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London Borough of Havering

Coordinates: 51°33′N 00°13′E / 51.550°N 0.217°E / 51.550; 0.217
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"Havering" redirects here. For other uses, see Havering (disambiguation).

Template:Infobox London Borough The London Borough of Havering (pronounced "HAY-vering" (pronunciationⓘ)) is a London borough in North East London, England and forms part of Outer London. The principal town in Havering is Romford and the other main communities are Hornchurch, Upminster and Rainham. The borough is mainly characterised by suburban development with large areas of protected open space. In contrast, Romford is a major metropolitan retail and night time entertainment centre and to the south the borough extends into the London Riverside redevelopment area of the Thames Gateway.[1] The name Havering is a reference to the Royal Liberty of Havering which occupied the area for several centuries. The local authority is Havering London Borough Council.

Population

In 2000 the borough had a population of 226,200 in 93,200 households over 43 square miles (111.4 km2). There is a high ratio of area per capita as large sections of Havering are parkland and 23 square miles (60 km2) (more than half the borough) is Metropolitan Green Belt protected land. Those areas of development are extensive but rarely intensive. It has, at 2.6%,[2] the lowest unemployment rate in Greater London and one of the lowest crime rates.

Havering has a significantly higher proportion of residents in white ethnic groups than other outer London boroughs (95.1% – 2001 census). The Indian population is the most significant minority ethnic group in Havering (1.2%). The Upminster ward of the borough is the least ethnically diverse in Greater London, with a Simpson's diversity index of 1.05.[3]

Neighbours

Havering is bordered to the south by the London Borough of Bexley by the River Thames, to the west by the London Borough of Redbridge and the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and to the north and east by Essex.

Industry and commerce

There are over 7,000 businesses based in Havering. Romford is the main commercial hub of the borough with a small district of mainly office development close to the railway station. There is also some industry to the south between Rainham and the River Thames such as Rainham steel headquarters, on the boundary or Elm Park. Light industry elsewhere in the borough has been in decline, with major employers such as the former Star Brewery now closed down.[4] New industrial development is encouraged in the south of the borough has been encouraged by the London Development Agency, with the opening of the Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence.

The main retail district is also located in Romford with several interconnected or nearby shopping arcades to the main Liberty Shopping Centre. Romford Market is located to the north of Romford and is the largest market within the borough and in the surrounding area. Hornchurch and Upminster are the other main retail centres with extensive high street shopping areas.

Romford has a developed night-time economy with one of the highest concentrations of bars and nightclubs anywhere in Greater London outside the West End. Because of this concentration of entertainment facilities in one place and transport options radiating from that district, there are no other significant entertainment zones in the borough.

Havering London Borough Council applied to the Government to allow a 'super-casino' to be built in the south of the borough,[5] however the application was rejected in May 2006.[6]

History

The London Borough of Havering was created in 1965 by the combined former area of the Municipal Borough of Romford and Hornchurch Urban District which had been transferred to Greater London from Essex by the London Government Act 1963. The name originates from the Royal Liberty of Havering which covered broadly, but not exactly, the same area and had been abolished in 1892.[7]

Early history

Main article: Royal Liberty of Havering

Modern settlement originated in Anglo-Saxon times when it consisted of Havering Palace and the surrounding lands that belonged to the king. The palace itself is known to have existed since at least the reign of Edward the Confessor when it was one of his primary residences. The area formed a liberty from 1465 which included the parishes of Havering atte Bower, Hornchurch and Romford.

The name Havering appears in documents from around the 12th century. The origins of this name have been debated by historians since the Middle Ages when it was linked to the legend of Edward the Confessor and a mystical ring returned to him by Saint John the Apostle. The event being commemorated in stained glass (from about 1407) in a chapel at Romford, that was dedicated to the king.[8]

Settlement

Because of London Underground and fast rail connections to central London from transport hubs at Romford and Upminster much of Havering has considerable residential development which has occurred throughout the last century.

The development of the borough came in two distinct phases. The first middle class suburban developments were built in the late Victorian and Edwardian period. The garden suburbs of Upminster, Emerson Park and Gidea Park (also known as Romford Garden Suburb) were spurred on by the building of the railway lines through Havering from Liverpool Street and Fenchurch Street in the late 19th century.

In the 1930s the District Line was electrified and extended to Upminster with new stations at Elm Park and Upminster Bridge. Also at this time new industries near the area such as the Ford Motor Company plant at Dagenham caused a new wave of mostly working class developments along the route of the new Underground line. In addition to this, to the north of the borough, the large housing estates of Harold Hill and Collier Row were constructed to deal with the chronic housing shortages and early slum clearance programmes in central London.

Districts

Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch

See also List of districts in Havering

This pattern of 'garden suburb' with inter- and post-war housing development still exists in the borough. Plans to extend existing developments in much of the borough are blocked as open land is protected as part of the Metropolitan Green Belt. In contrast, the southern part of Havering adjacent to the Thames is within the London Riverside section of the Thames Gateway redevelopment area. New open spaces and large scale house building to provide an entirely new residential community is planned.

The most built-up areas are the traditional garden suburb districts of Hornchurch, Emerson Park, Gidea Park, Harold Wood, Romford and Upminster. These places have developed over the last hundred years to form a large area of continuous urban sprawl with indistinct boundaries.

Part of the sprawling residential area are the later developments of Ardleigh Green, Chase Cross, Collier Row, Elm Park, Harold Hill, Rainham. In contrast, Havering-atte-Bower, North Ockendon, Noak Hill, and Wennington are less intensively developed outlying districts surrounded by large areas of open land.

