• Remove the free 30-minute parking from Upminster, Hornchurch and Elm Park.
• Increase charges from £1.50 for two hours to £2 for one hour.
• Introduce a flat £1.50 charge to park on Sundays.
• Introduce a Residents Only Parking scheme in a 1km zone around town centres
• Charge those on Council Tax Support 25% of Council Tax rather than the current 15%, with disabled claimants increased to 20% from 15%. This giant hike will affect some 9,000 households who are least able to pay and, with Universal Credit, will cause great hardship.

Our High Streets already face enormous challenges with business rates, rents and on-line competition. These incredibly damaging proposals will be enough to deter any would be shopper and demonstrates an astonishing lack of understanding or empathy in local economies.

The final budget proposals for 2019/20 are due to be published on 30th January before being considered by the Council Conservative Cabinet on 7th February before requiring the approval of Full Council on February 27th.

We shall continue to keep residents updated through our website ,Bulletin and social media.

The Romford Recorder have also picked up on the parking charges proposal – see HERE.

Cllr Clarence Barrett

We shall work hard over the coming months to unpick this poorly constructed budget and present an alternative which will focus on sustainability, fairness and common sense.

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Havering Councils Conservative led Administration, has now put a stop to both of these agreed proposals, with the aim of introducing Pay and Display machines in the Village “as part of the wider parking strategy which was agreed at Cabinet – to introduce Controlled Parking zones around stations that serve the borough”. Whilst these locations are clearly not near a station, we will be consulting with Cranham retailers to hear their views as to a way forward.

Councillor Gillian Ford

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Upminster War Memorial, Corbets Tey Road

Remembrance Sunday in Upminster is always a special event impeccably observed by residents as well as the Council, cadets, voluntary groups, local businesses, British Legion, military, scouts, cubs, local churches, and many other local groups and organisations. As we approach the 100^th Anniversary of the end of WW1, it is a time for reflection and thankfulness to those who laid down their lives so that we could live in freedom.

The memorial in Corbets Tey road is the centrepiece of Remembrance Sunday, but back in 1919 there was considerable debate as to whether a monument or a memorial hall should be built. In fact, a referendum of parishioners was held to choose between the two. The outcome was split evenly, but the high cost associated with a hall meant that the monument became the preferred choice. It was not until May 1921 that the monument was eventually unveiled and, inscribed in the York stone base, are the names of 66 men with Upminster connections who lost their lives in the Great War.

With November 11^th falling on Remembrance Sunday, there is no doubt that residents of Upminster and Cranham will once again turn out in large numbers to pay tribute.

Cllr Clarence Barrett

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• Howard Road – named after Major Howard who lived at High House on Corbets Tey Road and was killed in the battle of Waterloo in 1815
• St Lawrence Road – named after the Church (which is spelt differently?) and the Christian Martyr who was said to have been burnt to death for his faith on a grid-iron
• Corbets Tey Road – the more fanciful explanation is that Queen Elizabeth I was on her way to Tilbury and as she passed through said to her servant ‘Corbet, stay so I can admire the view’ – Hence Corbets Tey! The less romantic version is that it goes back to a 13th Century family named Corbin together with the Saxon word for enclosure ‘Tey’.
• Derham Gardens – built in 1926, pays homage to William Derham, the main rector of Upminster in the 17th century who made one of the most important scientific discoveries by calculating the speed of sound from the top of the Saint Laurence’s church.
• Champion Road – in 1685 Captain Andrew Branfill purchased the Manor of Upminster Hall. He was born in 1640 in Devon and made a fortune out of privateering from his ship ‘The Champion’. He died in 1709. His son was named Champion Branfill (1683-1738) and each succeeding male heir to the estate has since been given the name ‘Champion’.
• Plough Rise – from Cranham’s old ‘Plough’ public house

Any more explanations out there?

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Proposed new road between junctions 29 and 30 of the M25

The consultation on the Lower Thames Crossing opens today and residents, businesses and other stakeholders are encouraged to respond.

The following is a press release from Highways England:

Highways England has today launched a ten-week consultation on the latest designs for the Lower Thames Crossing, a major new road linking Kent, Thurrock and Essex which would nearly double road capacity across the river Thames and almost halve journey times at Dartford Crossing.

The 14.5 mile route connecting Gravesham in Kent and Thurrock in Essex would create a new, three-lane dual carriageway connecting the M2 near Rochester and the M25 in Essex between North and South Ockendon. It would include a 2.4 mile-long tunnel under the Thames between Gravesend and Tilbury – the longest road tunnel in the UK – and, at over 50 feet wide, the third largest bored tunnel in the world.

