Cllr Darren Rodwell has been confirmed as Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council for the third time, and he has now named his Cabinet for the new administration. The announcements are all subject to formal ratification at Assembly on 25 May 2022.

 

On making the announcement, Cllr Rodwell said: “I am pleased to share details of the Cabinet appointments I have made today which will take us on the next stage of our journey. 

 

A new permanent memorial commemorating the lives of all the people who died as a result of exposure to asbestos has been unveiled at a special remembrance ceremony today on International Workers Memorial Day.

 

This year, Barking and Dagenham Council hopes residents can find inspiration in the story of St. George, a legendary hero whose story demonstrated strength and courage and overcame the odds to make the world a better place.

 

Over 93 per cent of children in Barking and Dagenham have been given their first preference primary school on National Offer Day this year. 

Figures released by the Pan London Admissions Board show that Barking and Dagenham Council received 3,255 applications.

“I wish all our families the best as they look ahead to the next chapter of their child’s education in September.”

The number of parents who secured an offer from a preferred school was 3,217 - 98.83 per cent of applicants. The average percentage in London is 98.04 per cent.

Barking and Dagenham Council is offering care leavers who are undergraduates or graduates the opportunity to join an internship programme aimed at getting the voices of young carers heard.

The council is offering care leavers and residents the opportunity to join our 3-month Internship Programme as a Project Officer in our Children Services Department.

Faith Leaders across Barking and Dagenham have sent messages of support and togetherness to Muslims observing the holy month of Ramadan. The Holy Month occurs on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and lasts for the entire month, culminating in the celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr. 

Visitors to Eastbury Manor House in Barking are in for a treat this Spring as staff and volunteers reopen one of London’s few remaining Elizabethan houses. This house from 1573 will be open every Sunday from 10am to 4pm from 3 April to 11 December 2022.

Saved from demolition by William Morris’s Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) in 1918, this distinct National Trust house, managed by Barking and Dagenham Council, is a stunning architectural jewel near to the centre of Barking.

Students at Greatfields School in Barking moved into a new £23 million building this week as the final stage of building the school was completed.

The huge new building, funded by the Department for Education (DfE) and Barking and Dagenham Council, covers 10,000 square metres and includes 50 new classrooms, a hall, a library, and office and administration space. 

A Dagenham restaurant owner has been ordered to pay more than £3,000 after breaching smoke-free laws.

Mr Florin David Olteanu, 32, who runs Restaurant La Maria, was reprimanded after being caught hosting an illegal lock-in style party by Barking and Dagenham Council enforcement officers.

The incident took place in the early hours of 17 October 2020, when council workers responded to noise complaints and breaches of Covid-19 regulations, which at the time prevented households mixing and imposed a curfew on hospitality businesses from 10pm.

On Saturday 19 March, Barking and Dagenham opened three of its new Community Hubs; Sue Bramley Centre, Marks Gate, and William Bellamy.

Formerly opened by Cllr Darren Rodwell, Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, and Cllr Maureen Worby, Cabinet Member for Social Care and Health Integration, the hubs aim to provide residents and neighbourhoods with the support they need, closer to home.