Transport

Roads

The M25 motorway forms part of the borough boundary to the east with North Ockendon the only settlement to fall outside. The A12 (near Romford) and the A13 (near Rainham) are the main trunk radial routes from central London and are located to the north and south of the borough respectively. The A127 trunk route to Southend begins at Gallows Corner; which also forms the eastern end of the A118 local artery from Stratford. The A124 local artery from Canning Town terminates at Upminster.

File:HaveringLU.png
London Underground stations in Havering

Public transport

Main article: Public transport in Havering

The District Line of the London Underground runs roughly east–west through the middle of the borough and there is an extensive network of London Bus routes, linking all districts to Romford and other places beyond the borough.[9] The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (operated by c2c) passes through the borough in two places and the Great Eastern Main Line (operated by Greater Anglia) passes through the north of the borough serving Romford, with a branch line to Upminster. There are proposals for transport improvements in the south of the borough where the population is expected to rise.

Places of interest

Further information: Havering parks and open spaces
Fairkytes Arts Centre in Hornchurch is operated by Havering Council.

Politics

London Borough Council

Main article: Havering London Borough Council

Havering elects 54 councillors from the 18 wards of Brooklands, Cranham, Elm Park, Emerson Park, Gidea Park, Gooshays, Hacton, Harold Wood, Havering Park, Heaton, Hylands, Mawneys, Pettits, Rainham and Wennington, Romford Town, St Andrews, South Hornchurch, Squirrels Heath and Upminster. After the 2006 local elections the Conservative Party had a majority on the council with 34 councillors and the second largest party represented was the Residents' Association of London with 13 councillors. The Rainham Independent Residents Association had three councillors, the Labour Party had two councillors and the Liberal Democrats and the BNP had one councillor each.

Between May 2006 and October 2008, there were three by-elections. The Residents' Association in St Andrews Ward and the Conservatives in Squirrels Health Ward each retained one seat, the Residents' Association lost South Hornchurch to an independent candidate. One councillor elected as a Conservative has resigned the whip and now sits as an independent. Following his election, the independent in South Hornchurch joined the leader of the Rainham Independent Residents' Association in forming the Independent Local Residents' Group. The other two Rainham Independent Residents' Association members formed the Rainham Residents' Association as a separate entity. As of October 2008, the current membership of the Council is Conservative Party 33; Residents' Association 12; Independent Local Residents 2; Labour Party 2; Hornchurch Residents 1; Rainham Residents 2; British National Party 1; Liberal Democrat 1. Since May 2004 the Leader of the Havering London Borough Council has been Councillor Michael White.

The 2010 local elections took place on 6 May 2010. The outcome was little change from the 2006-10 Council: Conservatives have 33, Residents 12, Labour 5 and Independent Residents 4. The BNP lost its one seat (although the BNP Member returned as an Independent Resident), while Labour increased its membership by three, taking the BNP and two Conservative seats. The Independent Residents, who had split in 2008, regained the seats lost through the split. The LibDem Member also lost, to a Residents (ex-Labour) candidate.

In March 2013, UKIP gained its first seat on the authoity. UKIPs Lawrence Webb gained his set from the Conservatives following the death of veteran Conservative, Cllr Dennis Bull.

In July 2013, thirteen Conservative councillors were reported by the local press, Romford Recorder, as being deselected by the Romford Conservative Association including council cabinet members, formal complaints were made to Conservative Party Headquaters, and later three Conservative councillors defected to UKIP. Councillors Sandra Binion, Ted Eden and Fred Osborne joined UKIP citing local and national disillusionment.

London Assembly

Havering forms part of the Havering and Redbridge London Assembly constituency.

UK Parliament

Until 2010 the borough was split between the parliamentary constituencies of Hornchurch, Romford and Upminster with the three constituencies entirely within the borough. At the United Kingdom general election, 2010, the boundaries of these constituencies changed to a new Hornchurch and Upminster constituency and Rainham became part of the new cross-borough Dagenham and Rainham constituency.

Sport & Leisure

The London Borough of Havering has several sporting clubs:

Twinning

Havering is twinned with:

Education

Main article: List of schools in the London Borough of Havering

The Borough is the education authority for the district providing education in a mix of foundation, community and voluntary aided schools.

Community Organisations

A directory of all community organisations in the borough can be found online on the Community in Action Portal at http://www.haveringcommunityinaction.org.uk

References

  1. ^ "Ideas for London Riverside" (PDF). London Borough of Havering. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
  2. ^ Neighbourhood statistics for Havering (National Statistics) accessed 4 June 2007
  3. ^ "London's changing population" (PDF). 2005. Retrieved 2007-06-04. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |name= ignored (help)
  4. ^ "Romford Area Action Plan" (PDF). London Borough of Havering. March 2006.
  5. ^ "'Super-casino' shortlist set out". BBC News. 2006-05-24.
  6. ^ "Prescott casino influence denied". BBC News. 2006-08-30.
  7. ^ Vision of Britain - Havering London Borough
  8. ^ 'Parishes: Havering-atte-Bower', A History of the County of Essex: Volume 7 (1978), pp. 9-17 accessed: 4 June 2007.
  9. ^ Transport for London - Bus maps of Havering
  10. ^ Romford Football Club. "History". Retrieved 2009-08-14.
  11. ^ "Hockey is Back!". Romford Ice Arena. Archived from the original on April 6, 2008. Retrieved 2009-08-14.

51°33′N 00°13′E / 51.550°N 0.217°E / 51.550; 0.217

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