handed out 15 notices to buyers who were not using the correct scales for trade use. Now they must ensure they have the right scales.

In the current harsh economic climate, residents who have hit tough times may be tempted to sell gold jewellery. Quotes that vary from £200 to £360 for the same amount of gold is a cause for concern. The Council is now urging people to shop around to make sure they get a fair price.

Christmas Carols on the Village Green

Cllr Andy Mann and Denis Stevens both attended the Christmas Carols concert on the Havering-Atte-Bower Village Green on Sunday evening. The event was once again organised by HABCOS, the "Havering-Atte-Bower Conservation Society" in conjunction with St Johns Church.

Over 120 local people braved the chilly evening to attend the outdoor service, held around a 20ft Christmas Tree, festooned in lights. Carols were song and prayers said, the service was once again led by the Revd David Marshall, of St Johns Church.

Cllr Mann said "Both myself and Denis had a great time at the concert, it was particularly pleasing to see this event established as an annual, being the 2nd year running and we very much look forward to attending next years concert".

For more information about HABCOS, go to their website at http://www.habcos.co.uk/

Bower Park School Christmas Carol Concert

Cllr Mann attended the annual Bower Park School, Christmas Carol Concert this week, held at St Johns Church, Havering-Atte-Bower. The Concert is long established in the School calendar and attracted approx 100 parents, friends and Governors, who all stayed for mince pies and tea and coffee.

All of the songs were sung by pupils, with music also played by the students, with a few of the more vocal music teachers joining in. Some of the pupils were singing and playing as part of their B-Tech courses and will count towards their exams.

The Service was overseen by Revd David Marshall, the Vicar of St Johns Church.

Romford Christmas Market

From today, Friday the 11th December, Romford market will be open every day until Christmas Eve, the market is open from 9am until 4.30pm

This Christmas, you can find something special at Romford Market. Such as the freshest Orkney salmon, the most succulent free range turkey or the perfect roasting chestnuts. Gift ideas include the latest men's and ladies' fashions, homeware, music, art and jewellery.

Romford Market has been attracting shoppers for over 750 years - why not discover its secrets for yourself

Winter Photo Competition

The Havering Residents' Association has launched a photographic competition with the theme of ‘Havering in Winter'.

First prize is two tickets to "The Pyjama Game" to be performed at the Queens Theatre on 14 th and 15 th February 2010. The tickets have been kindly donated by the producers, the Havering Music Makers. There will also be prizes for 2nd and 3rd places.

Cllr Clarence Barrett, competition organiser and editor of the Havering Residents' Association website, said: “We are fortunate to live in a borough with so much natural and constructed beauty. This competition seeks to capture images which show the splendour of the winter season against the backdrop of a typical winter in Havering”.

“Images will be posted on an on-line gallery at http://www.haveringra.org.uk/where anyone can view and the winners being announced on 1 st February 2010”.

Images can be sent to mailto:haveringwinter@yahoo.co.ukor call 07863 116029 for other arrangements. Please include full contact details.

Havering park Councillor Andy Mann, has posted some of his winter shots from the last few years below.

SNT Police meeting in Collier Row

The local SNT Police teams for Havering Park and Mawneys Wards, held their latest public meeting at the North Romford Community Centre in Clockhouse Lane on Wednesday, 2nd December.

Members of Collier Row and Mawneys Residents Association were out in force for this important opportunity to raise matters of concern with local Police representatives. Cllr Andy Mann and Denis Stevens from Havering Park, together with Graham and Karen Price, and Joe Webster from Mawneys.

Graham and Karen raised issues reported to them of concerns in connection with burglaries in Lodge Lane, and also anti-social activities in the Mawneys area. Joe requested clarification concerning whether it is the Police or the Council who hold responsibility for dealing with parking incidents resulting in a blocked driveway ?

The answer given is that the Police only have authority to force drivers to move their vehicles if they are blocking another vehicle which is on the driveway. However, in practice they would not regard this as an emergency!

Graham and Karen Price enjoyed a long session with the Mawneys Safer Neighbourhood Team, as a result of which officers will be making follow-up visits in Lodge Lane and also the Mawneys area.

