Havering Town Hall (Credit: LDRS)
(Written by Local Democracy Reporter Sebastian Mann)
The cabinet approved a series of schemes to spend around £400million over the next three decades at a meeting on Thursday, 25 September.
Havering Residents Association councillors, who control the council, said the work would save money further down the line and were part of their legal duties.
The largest project will involve wide-scale repairs to flats and housing blocks at a cost of £350m over 16 years.
The council owns approximately 9,200 rented homes and 2,400 leasehold or shared ownership homes. Of those, 7,700 are spread across 1,500 apartment blocks.
Many elements of the homes are all reaching the “end of their life” at the same time, due to the age of the buildings.
Of that large sum, £318m will be drawn from the council’s housing revenue account, while the remaining £32m will be taken from its general fund reserved for corporate buildings.
Concerns were raised by opposition councillors – from Labour, the Conservatives and East Havering Residents Group – over whether the repairs were “absolutely necessary,” as the council struggles to balance a £32.5m budget deficit.
They agreed they were, but stressed the need for financial prudence. The authority may need to borrow millions from central government in the coming months, as it faces increasing pressures on its children’s services and provision of temporary accommodation.
Up to £4m will be further spent on replacing the roofs on the council’s street-side social housing. Its current contract expires in December, and housing cabinet member Paul McGeary said it was “crucial” to renew it.
He said: “By investing in roof replacement, the council aims to improve the quality of life for tenants, reduce their energy bills, and ensure their homes are secure and weatherproof.”
The “cost-efficient” scheme will cover repairs for 300 homes, Cllr McGeary added. It will not extend to flats.
During the meeting, the cabinet also approved a scheme to repair the leaky, “dilapidated” roof of Havering Town Hall, for an undisclosed amount.
Though there will be a “significant upfront cost,” the council said it would be cost-effective in the long-term by reducing the need for more substantial repairs.
Gillian Ford, the deputy leader of the council, said the building was Grade-2 listed and the authority had a responsibility to maintain it.
Council leader Ray Morgon added that “regardless of use, we need it to be secure”.
Having approved the plan last night, the council is aiming to award a contract next May with a view to the work being completed by December 2025.
The council will also install solar panels, which it says will save £368,000 in energy costs over 25 years. Additional improvements to the building’s insulation is expected to save a further £430,000 over the same period.
The council’s headquarters date back to 1937 and were listed in 1999. The town hall was last restored and redecorated in late 2017.
In recent months, the Romford building has been a target of vandalism. Arsonists attacked it in May, and vandals reportedly broke in on Sunday (22nd) and damaged computers and filing cabinets.
A spokesperson for the authority said it would work with the Metropolitan Police to “find the culprit who is wasting time and taxpayers’ money”.
