Jason Frost is an effective chair. He’d clearly read the agenda1, understood it and engaged so that he could lead the discussions. Given the importance of the business, an effective chair is vital.
Almost immediately the issue of sharing data came up. This was to be a recurring theme as suspension of data protection was implied. There are special procedures in place for the period of the pandemic about data sharing.
Jason immediately understood that the current emergency Covid strategies are expensive – but underwritten by the government- and likely to become permanent. He hoped that they could become part of the environmental officers’ brief, presumably to save money, but that was shown to be an improbable suggestion.
The challenges of Covid extend to Long Covid. The scale isn’t known but it’s a certainty. As there’s no cure, provision will have to be made to protect those suffering from it. Havering and the NHS will have to work closely together to meet this challenge.
A gloomy note was hit when the director of public health pointed out that Covid will be here for an extended period. Any surge would have to be met by stringent local actions, or, at worst, further lockdowns.
Addendum: Falsified Minutes
Damian White didn’t attend, yet again. In the minutes2 it says that he and two other councillors offered apologies. Viewing the webcast3 you’ll see they didn’t apologise for their absence. This pathetic falsification is childish corruption and deeply worrying in this critical period in Havering’s history. Let’s not forget the entire agenda was discussing the ramifications of a pandemic, which has killed 921 Havering citizens.
Notes
1 For the Agenda see (Public Pack)Agenda Document for Health & Wellbeing Board, 28/04/2021 13:00 (havering.gov.uk)
2 For enquiries on this agenda please contact (havering.gov.uk)
3 Annotator Player (sonicfoundry.com) Go to start point 2 minutes 55 seconds for announcement of apologies beginning with the chair and then the clerk: about 10 seconds altogether.
Politics in Havering 
No matter who comes and goes on any post… they would never work or find any solution in public health and protection. It is just a change of face for we residents, especially of Brooklands ward near Crow Metals. We inhale swarf everyday and tolerate huge noise pollution. All council departments, councillors and MP know this all. They work as puppets or lapdogs of corporates. We residents do not trust these anymore.
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Thank you for your comment
If there is a public nuisance adjacent to where you live and the problem is being ignored you might want to consider direct action. By this I mean letters to the press – The Recorder and the on-line Havering Daily- or, as in this case, to the ‘Politics in Havering’ blog. A peaceful picket, just for a few hours, is also a good publicity method. Companies don’t like reputational damage. There’s an election in May 2022 and suppose that there are alternative candidates to your councillors who would probably be interested.
Ultimately just moaning about a problem is self defeating.
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We residents have been protesting, communicating with all relevant departments for years and years but no result. Everytime our representatives throw us in front of new faces in council who never deliver. If you just think that we are only moaning or if you cannot take criticism then block this post and me on commenting here. I run a Facebook page called “We will be heard – Havering” and I get good response and I face criticism as well and I welcome that. I thought this website is for all and didn’t know that this will hurt you that far. Sorry if you feel bad. Regards.
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Thank you for your comment.
I hadn’t realised that there was an on-going campaign and I apologise for that. This blog is a ‘politics’ blog and so debate is part and parcel of its reason for existing.
I assume you live in Brooklands ward. In which case you have two cabinet members as your councillors: Robert Benham and Viddy Persaud. Benham is also the deputy leader of the council.
You might want to approach Dr Mark Ansell the director of public health. He’s overwhelmed with Covid work at the moment but could be an avenue for you.
I’m afraid that you have to be relentless. The best recent successful example was the campaign in Orchard Village Rainham over the shoddy building of their homes. Detailed medical records are invaluable as can be seen in the campaign in Lewisham over air pollution. Everything is slow and events are dragged out as a tactic to discourage you.
Best of luck (And I welcome constructive criticism)
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Thanks for a favourable comment.
In 2011, everyone opposed the planning permission of scrap metal business at this current site. Even council officers were against this as it was just opposite elderly and vulnerable people’s homes. We have recently found that all conservative councillors pressurised and signed the planning permission in favour of Crow Metals scrap business. Since then all residents of at least a quarter mile area are badly affected by this business. Now the same party leaders are pretending that they are with local residents but behind the screen the story is totally different. As you suggested, we residents have started thinking other options like next elections or involving the media and other independent agencies. Two newspapers have already covered these issues. But local council, councillors, MP and even Environmental Agency has a very soft approach so far to this business. Please find 5th March this years edition of Romford Recorder. Regards.
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