The Council meeting on Wednesday 21 January 2026 was largely dominated by a debate over an urgent motion concerning Mercury Land Holdings, which ultimately led to the adjournment of most business. After extensive procedural discussions and votes, the council agreed to defer the remaining agenda items to a future date.

Urgent Motion on Mercury Land Holdings

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to an urgent motion proposed by the Administration regarding Mercury Land Holdings. This motion sought to rescind a previous council decision from September 2025 that aimed to amend the business plan of Mercury Land Holdings to focus on social homes.

Councillor Keith Prince raised a point of order, arguing that the motion did not meet the criteria for urgency as the issue had arisen well before the 10-day deadline for agenda inclusion. He suggested that bringing the motion at short notice was an abuse and that the council should have had more time to consider it. Councillor Prince proposed deferring the motion to the next council meeting to allow for proper assessment of the evidence and alternatives.

Councillor Ray Morgon, Leader of the Council, explained that the urgency stemmed from upcoming cabinet meetings and budget proposals that related to Mercury Land Holdings. He stated that officers had concluded that the September motion, if implemented, would undermine the financial viability of Mercury Land Holdings, potentially leading to its closure or requiring significant council subsidies. The Administration's motion proposed a revision to the Mercury Land Holdings business plan to focus on delivering affordable housing and reducing temporary accommodation costs once the company reached its breakeven point.

Following extensive debate and procedural votes, including a proposal to suspend rules for an open-ended meeting which was narrowly defeated, the council ultimately voted to agree the urgent motion on the proviso that Mercury Land Holdings' business plans would be reviewed by the Places Overview and Scrutiny Committee the following week, and an emergency full council meeting would be scheduled if required. This motion was carried by 40 votes to six.

Park Safety

The council considered a report on park safety. The Conservative Group had submitted a question requesting the report be amended to include results from a targeted safety perception survey with demographic breakdowns. The Administration had a deemed motion to adopt the report and its recommendations. The Conservative Group then proposed an amendment to the recommendations section, calling for the council to campaign for additional, sustainable external funding to increase the number of Parks Police Officers in Havering, citing current capacity constraints and the expiry of temporary enforcement funding in March 2026.

The transcript indicates that this item was subject to a vote, but the outcome is not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given the subsequent adjournment of most business, it is likely that a decision on this matter was postponed or deferred.

Other Motions

Several other motions were listed on the agenda, including:

• A motion by the Conservative Group condemning recent government tax changes that increased costs for pubs and small businesses in Havering and calling on the government to reverse these rises.
• A motion by the Labour Group congratulating the Havering Volunteer Centre on its tenth anniversary and committing to formalising its financial support in the forthcoming budget. This motion was carried unanimously.
• A motion by the Residents' Association Independent Group proposing that future Full Council Meetings be scheduled outside of the London Borough of Havering's published school holiday dates to help members with school-age families and encourage wider involvement in local government. This motion was carried by 30 votes to 1, with 15 abstentions.
• A motion by the Conservative Group calling on the Administration to halt the rollout of the new Case Tracker System, arguing that its design threatened the ability of elected members to effectively serve their residents.

Due to the extensive debate and procedural votes surrounding the Mercury Land Holdings motion, and the subsequent decision to adjourn, the majority of these other motions were either withdrawn by their proposers or deferred to a future meeting. The council agreed to proceed to a vote only on the Labour Group's motion regarding the Havering Volunteer Centre and the Residents' Association Independent Group's motion on council meeting dates.

The meeting concluded with the singing of the national anthem.