Details on how to take part in the consultation will be found at:

www.lowerthamescrossing.co.uk/haveyoursay

Over 25 public information events are being held across Kent, Essex, Thurrock and Havering. Additionally a mobile information van will visit 30 local communities to help people understand more about the proposals and put any questions directly to the project team. At each event, specialists will be available to answer queries on the proposed route, how it would be built and operated, and how Highways England plans to minimise the impact on the local environment and community.

More information on the scheme can be found HERE

Details of the public information events are as follows:

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On the steps of the Ministry in 1963 after agreeing on the name ‘London Borough of Havering’. Michael Leigh is pictured to the left of Godfrey Lagden MP who is giving the V for victory sign.

On moving to the newly built Upminster Park Estate in 1956, I was invited to join the Residents Association Committee and then asked to write the Rules as none existed. Having been elected in 1958 as one of the original R.A. Councillors, ultimately serving as Chairman of the Hornchurch Council’s Finance, Law and Parliamentary Committee, in 1963 I led a delegation which met Sir Keith Joseph, the Government Minister involved with determining the name of the new London Borough being created from the merger of the Hornchurch and Romford Councils, under the provisions of the London Government Act 1963.

Older residents may remember the motto ‘A Good Name Endureth’ on the former Hornchurch Council’s Coat of Arms. The name of the new authority was originally proposed by the Government to be the “London Borough of Hornchurch”, which was opposed by Romford Council.

Consequently, Godfrey Lagden, M.P. arranged for a delegation of Councillors from each Council to meet the responsible Minister, Sir Keith Joseph, to agree an acceptable alternative. The compromise was that historical connections with the Royal Liberty of Havering were an adequate reason for adopting the Havering title.

Although no longer an Upminster resident, and despite being now a nonagenarian, I remain interested in the area and the Association, having served not only as one of initial independent RA Councillors on the former Hornchurch Urban District Council but also having been privileged to have been elected to serve as the independent founding Chairman of the newly created London Borough of Havering, for the period of its inception from May 1964 to the end of March 1965.

Michael Leigh

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The meetings are as follows and all are encouraged to attend:

17 November (Noon to 6pm)

New Windmill Hall, St Mary’s Lane, Upminster

22 November (2pm to 9pm)

St Mary Magdalene Church, Church Lane, North Ockendon

More information about the proposals will be published on Wednesday 10 October and will appear on this website.

A statement from Highways England reads as follows:

Some 47,000 people had their say in a previous consultation on the proposals – a record for a UK road scheme – leading to a preferred route announcement in April 2017 by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling. Now, Highways England is seeking views on an updated, more detailed design which aims to maximise the project’s huge benefits in creating a new route between Essex and Kent, relieving pressure on the existing Dartford Crossing and adding extra resilience to the road network. The updated plans also include significant changes to minimise the impact on local communities and the environment.

The ten-week consultation will start on Wednesday 10 October and run until Thursday 20 December.

Tim Jones, Project Director for Lower Thames Crossing, said:

“A new Lower Thames Crossing is a once in a generation opportunity for people in Kent, Thurrock and Essex, significantly improving journeys, connecting communities and boosting the economy. This consultation is an important opportunity for people to share their views on our proposals and help shape the Lower Thames Crossing. I am looking forward to hearing what people think.”

There will be 25 public information events are being help across Kent, Thurrock and Essex, as well as and 30 visits to local communities to help people understand more about the proposals and put any questions directly to the project team. At each event, specialists will be on hand to explain the proposed route, how it would be built and operated, and how Highways England plan to minimise the impact on the local environment and community. All information will also be available online.

Details on how to take part in the consultation can be found HERE.

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Last night (03 July) was supposed to be the long awaited hearing of the Cranham Parking review by the Council’s

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A pleasant feature of our area is the extent of grass verges alongside our roads and pavements. However, all too often these are being churned up by unauthorised vehicles, often causing extensive damage to our pavements at the same time. Repair and reinstatement is an expensive business and we shouldn’t just expect council tax payers to pay up. The Residents’ Association endorse a much more vigorous regime of accountability is applied, for example enforcing a condition of planning permission or of utility works, so that any damage is repaired and paid for by those who cause it and not by everyone else.

Cllr Clarence Barrett

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