The Council meeting on 21 January 2026 included a significant debate and procedural discussions regarding an urgent motion concerning Mercury Land Holdings. Following this, the Council agreed to a revised motion regarding Mercury Land Holdings, on the proviso that its business plans would be reviewed by the Places Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee the following week, and an emergency full Council meeting would be scheduled if required. Decisions were also made on park safety funding and the appointment of a Member Champion for the Voluntary Sector, alongside a question and answer session.

Urgent Motion on Mercury Land Holdings

A substantial part of the meeting was dedicated to an urgent motion from the Administration concerning Mercury Land Holdings. Councillor Keith Prince raised a point of order regarding the motion's urgency. Councillor Ray Morgon, Leader of the Council, introduced the motion, explaining that a previous motion from September 2025, which aimed to focus Mercury Land Holdings on social homes, had been deemed financially unviable by officers. The urgent motion proposed rescinding the September decision and revising Mercury Land Holdings' business plan to focus on delivering affordable housing and reducing temporary accommodation costs once the company reached its breakeven point.

After considerable debate and several procedural votes, the Council agreed to a revised urgent motion. This revised motion was passed by 40 votes to 6 with 2 abstentions. The decision stipulated that the Mercury Land Holdings business plan revision would proceed, with the proviso that Mercury Land Holdings' business plans would be reviewed by the Places Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee the following week, and an emergency full Council meeting would be scheduled if required.

Park Safety Funding

The Council agreed to campaign for additional, sustainable external funding to increase the number of Parks Police Officers in Havering. This decision followed a report on park safety and an amendment proposed by the Conservative Group, led by Councillor Michael White. The amendment highlighted current capacity constraints and the expiry of temporary enforcement funding in March 2026. The amendment was agreed as the substantive motion without division.

Appointment of Member Champion for the Voluntary Sector

Councillor Christine Vickery was appointed as the Member Champion for the Voluntary Sector. This proposal, put forward by the Conservative Group, was agreed without division.

Members' Questions

A range of questions were addressed to Cabinet Members, covering topics including:

• Asylum Seekers' Accommodation: Councillor Dilip Patel asked about the Council's stance on housing asylum seekers. Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Housing Need, Councillor Natasha Summers, confirmed that Havering had not taken up the government's invitation to participate due to existing housing pressures.
• CCTV in Romford Town Centre: Councillor Jane Keane inquired about the use of CCTV to combat vandalism and misuse of parking amenities. Cabinet Member for Environment, Councillor Barry Mugglestone, stated that CCTV was used for crime prevention and detection, but no vandalism to town centre street furniture had been captured in the past 12 months.
• Penalty Charge Notices: Councillor Darren Wise questioned the accuracy of real-time updates for Civil Enforcement Officers' handheld devices. Councillor Mugglestone confirmed the systems worked in real-time and that an appeals process existed for incorrect charges.
• Planned Provision for the Traveller Community: Councillor Keith Prince asked about the occupancy of existing traveller sites. The Leader of the Council, Councillor Ray Morgon, stated that work was underway on a new Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessment to inform the next Local Plan, and provided details on existing sites.
• Parking in Hornchurch: Councillor Judith Holt asked about extending free parking initiatives. Councillor Mugglestone confirmed that current changes in Hornchurch were a pilot and no further tariff changes were proposed at present.
• Speed Restrictions in Wennington Road: Councillor Trevor McKeever raised concerns about vehicles exceeding the 20mph limit. Councillor Mugglestone noted that the Council had introduced safety measures, but speed enforcement powers lay with the police.
• Repairs to Potholes: Councillor Martin Goode asked about the percentage of pothole repairs requiring re-addressing. Councillor Mugglestone stated that less than 1% of potholes required re-addressing, and the Council aimed for permanent repairs.
• Visitor Parking Permits: Councillor Judith Holt inquired about adapting visitor parking permits for smaller time increments. Councillor Mugglestone stated that the current regime and charges were considered reasonable and smaller increments were not being considered.
• Planning Contraventions in Romford Town Centre: Councillor Jane Keane raised concerns about increased rubbish dumping at Equitable House. Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Councillor Graham Williamson, confirmed that planning enforcement had been notified to investigate and enforce accordingly.
• Gallows Corner: Councillor Christine Vickery questioned the continued enforcement of yellow box junctions affected by diversions. Councillor Mugglestone acknowledged the delays caused by TfL and stated that pausing enforcement would be counterproductive.
• Housing Allocations: Councillor Keith Darvill asked about addressing the backlog of housing applications. Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Housing Need, Councillor Natasha Summers, outlined an action plan involving additional staffing and prioritisation.
• North Street/Como Street Subway, Romford: Councillor David Taylor sought an update on the Liveable Neighbourhoods Scheme. Councillor Williamson explained that the start date had been pushed back to summer 2027 due to expanded modelling requirements by TfL.
• Temporary Homes on the Waterloo Estate: Councillor David Taylor asked for an update on temporary homes. Councillor Williamson reported that preparatory works were in progress, with units expected to arrive in February and occupation anticipated in May 2026.
• Road Safety in Lower Mawneys: Councillor Viddy Persaud requested a traffic monitoring exercise. Councillor Mugglestone confirmed that traffic surveys were being commissioned.
• Parking Enforcement: Councillor Nisha Patel raised concerns about residents being penalised for honest mistakes with parking machines. Councillor Mugglestone stated that he was meeting with parking enforcement officers to review the system and address genuine errors.

Other Motions

• Libraries: A motion by Councillors Keith Prince and Michael White calling for a halt to plans to sell or demolish Harold Wood, Gidea Park, and South Hornchurch libraries was withdrawn and resubmitted.
• Tax Rises: A motion by the Conservative Group condemning government tax changes affecting pubs and small businesses was withdrawn and resubmitted.
• Havering Volunteer Centre: A motion by the Labour Group congratulating the Havering Volunteer Centre on its tenth anniversary and committing to formalising its financial support was carried by 46 votes to 0 with 2 abstentions.
• Council Meeting Dates: A motion by the Residents' Association Independent Group to schedule future Full Council Meetings outside of school holiday dates was agreed by 30 votes to 1 with 17 abstentions.
• Case Tracker System: A motion by the Conservative Group calling for a halt to the rollout of the new Case Tracker System was withdrawn and resubmitted.