London Borough of Havering

Districts

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 by the strict Green Belt laws. 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.

Public transport

London Underground services in Havering

The District Line of the London Underground runs roughly through the middle of the borough serving Elm Park, Hornchurch, Upminster Bridge and Upminster. There is an extensive network of London Bus routes in the borough, linking all districts to Romford and other places beyond the borough.

The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (operated by c2c) passes through the borough in two places. The mainline, running adjacent to the District Line serves Upminster while a branch line serves Rainham. The Great Eastern Main Line (operated by 'one') passes through the north of the borough serving Romford, Gidea Park and Harold Wood. The Upminster branch of that railway, which is entirely contained within the borough, serves Emerson Park and Upminster.

New transport options, linked to the Thames Gateway project, including further stations on the Rainham branch of the c2c line and the building of the East London Transit are being considered.

List of stations

*Elm Park Underground station - District Line
*Emerson Park railway station - 'one' Great Eastern
*Gidea Park railway station - 'one' Great Eastern
*Harold Wood railway station - 'one' Great Eastern
*Hornchurch Underground station - District Line
*Rainham railway station - c2c
*Romford railway station - 'one' Great Eastern
*Upminster station - District Line, c2c and 'one' Great Eastern
*Upminster Bridge Underground station - District Line

Places of interest

*Langtons
*Liberty Shopping Centre
*Queen's Theatre
*Romford Market
*Gidea Park - 1911 Exhibition Estate, Romford Garden Suburb
*Upminster Windmill
*Upminster Tithe Barn Museum of Nostalgia

Politics

London Borough Council

Havering elects 54 councillors from the 17 wards of Brooklands, Cranham, Elm Park, Emerson Park, Gooshays, Hacton, Harold Wood, Havering Park, Heaton, Hylands, Pettits, Rainham and Wennington, Romford Town, St Andrews, South Hornchurch, Squirrels Heath and Upminster.

After the May 2006 elections the Conservative Party has a majority on the council with 34 councillors and the second largest party represented is the Residents' Association of London with 13 councillors. The Rainham Residents Association have three councillors, the Labour Party have two councillors, the Liberal Democrats and the BNP have one councillor each.

London Assembly

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

UK Parliament

Currently, the borough is split between the parliamentary constituencies of Hornchurch, Romford and Upminster with the three constituencies entirely within the borough. Before the next election the boundaries of these constituencies will change such that there will be a new Hornchurch and Upminster constituency and Rainham will become part of the new cross-borough Dagenham and Rainham constituency.