New Drug Driving Offence

Crime and Courts Bill – New Drug Driving Offence

Legislation is currently in Parliament which will make it an offence to drive a motor vehicle if you have certain controlled drugs in your body in excess of the limits set for them.

The new drug driving offence will improve the law available for tackling the problem of drug driving, which presents a significant road safety risk. The new offence contains a statutory defence for those drivers who have taken medicines containing specified controlled drugs in accordance with medical advice. The bill was introduced in the Lords on 10 May 2012 and is now progressing through the Commons and is expected to reach Report stage and 3rd reading in mid March. Royal Assent is expected in April 2013. Regulations will be drafted during 2013 and 2014, setting out the controlled drugs to be specified and their limits.


A related issue is the availability of drug screening devices, both at the roadside and in police stations. These devices would act as “preliminary” screeners, giving an indication of whether a drug is present in a driver’s body above a certain concentration. A blood test would still be required in order to provide evidence for a conviction. A positive result from a preliminary drug test obviates this requirement to obtain a doctor’s opinion that the person has a condition which might be due to some drug before a requirement for blood can be made. Therefore screeners would simplify the process of dealing with suspects under both the existing impairment offence and for the new specified limit drug driving offence.

The Home Office has now type approved a station screening device. It is now for the manufacturer to market and police forces to purchase and deploy the device. For roadside screening devices, the specification will be issued shortly after the publication of the panel’s report to ensure that the roadside device covers the right drugs at the right limits.

The Department for Transport has also set up a panel of medical and scientific experts to advise the Government about which controlled drugs might be included in the subsequent regulations and the specified limits they may wish to set. The panel’s report is due to be published in February 2013.

Bedfords Park

BEDFORDS PARK

Improvements have been made to footpaths from the car park to the Essex Wildlife Trust Visitor Centre and from the Centre to the deer enclosure. Works have been carried out to historic specimen trees and new trees planted in the park. The work has been funded by Veolia Havering and the Council. For more information about Friends of Bedfords Park please see http://www.friendsofbedfordspark.blogspot.com.

DICKENS WAY/ BRUNEL CLOSE/ CAXTON WAY

Residents have been consulted on the detail of parking controls in these roads. The proposals will not affect Roedean Drive, which will remain a private road and gated.

NEW SPORTS CENTRE

The planning application has been submitted for the new sports centre proposed for Western Road inside the Ring Road. The proposal is for an 8-lane swimming pool, new ice rink, sauna, gym and associated facilities.

Tree Planting in Romford

The Mayor of Havering Cllr. Lynden Thorpe supported by ward councillors Wendy Brice-Thompson, Frederick Thompson and Andrew Curtin, and children from the Hylands Primary School planted a flowering cherry tree on the green in Thurloe Gardens this morning.  This was part of the Trees for Cities project and is the last of 100 trees planted in Romford.

Afterwards the children hung wishes on the tree.

Havering Library news

BBC Stargazing LIVE! We are joining with the BBC to offer events and activities to co-ordinate with their Stargazing programmes. Romford Library will be holding a children's craft on 22nd February and Harold Wood will be hosting a talk from the Loughton Astronomical Society on 23rd February. For more information contact either Romford Library 01708 432389 or Harold Wood Library 01708 434975. Booking is essential for both of these children's activities.

Council Tax freeze

Havering’s Cabinet agrees to freeze Council tax
The Cabinet agreed to freeze its share of Council Tax and approved the overall Council Budget for 2013/14, including the setting of various fees and charges, on Wednesday night. The Budget proposals will now go to Full Council on February 27 for a final decision.
The Budget plans are in marked contrast to some other councils in London and across the UK that are consulting on major service cuts or tax increases.

Decent Homes for Council tenants

Decent homes come early for thousands of council tenants
Thousands of our tenants will benefit from decent homes earlier than planned thanks to an additional £7.5 million funding from the Council.
The multi-million pound project to improve council-owned homes in the borough is part of the Decent Homes Programme. The injection of extra cash means that all of the 6,551 homes that were classed as non-decent will be improved by March 2015 instead of the 90 per cent earmarked in the major four year project.