Station Road, Gidea Park closure

We have received notification from National Grid Gas that they propose to close the following road from 2nd April 2012 for approximately two weeks:

Station Road - from the junction of Upper Brentwood Road to outside 94 Station Road with signs stating road closed access only from Balgores Lane

The closure is aligned to essential gas mains and associated service replacement in the area.　 The gas main is located in the middle of the junction, and excavation work will be across the mouth of Station Road.

The following diversion route will be put in place:

- Traffic at Squirrels Heath Road end will be diverted down Brentwood Road around The Drill roundabout and up Balgores Lane, ending at Station Road;

- Traffic at Balgores Lane end will be diverted down Balgores Lane around The Drill roundabout and up Brentwood Road ending at Squirrels Heath Road roundabout..

All queries regarding these works should be directed to National Grid Gas on 0800 111 999 who will be able to assist.

　
E.BOOKS AVAILABLE FREE FROM HAVERING LIBRARIES
Havering Libraries have the highest issues of e.books in London Libraries Consortium. All you need to access them is to be a library member (free) and a pin number. For more information please see http://www.anywhere.me/havering. Havering Libraries will also add more than 30,000 new books to their stock this year in "traditional" paper format.
HAVERING MUSEUM
Recently voted best family facility in Havering, the museum in Romford High Street has been working closely with local schools and teachers to ensure that pupils gain maximum advantage from the educational resources which it offers. The museum is run by the independent local charity Havering Museum Ltd, and more information can be found on its website; http://www.haveringmuseum.org.uk/.

	20th March 2012 　 　 WELCOME TO ALERTCOMMS Police Communication to the Community ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------　 　 　 Please be aware that an increasing number of Havering residents have reported that they have been sent a letter indicating that they are due to inherit a sum of money. 　 Whilst there are many variations to this theme, the current apparent scam involves communication from China which indicates that a relative has died and that the recipient of the letter is due to be sent some money. 　 Whilst a direct request for cash may not be made initially once contact has begun this request is likely to be made shortly afterwards. 　 Please be aware that these types of scams are becoming increasingly common and do not let yourself or your relatives become a victim. 　 Should you receive a letter which you suspect is not genuine please contact your local Safer Neighbourhood Team or Consumer Direct on 08454 040506. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 　 　 　 For further information, please contact your nearest police station: Romford　Police Station Telephone: 101 Opening Hours: 24 hours a day

　

PARKS PROTECTION TEAM
Havering Council’s Parks Protection Team can be contacted on the mobile telephone number 07904 805 872 should you notice anything untoward going on in any Havering park.
NATURE CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES FOR RESIDENTS
There are "Celebrate Spring" nature and wildlife themed activities for children run by Essex Wildlife Trust at Bedfords Park on Thursday 12th April 10am to midday. The cost is £5 per child. Booking and prepayment are essential on 01708 748646. There will be a guided Bluebell Walk around the park on Sunday 29th April 1.30pm-3.30pm. Again the cost is £5 per person and pre-booking and pre-payment are essential on the above number. Thames Chase Community Forest on the edge of Upminster offer a wide variety of arts and environmental activities for all. More information is available on http://www.thameschase.org.uk on by phone on 01708 641880/ 642970. RSPB Rainham Marshes offer nature trails, bird watching facilities and activities for all ages as well as fine views of the Thames and the City of London. For more information please see their website www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/r/rainhammarshes/ or phone 01708 889840.

MPS Strategic Review into the August Disorder 2011

"4 Days in August" - MPS Strategic Review into the August Disorder 2011

　

The Metropolitan Police Service's report into the summer disorder, "4 Days In August", is released today following a comprehensive internal review.

You can download the final MPS report into the summer disorder from the MPS

The MPS review of the August 2011 disorder is leading to widespread improvements in the MPS with the report outlining in detail when and where events occurred, what the MPS response was, what went well, what didn't and what changes continue to be made as a result.

The overriding theme from the report is that despite many thousands of officers putting themselves in the line of fire and working almost around the clock to try to protect London over the four days, the MPS engagement, intelligence and operational response plans were not sufficient to prevent or respond to the unprecedented scale and speed of the unfolding disorder in the summer.

The MPS has sought to take as comprehensive a view as possible in compiling this report to provide an accurate reflection of events and lessons to be learnt.
Whilst this is the final report of this review, having previously published the interim report in October 2010, extensive work continues within the MPS in order to take the recommendations forward.

　

　

website.

