Have the suburbs been ignored? September 11, 2007
Posted by Leader of Havering in Havering Council.trackback
According to a recent report, the suburbs receive a raw deal in terms of Government funding. It is claimed that £1bn is taken from the suburbs every year to pay for inner city redevelopment and it’s affecting the suburban quality of life. This means that there is less money coming from Government for us to invest in our local communities and our quality of life is being affected. Many suburban councils are now calling on the Government to give areas like ours a fair deal.
I think the suburbs are a great place to live and I‘m proud of Havering’s many parks and open spaces, lower crime rate, excellent school results and above all, our sense of community. Of course, some people take a different view and joke about the ‘Terry and June’ image of suburban living. What do you think about life in the suburbs?
Michael
Parks and Open Spaces
I cannot agree with you more – the suburbs are a great place to live, and in Havering as you point out, the Parks and Open Spaces are one of its most treasured assets. They are the main reason that many local residents have moved here and they contribute enormously to our quality of life.
I live adjacent to the Mardyke Farm Green Belt site and following on from the recent LDF examination the Inspector has concluded in her report that the Mardyke Farm will remain in the Green Belt.
The Rainham and South Hornchurch Green Belt Action Group representing almost 600 local residents will shortly be formally seeking to work in a spirit of reconciliation and cooperation with the Council to restore this site to a county park as approved in plans P0186.93.
On behalf of the local community and its action group we would like to know what assistance and suggestions you and the Cabinet can give us to achieve the Country Park for which we have waited so long.
We are also interested in your vision for local community groups such as ours and how they can become involved at Council level in trying to improve their local area, thereby enhancing the quality of life in that area.
We are 100% behind your drive to achieve a fairer distribution of Central Government grants but often lack the organisation and knowledge which is required to make our voices heard.
Regards
I agree that living in the suburbs are great. I have lived in Collier Row all of my 38 years and find that I have everything I need in and around the area.
I do have one problem however that has arose during the last year and in particular since the new hall was built against the Church of the Good Shepherd. I think it is a great looking hall and was looking forward to its enhancement of the area. My parents married in 1968 at the church and I have a great deal of respect for such locations. My concern is however the youths of the area. A youth club meets each Monday evening and whilst I am all in favour of young people having enjoyment, I feel they are unable to be controlled by the people in charge.
The kids sprawl onto the streets, they are loud and having worked all day I really hate coming in on a Monday to having to shut my curtains early and turn up my tv so that I can somehow enjoy the evening. I have complained in writing time and time again but the matter still seems to be out of control. At times there are motorbikes racing up and down the street. I have rung on many occasions, the Safer Neighbourhood Team but ususally am confronted with the answerphone. I read the Living magazine with interest and found your blog and thought I may as well see what you can do.
It means that the kids now hang around the area usually everyday and at times I have witnessed them climbing over the church buildings as I live opposite. I find this disrespectful. We have also had grafitti on our garage which I have since painted over as while it was not offensive I found it degrading. There is an alley next to my home which leads into garages. These children have no right to be there as one of them lives over and further up the road, however the kids congregate there regularly and are noisy. It makes me not want to come home like I felt this evening and its making me want to move but we have upgraded our home and feel why should be pushed out.
Shortly I shall be alone as my husband goes away for 1 month to New Zealand for a family wedding and I fear living alone at that time. These gangs make me nervous.
What can be done, do I call the police and get them to do something or do I go to the Romford Recorder? You see there have been community police but so long ago, should we not have this regularly? I really am at my wits end but thankyou for reading this.
Kind regards
Thank you for your comments. I will speak to colleagues to follow up on your concerns and questions and get back to you in the next week.
Best wishes,
Michael
Mardyke Farm Green Belt Site
I have been following the recent efforts to save the Mardyke Farm Green Belt site and congratulate the local community for their hard work in preventing this part of the Dagenham corridor from being used for housing.
As a child I have many happy memories playing over there with my brother and friends from the street and it is so sad to see what has happened to it now.
Instead of the park that the community was promised, the landfill company has completelt spoilt the area and destroyed all the grass, trees and bushes. Now it is just weeds and huge ugly mounds of earth which are even dangerous for the local children to play on.
I would not let my children play there and find it hard to believe that the Council have let it become so spoilt.
I think the council owe it to the local community to get this valuable piece of Green Belt back into recreational use so that todays children can play on it just like we did all those years ago.
Best Regards
Yvonne
Mardyke Farm Green Belt Country Park
After the Inspectors report which will keep Mardyke Farm in the Green Belt now is the time for the Council, residents and others to join forces to create the long promised county park on the Mardyke Farm which would encourage outdoor recreation, improve the environment, uplift the general area and make it safe for public use.
The site has the potential to make a valuable contribution to the quality of life in the densily populated urban area of South Hornchurch. In the LDF examination which I attended the whole ward was described as being deprived and came well below Elm Park and Rainham in the deprivation index. So please let us all start to change the landscape and restore the Mardyke Farm to a country park thereby boosting the quality of life and recreational facilities.
In the past my children along with others in the area spent many happy hours playing on this land before the current landfill destroyed all the grass, trees and wildlife and converted it to a barren wasteland. It is hard to imagine that the Council have allowed that to happen especially on Green Belt land and we are looking to the Council to rectify this abuse and restore the site to the county park we were promised by the contractors.
Future generations of children and adults I am sure will be indebted to all those who share my vision that the open aspect should be preserved and enhanced in an area of the Borough which is so often singled out for overdevelopment.
Kind regards
I too believe that living in a surburb is great. I have lived in Collier Row for about 2 years and have found no faults with it whatsoever. I moved from Harold Hill, where my family was essentially terrorised, but now I have moved to Collier Row, I feel much safer and have had no trouble.