Councillors, religious leaders and council employees stood in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community as they marked the 14th International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia with a flag-raising ceremony at Barking Town Hall.

Construction on Barking and Dagenham’s OnSide Youth Zone moved a giant step forward with the completion of the building’s steel frame this week.

Work began on the facility, named Future by local young people, in January this year and despite wintry conditions carrying on through Spring, the building is developing at a rapid pace with the steel structure now complete.

The development will continue with the floors, staircases and roofing being fitted over the next few weeks.

Barking and Dagenham Council have come out on top once again after the Human Resources team secured the ‘Transforming the Working Environment’ award at the Excellence in People Management PPMA Awards.

Having recently won the prestigious Council of the Year and Driving Growth awards at the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) awards in London, the council celebrated more success at a gala event in Newcastle.

A takeaway shop in Dagenham has been ordered to pay over £1000 after failing to provide Waste Transfer Notes – a document that must be completed when waste is transferred from one party to another.

Moon Pizza in Broad Street first came under the spotlight when officers visited the premises back in July 2017 and a random trade waste inspection was carried out.

Mr Abdul Mohammadi, who ran the chicken and pizza takeaway, was unable to provide any documents at the time of the visit, having explained that he had recently shown the council his waste transfer notes.

New powers to tackle anti-social behaviour look set to be implemented across more Dagenham streets following overwhelming support during a public consultation.

In total, 627 people responded to Barking and Dagenham Council’s survey on whether to apply a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) around Dagenham Heathway.

Ninety-seven per cent (609) of respondents were in favour of new powers being implemented, which are used to control behaviour that is either having, or is likely to have, a harmful effect on a local community’s quality of life.

An illegal traveller site was removed from Dagenham’s Central Park last Thursday (29 March) in the latest demonstration of the council’s powers to tackle unlawful encampments.

Three caravans and four vehicles, including a small tipper lorry, were issued with an enforcement notice to vacate the site within two hours or risk being arrested.

Despite the individuals being aggressive and threatening towards police and council officers, the car park was vacated within an hour.

Could you be the next Ridley Scott, Danny Boyle or Andrea Arnold? Budding film directors of all ages and backgrounds are invited to enter the borough’s first film festival.

Called DIY Film Festival, the one-day event will offer Barking and Dagenham enthusiasts an opportunity to share an amazing mix of short films on the theme of the past, present and future of the borough.

The festival is just one of the many projects created with the assistance of Every One Every Day, the £7.2m community driven initiative that launched in November 2017.

A total of 12 caravans have left the Millennium Centre car park in Dagenham after they were given two hours to leave the site by Barking and Dagenham’s Street Enforcement Team.

The Council was granted an injunction, thought to be the first of its kind in England and Wales last October, that bans unlawful campsites from being set up as well as prohibiting fly-tipping.

Any breach of the order is a contempt of court, punishable by a term of imprisonment.

The winners of the inaugural Street Tag competition in Barking and Dagenham have bagged themselves £1,000 worth of bicycles.

Al Noor, a team of four friends and two of their children, upped the ante and decided to try and cover 1,000 miles during the six-week game, which turned the streets of the borough into a giant walking, running or cycling challenge, to raise money for charity.

Sylvia Sielicka, Shormin Begum, Erum Rashid, and Yasim Sattar braved wind, rain and snow – even completing the 4.2-mile course in -2C conditions.

The largest new film and media studios to be built in London for decades will be constructed and operated in Dagenham by Pacifica Ventures in partnership with Media Content Capital (MCC) it was announced on Thursday, 22 March.

Councillor Darren Rodwell, the Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, announced that the USA based Pacifica Ventures, in partnership with MCC, will be the preferred builder and operator of the ambitious new film and media complex on the 22-acre site.