NEW ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN
The Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch will be running Story Play workshops for children aged 5-6 and 6-7 on Saturday 7th April and Saturday 5th May. Tickets cost £5 per child. "The Entertainers" theatrical fun and games for children aged 4-7 will run on Saturday 7th April and Saturday 5th May. Tickets are £5 each for adults and children. To book please see the theatre’s website http://www.queens-theatre.co.uk or phone 01708 443333. Central Library has launched a new reading group for children aged 8 years and over. It is free and will run on the last Tuesday in each month. Booking is essential on 01708 432389. On Saturday 29th of March Gidea Park Library is offering "Make Mum a Mini Garden" for Mother’s Day, suitable for 4-9 year-olds. It will run from 2.30-3.13pm. Tickets are £4 for library members, £4.50 for non-members and can be booked on 01708 434978. Library membership is free.

MERCURY MALL
Permission has been granted for the installation of photovoltaic panels on the roof of the building.
CHANDLERS WAY
Double yellow lines and an extended loading ban are to be installed opposite Slaney Road to help prevent congestion by making passage easier for buses.
　
RAPHAEL PARK
Restoration of Raphael Park, funded by Heritage Lottery Fund and others, is due to start this Autumn. Please see the notice board by the Lodge at the Main Road entrance to the park for up-to-date information. The Council works with Friends of Raphael Park and Lodge Farm Park at the park.

	WELCOME TO ALERTCOMMS Police Communication to the Community ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
	Important message from your local Safer Neighbourhoods team- card fraud telephone scamauthorise' a replacement card by keying your PIN into the handset of your phone.< /P> 　 authorise anything by entering your PIN into the telephone handset. 　 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 　 What can I do to avoid being a victim of this scam? 　 　 I think I might have been a victim of this scam - what should I do? 　 If the criminals are nearby ring the Police immediately on 999, otherwise report the crime to your local Police via 101. If you think you have been the victim of a fraud or scam of this nature you should also call your bank or card company immediately. 　 　 Neither your bank nor the police would ever rin g you and state that they are coming to your home to pick up your card, so never hand it over to anyone who comes to collect it. 　 Your bank will NEVER ask you to 　 NEVER share your PIN with anyone â€" the only times you should use your PIN is at a cash machine or when you use a chip and PIN machine in a shop / restaurant. 　 The fraudster then poses as a bank representative who agrees to collect your card from your home, sometimes offering you a replacement card, which is a fake. 　 In some cases a genuine courier company is hired to pick up the card from your home address. The victim will have been asked to place the card into an envelope ready for collection. Once they have your card and PIN the fraudster uses them to spend your money. 　 A variation of the scam involves the fraudster ringing a prospective victim and claiming to be from the police â€" again with the aim of going to the victim's home to collect the card and PIN. 　 In the news recently it was stated that card fraud has fallen to its lowest level in 11 years. This is positive news. However, we want to highlight the need to be ever vigilant to new and existing card fraud scams such as the one deta iled below. 　 How does this scam work? 　 Then, by seeming to offer assistance, the fraudster tries to gain your trust. In most cases you are asked to 'cancel' your existing card or 'activate' or ' 　 You receive a telephone call from someone claiming to be from your bank. He or she will say their systems have spotted a fraudulent payment on your card or that your card is due to expire and needs replacing. 　 You may be asked to ring back using the telephone number on the back of your card - which further convinces you that the call is genuine. However, the caller keeps the line open at their end so, when you make the call, you are unknowingly connected straight back to the fraudster.
	For further information, please contact your nearest police station: Romford　Police Station Telephone: 101 Opening Hours: 24 hours a day

Helping older people remain independent for longer

Havering Council and North East London NHS Foundation Trust have launched new services to help residents most at risk of falling and injuring themselves.
​Figures from Age UK show that every five hours an older person is killed by an accidental fall in the home.
Last year in Havering 1,733 people over 65 were admitted to hospital because of a fall.
A new Community Falls Exercise Programme and a Falls Prevention Outreach Service aim to prevent falls, reduce the number hospital admissions and help older people to live more independent lives in their own homes.
The new services are provided by qualified NHS physiotherapists and occupational therapists from the Falls Prevention team at St George’s Hospital, Hornchurch.

Working with a range of partners Havering Council aims to help elderly residents live independently with a number of services including Falls Prevention, Meals on Wheels, a Telecare Community Alarm and a Reablement Service - helping people leave hospital and learn skills to build up confidence and re-gain their independence.
The new Community Falls Exercise Programme includes Falls Management Exercise (FAME) and Tai-Chi for balance. FAME exercise is proven to improve mobility, bone density, cardiovascular fitness and reduce the risk of further falls. The Programme is by referral from a GP, the NHS or Havering Council and classes - held at locations across the borough - will be open to all residents at risk of a fall including those not registered with a doctor.
The new outreach service helps residents in care and nursing homes and users of the telecare alarm system by providing help and access to services based on individual needs.
Havering has the largest number of people over 65 in London. The Council offers a number of services to help people to remain living at home, achieve independence and prevent hospital admissions.