Cllr Mann was able to answer questions in relation to Havering Council matters, such as the CCTV car and parking enforcement around schools and to update the meeting on the work to try and clean up the road way behind the shops in Collier Row Road.

Graham Price said "It was interesting to observe that, once again, none of the Conservative Councillors from North Romford, nor their representatives, were present at this important meeting".

12 Safety tips for Christmas

Havering Council will be handing out free security devices to protect resident’s homes and personal property in the run-up to Christmas. Council officers will hand out the devices as part of its 12 Safer Days of Christmas campaign to make residents safer while shopping, out at night, and their homes more secure over the festive season.

Around 6,000 property marking kits, 6,000 purse chains and 3,000 timer switches bought by the Council will be given out at events across the borough in the 12 days between Monday 7 and Saturday 19 December.

There are 12 key messages that the Council and police want to get out at this time of year. These include ensuring that PVC doors are locked properly, setting timer switches so that lamps come on in living rooms before it gets dark when you are out, protecting yourself against pickpockets, and making sure you do not become a victim of crime after a night of revelry.

Other messages include not leaving presents on view, disposing packaging of expensive goods carefully, not loading your car with presents and then leaving it to continue shopping. Police officers from the Mawneys & Havering Park Wards, local Safer Neighbourhoods teams will also be on hand at each location.

Wednesday 16th December - Clockhouse School Christmas Fete – 3 – 5pm

Saturday 19th December - Collier Row Library – 11 – 2pm

Cllr Mann said "Having been a victim of crime myself recently, it can be very upsetting at any time but it can be particularly distressing at Christmas. That’s why the Council and the police will again be handing out thousands of free security devices over 12 Safer Days of Christmas”.

Collier Row Library closed for update

Collier Row Library closed yesterday for a week to have some maintenance work on the building completed and whilst closed, staff have taken the opportunity to move a few things around.

This work will include:

New partitioning to the front lobby of the library.
Removal of the in and out doors to make one entrance.
Reduction of the main counter size.
Re -location of the PN machines.
Moving the small study area
Re wiring of the electrics
Introduction of RFID
Cleaning of the carpet

Increase of shelving and more books at the branch

Following a meeting Cllr Mann recently had with Simon Parkinson, the Head of Culture, which includes the Libraries, it was agreed that the Library should actually have a sign on the outside telling everyone what the building is.

Also agreed, was the location and style of a new Library notice board with opening times and contact details. Both the signs are on order and may not be installed this week.

Cllr Mann said "I am pleased that after many years Collier Row Library will finally get a sign over its doors advising everyone that the Library is there, the improvement works should also help residents use the Library better".

The works are being funding by Fire Risk Assessment, H&S Budget. The remaining costs are coming from Library and Culture, revenue and capital budgets.

Havering Chief Executive ignores Councillor concerns

Cllr Mann has hit out at Havering Council Chief Executive, Cheryl Coppell for failing to reply to an e-mail concerning a financing issue around funding for the Freedom Pass. The e-mail was marked urgent and was sent on the 2nd November, and as of the 1st December, she had failed to reply or even acknowledge it.

However, Cllr Mann sent it with an auto acknowledge and he can see that the e-mail was opened on the 5th November. The e-mail was sent, following Cllr White, the leader, failing to answer a simple question in Full Council concerning a leaflet that the Tories had circulated suggesting that the Government had cut £1.8 million form Havering's Freedom Pass budget.

This was later found to be untrue, however Cllr White refused to answer and instead went into a rant at the Full Council meeting. Cllr Mann then sent the request to the Chief Executive, for her to answer and is still waiting.

Cllr Mann said "It is totally unacceptable that the Chief Executive of Havering Council should fail to answer such a serious question, in over 4 weeks, without so much as an acknowledgement, let alone a proper answer. I am concerned that she is setting a bad example to Council officers that dealing with members enquires should be dealt with in a speedy and professional manner.

Also more worrying is that by failing to answer me,she is becoming involved politically, by protecting the leader from having to tell me the truth in relation to my question".