HAVERING Council continues to respond to the tragic fires that ripped through Wennington on Tuesday.
The Council immediately opened a rest centre at the Harrow Lodge Leisure centre to help any residents who had been evacuated and were unable to go to family or friends’ homes.
Later the rest centre became an assistance centre to support residents affected by the fires. The assistance centre offered housing, finance and money support, health and mental health services, educational therapists and help for residents from from the North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT), Havering Mind and the British Red Cross.
Sadly many homes and buildings were destroyed or damaged by the fires as the Leader of Havering Council, Cllr Ray Morgon, saw for himself during a visit yesterday (pictured).
Road closures
A number of roads around Wennington village are likely to remain closed throughout today.
At the time of writing, these roads include Lambs Lane at its junction with New Road, New Road at its junction with Sandy Lane, Wennington Road at its junction with New Road, East Hall Lane at its junction with New Road, and Eastwood Drive.
The emergency services and Havering Council have worked hard to make Wennington village safe and this afternoon (Thursday) were able to open the village to residents whose homes were evacuated but not destroyed by the fires.
Access will be on foot only. Residents should park their cars at Willow Farm Premier Inn. Havering Council has arranged shuttle buses that will take those residents to their homes if they are unable to walk.
There will be Havering staff on site to support residents and further information will be provided about ongoing support to those affected within the community.
Power supplies
Emergency electricity has been restored to the properties that weren’t destroyed in the fire. Unfortunately, some properties still have no gas supply at this time. The gas provider Cadent will be on site to provide support in the meantime with temporary measures including electric hobs.
Please be aware that the electricity supply is a temporary emergency supply and returning residents are therefore advised to try and use as little electricity as possible until normal supply is restored.
Emergency contact numbers for the power supply companies are published on our website.
Clean up
Teams of Havering Council workers are now beginning the clean-up operation including putting hoarding around the affected buildings, clearing up debris, removing spoiled food left in undamaged houses that had to be evacuated, and setting up traffic lights to ensure safe pedestrian crossings.
Homes in Wennington destroyed by fire July 2022
If you have been displaced by the fire in Wennington but don’t have access to a car and need transport, please call Harrow Lodge Leisure Centre on 01708 454135 to arrange that for you.
Keeping in touch
If you are a resident who has been evacuated from the Wennington fire area but are not receiving Havering Council’s special text messages for those directly affected by the fire, then please email us with your name, address and telephone number and we will make sure you are added to the list of people receiving those messages.
If you can’t email us, call 01708 432824 (9am to 5pm weekdays) or 01708 433999 (5pm to 9am and at the weekend). Please share this message with anyone you know who has been affected.
How you can help
Lastly, the response to this tragedy has been overwhelming with many kind-hearted residents and shops donating items and wanting to help those recovering from the effects of the fires by setting up online fundraising campaigns.
Specifically, Havering Council will be looking to assist those residents whose homes have been damaged or destroyed and who don’t have insurance.
The Wennington Fire Support Fund, set up by The Salvation Army and supported by Havering Council, will coordinate and distribute support to the families and individuals impacted by the fires and provide some extra help to those in need.
The funds raised will be allocated by a panel which will include representatives of the Council, The Salvation Army and trusted partners to ensure all funds go safely to the right places and people.
As the community tries to rebuild and restore, the fund will build on the acts of kindness and donations that have already been seen since the fires.
If you wish to help those most in need please donate to this fund and share the details with friends and family who may not receive this newsletter.
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