A Greener Romford

New planting around the North Street roundabout and in its centre seeks to extend wildlife corridors back in to the centre of the town, as does new planting in the centre of the Oldchurch Road roundabout. A living "green wall" is proposed on the Ring Road as part of the new development along Angel Way. This development will also make use of renewable energy sources, measures to minimise energy use and enable a high level of recycling to reach the high level 4 of the "Code for Sustainable Homes". At Thomas England House and William Pike House on Waterloo Road Estate new double glazing, insulation, doors and repairs to the roof, among other measures, will help to improve warmth, greatly reduce energy use and reduce utility bills for residents.

DYMOKE ROAD/ KYME ROAD
We have highlighted residents concerns over some community safety issues here to the Council once again.
ALBERT ROAD
We have brought the state of the seemingly derelict house in Albert Road to the attention of the Council.
PARK END ROAD
The Council is to replace the tree planted to commemorate the centenary of the Girl Guides in the gardens by Central Library.
DICKENS WAY/ CAXTON WAY/ BRUNEL CLOSE/ ROEDEAN DRIVE
We have facilitated liaison between residents and the Council arising from concerns relating to the adoption of the roads.

New Sports Facilities

NEW SPORTS FACILITIES
A new 5-a-side football centre is to be constructed at King George’s Playing Fields on the Eastern Avenue. It is hoped that the centre will be open in time for the summer. Hornchurch Sports Centre in Harrow Lodge Park has recently doubled the items of exercise equipment in its gym. For more information on all sports and physical activity facilities in Havering please see www.haveringactive.co.uk.

GLOUCESTER ROAD
We have brought the state of the seemingly derelict house in this road to the attention of the Council.
THE BREWERY
We have objected to an application for an alcohol licence at Unit 6A ("Family Bargains").
LOGAN MEWS
We have highlighted concerns about some security and environmental issues to the landlords.
BRIDGE CLOSE
New car parking restrictions are to be introduced following consultation with local residents.

Information in Polish

Residents in Romford whose first language is not English have suggested that it may be a good idea to put some words in other languages in Romford Town Newsletter to make sure that all feel able to contact us. We are grateful for this suggestion from residents, and are starting with Polish. In English the following words say; "We would be glad to hear from you if you have a question you would like to raise with us about the street you live in, or facilities in Romford in general. Do please get in touch with us by email andrew.curtin@havering.gov.uk. Romford Conservative Party seeks to represent the views of everyone living in the town. Do please also get in touch with us if you would like to become a member of the Conservative Party."Prosimy z nami się skontaktować jeśli mają Państwo pytania na temat ulicy, na której mieszkacie lub innych usług na terenie Romfordu. Prosimy do nas pisać na mejlaandrew.curtin@havering.gov.uk. Partia Koserwatywna w Romford stara się dowiedzieć o opinii każdego mieszkańca miasta. Prosimy również o kontakt ństwo zostać członkiem Partii Konserwatywnej.jeśli chcą Pa

Out and about in Romford Market with our visitors from the House of Keys, Isle of Man We even found some Manx kippers on Mr Fancourt's fish stall.

BALGORES LANE/ MAIN ROAD
"Transport for London" are also funding work to examine whether traffic flow could be improved at this junction, and whether there can be environmental and street scene improvements at this high-profile location in Gidea Park Conservation Area. If this work is positive then a further application for funding would need to be made and consultation undertaken with residents.
GIDEA PARK STATION
Funding has been secured from Transport for London to extend the pavement and environmental improvements in Balgores Lane to Station Road in front of the station.

STOCKLAND ROAD
We have been glad to pursue some environmental concerns raised by residents about their street.
QUEEN STREET
Homes in Havering are aware of some problems with the guttering on one of the blocks here.
CLIFTON ROAD
Residents have been consulted on entering the local Controlled Parking Zone. 73% of residents responding were in favour of the proposal, and so the Council has agreed to implement it.
PARK LANE
We have raised concerns about some anti-social behaviour issues with the police.
CHARRINGTON COURT, ATLANTA BOULEVARD
ONE Housing have made some welcome improvements in response to concerns raised by residents. We attend inspections of the block with b

Visit by Members of the Tynwald

Cllr. Wendy Brice-Thompson is looking forward to tomorrow and meeting members of the Tynwald, the Parliament of the Isle of Man, on a goodwill visit to Romford. We will be touring the market, St Edward's Church, the new Hylands Primary School followed by lunch with the Mayor and Andrew Rosindell M P.