Barking and Dagenham Council worked with its voluntary organisations and local companies to bring some ‘Christmas Cheer’ to the borough, in what was a difficult time for people especially over Christmas. With residents affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in one way or another, the council wanted to put a smile back on people’s faces and help those who need it most.

A Dagenham resident has been fined over £800 after someone was caught dumping litter from his car by council enforcement officers.

While on patrol on Wood Lane, Dagenham, council officers witnessed an occupant in Mr. Andrew Beckers car dropping litter from his vehicle three times, including disposing of a cigarette butt.  

Barking and Dagenham Council is looking to renew two Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) in the borough and wants to hear the thoughts of the borough’s residents.

 

PSPOs are used to deal with antisocial behaviour within a specified area which is having a harmful effect on people’s quality of life. PSPOs put conditions or restrictions on an area which apply to everyone.

 

The two PSPOs that are up for renewal are in Barking Town Centre and Broad Street, Dagenham and both prohibit activities, such as: 

Barking and Dagenham Council will be commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day on Wednesday 27 January. The event will bring together the borough’s civic, faith and political leaders in a special video that will be shared across social media and will also see the raising of a commemorative Holocaust Memorial Day flag above the Town Hall.

 

Cladding. Building safety. Fire regulations. Three connected topics that have continued to dominate UK headlines throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, due in part to the Grenfell tragedy in 2017.

Yet despite the media noise and political debate about building safety over the last three years in particular, hundreds of thousands of people continue to feel unsafe in their homes every single night. Their questions haven’t been answered. Their concerns haven’t been addressed.

Since the coronavirus pandemic began, Barking and Dagenham Council have made it clear that they won’t stand for any residents or businesses breaking the rules and nearly a year on, that is still the case.

 

Last week (11 to 18 January), council enforcement officers visited over 1800 businesses in the borough to check they were following the coronavirus rules, this included checking in on over 600 non-essential shops to make sure they were closed, which they were.

 

Persistent work from the police and Barking and Dagenham Council officers has led to the arrest, charge and recall to prison for a troublesome individual. 

 

Joseph Meade Jnr has been causing disruption and annoyance to the residents of Digby Gardens with his anti-social behaviour, which included drug taking, harassment of residents, littering, shop lifting and the use of foul language. 

 

Barking and Dagenham Council is continuing to support NHS staff and key workers throughout the coronavirus pandemic as it has pledged to extend its free parking for them until the end of March.

 

The current scheme was supposed to end at the end of January, but due to the country being in a national lockdown, the council has decided to extend the offer. 

 

Did you make a few New Year’s Resolutions? Residents in the borough can tick off “going green” and helping the environment by signing up to Barking and Dagenham Council’s Green Garden Waste scheme. 

The fortnightly service, which costs £40 per year, offers residents an eco-friendly way to dispose of garden waste such as flowers and grass cuttings, weeds, leaves, and hedge trimmings.

The scheme launched in 2017 and last year around 7,000 residents signed-up.

Politicians across Barking and Dagenham have written to the Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson MP, urging him to reconsider his decision to exclude infant schools from the scheme which allocates devices for remote learning.