Up until now I have resisted the temptation to publicly go over the incredible misdeeds, mistakes, negligence and criminal activity that has brought about the Launders Lane disaster that Rainham residents have and are enduring.
What has changed is seeing the comments from Conservatives. So now is the time to reveal and set their appalling record straight on Launders Lane. It was during the many decades that the Conservatives had full control of Havering Council that tens of thousands of tons of waste were dumped in the former gravel quarry that is Arnolds Field.
There would have been literally thousands of lorry movements over those many years to illegally dump materials into Arnolds Field. How on earth throughout that extensive period did it escape the attention of the Conservatives. All of the subsequent distress and damage to health of local people would have been averted had the Conservative councillors not turned a blind eye over all of those years. It beggars belief. I am aware that some Rainham residents have theories as to why that happened.
If all of that isn’t bad enough, Jon Cruddas, who I succeeded as MP for Dagenham and Rainham in 2024, had from 2019 until the electors kicked out the Conservatives from Havering Town Hall in 2022 repeatedly called upon the leadership at Havering to set up a multi agency task group to tackle the growing incidence of fires at Arnolds Field. For whatever reason, the Conservative leaders of Havering totally ignored these calls. It was only in 2022 when a new administration of Residents Association and Labour councillors was elected were the calls heeded and the group was established involving the Council, Environment Agency, London Fire Brigade with Jon and then me as the MP (subsequently the GLA joined the group).
In the interest of making sure that the record is made clear for readers of The Havering Daily, the following gives a snapshot of some of my actions to seek to protect Rainham residents.
• Since the General Election I have taken the campaign to the House of Commons by raising Launders Lane in a debate and initiating a study by the Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology to look at the impact of historic landfill sites. I am following up the findings and conclusions from that study to put these before Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee and DEFRA Select Committee.
• I met with a campaigning firm of solicitors to seek ways for redress for the harm caused by the pollution as well as meeting with the Borough Fire Brigade Commander and a Fire Brigade Union official. I have also initiated discussions with leading academics from Queen Mary University London that has led to their engagement programme with local residents on long term health impacts from pollution.
• Pollution from landfill sites is a problem not just for Rainham, this is a national issue. That’s why I convened MPs from across the country who have problem landfills. Our intention is to bring the issue to national attention and to take the matter to the Minister.
• I repeatedly pressed Havering Council to get speedy alerts out to local schools, sports clubs and residents as soon as fires occur to minimize risk to health from the smoke pollution. After a lengthy delay this has now been implemented.
• I am being kept informed of the discussions between Havering Council and the landowner on his proposals to develop Arnolds Field. However, these proposals have not materialized as a planning application from the landowner as yet.
• The landowner in Spring 2026 refused the Council’s request to access the land to apply a ‘hydro mulch’ compound to the land to inhibit underground fires from occurring.
• In view of this I am currently pressing the Council, Environment Agency and Government to come up with a sustainable solution and am prepared to work alongside all agencies.
So in stark contrast to the absolute negligence of the Conservative Party and its councillors, who failed the community, The Havering Daily readers can be assured I will not rest until a solution is implemented at Arnolds Field and the harm to health ends.