More than 300 people have already had their say on a scheme that protects renters from inadequate, poorly maintained and overcrowded housing.

The initiative, which was introduced in the borough by Barking and Dagenham Council in 2014, makes it compulsory for every private rented property in the borough to have a licence.

Barking Learning Centre is set to host the Young Poet Laureate Tour on Thursday 25 October, when young residents with a passion for poetry will be able to enjoy an open mic event and a series of workshops with some of the best poets, rappers and beatboxers in the UK. 

The event will take place from 10.30am to 5pm and is open to anyone aged from 13 to 25. It will feature Momtaza Mehri, the Young People’s Laureate for London, alongside a selection of other talented poets and performers.

Barking and Dagenham council has introduced new stickers that will be applied to illegally dumped rubbish in the latest clampdown on grime crime.

Barking and Dagenham Council has launched an innovative new online platform, allowing everyone from residents to community groups to access and analyse a vast array of data about their borough, which will help it plan and deliver services. 

Good news for green-fingered locals, as Barking and Dagenham Council will be continuing with its Green Garden Waste subscription service for 2019/20.

Not only is the paid-for service set to be extended for the next two years, but it will also be increased from 16 to 19 collections a year, and it will come at no extra cost to residents.

The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham in co-operation with the London Borough of Redbridge have taken a major step in London’s fight against knife crime after B&M Retail Ltd was ordered to pay £492,598.53 – one of the biggest ever fines for knife crime in the UK.

A joint investigation between Barking and Dagenham and Redbridge Trading Standards and Legal Departments has led to a successful prosecution at Barkingside Magistrates Court. B&M Retail Ltd pleaded guilty to three offences of underage sales of knives.

The Mayor of London’s recent decision to give plans for two data centres in Dagenham the green light has been welcomed by Barking and Dagenham council’s Deputy Leader and cabinet member for Finance, Performance and Core, Councillor Dominic Twomey.

Plans to transform Dagenham East into a digital and media hub have received yet another boost with planning approval agreed for two of the UK’s largest data centres to be built just a stone’s throw from the site of London’s new film studio.

The Al Madina mosque in Barking has been recognised for its high standards of governance, practice and youth provision, as they were awarded the highest honours in two categories at the British Beacon Mosque Awards.

The prestigious awards ceremony took place at the Hilton Hotel in Paddington on Saturday 8 September, and saw over 200 Imams and members of mosque committees gather to celebrate the achievements of mosques in the UK.

Eastbury Community School’s sixth form provision has been rated Outstanding by Ofsted following a visit in July.

Barking and Dagenham’s schools have received further recognition from Ofsted for their high standards of education, with less than a quarter of sixth forms in the UK currently holding this top mark. Ofsted believe Eastbury have achieved this through ‘highly effective leadership’, the students’ determination to succeed and their high aspirations for the future.

In the report Ofsted said:

The latest tool in clamping down on anti-social behaviour was unveiled yesterday at Dagenham Heathway.

A Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) is now in operation around the station and the shopping centre, extending down to the junction of Ripple Road and New Road, and as far as Old Dagenham Park. 

The new powers prohibit anyone from causing anti-social behaviour such as spitting, harassment, drinking alcohol in the street or begging.