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Fines totalling more than a quarter-of-a-million pounds were issued to rogue landlords in Barking and Dagenham last year.



Offences included failing to have a licence, ignoring enforcement notices, and operating illegal houses in multiple occupation (HMOs).



The council became the first in the country to make it mandatory for all private landlords in the borough to have a licence – helping make sure homes are safe and protect renters.

In its commitment to improve air quality in and across the borough, Barking and Dagenham Council has increased the number of locations that it monitors for air pollution.



Next month (July), the council are installing a further 20 diffusion tubes, on top of the 10 already active in the borough. Diffusion tubes are small, plastic tubes that are used to identify areas of Nitrogen Dioxide concentrations associated to traffic emissions.

Local offenders carried out unpaid work to tidy up a part of Barking as part of the Community Payback Scheme.



They cleared rubbish, trimmed overgrown bushes, painted fences, and covered over graffiti on St Awdry’s Road.



In total, six offenders were involved in the day of action, with the participants aged between 18 and 40.

Hunters Hall Primary School in Dagenham has been recognised for its excellence in the way it supports the wellbeing of its pupils to prevent mental health issues.

The school adopts the Thrive Approach, which trains teachers and other education professionals to support children's emotional and social development.

Thrive crowned Hunters Hall an Ambassador School last year for demonstrating excellence in leadership and the environment and has recently awarded them three further accolades.

Riverside School in Barking has earned a prestigious Platinum Artsmark Award to the delight of staff and pupils.

Artsmark is the only creative quality standard for schools, accredited by Arts Council England. It supports them to develop and celebrate arts and cultural education across the whole curriculum, bringing learning to life for children and young people.

The Barking school has an outstanding arts offer which includes Riverside View Arts Hub that supports local schools and a Cultural Arts Lead who drives and develops arts and cultural provision across all phases.

All Saints Catholic School in Dagenham has been awarded a National Online Safety accreditation for its commitment to helping pupils stay safe online.

The school completed a comprehensive online safety education programme that included providing training and resources for staff, young people and parents, to demonstrate its commitment to keeping children safe online.

Last week (Thursday 17 June), Barking and Dagenham Council’s Work and Skills service hosted a virtual event to honour their students, clients, and staff's hard work and achievements. 

The service (made up of The Adult College, The Job Shop and Mental Health Vocational Support teams) held the event to recognise the efforts of staff and celebrate the students and clients who have overcome huge barriers to achieve their goals over the past year. 

Young people have worked wonders on an outdoor space at The Vibe Youth and Community Centre in Dagenham to transform it into an incredible community garden.

Youngsters from the Flipside and Peer Support Group (PSG) youth clubs came together to create the new garden, which features raised beds to grow produce and a wildflower garden to attract wildlife.

After months of lockdowns, the group decided that they needed a project that was healthy for their bodies and minds.

Thomas Arnold Primary School has been awarded another three awards for its work using the Thrive Approach to support the mental wellbeing of pupils and their families.

Thrive trains teachers and other education professionals to support the emotional and social development of all children.

The school was named a Thrive Ambassador School earlier this year and has since earned praise for its focus on emotional wellbeing and the resulting positive impact on pupils and the wider community.

Barking and Dagenham Council has launched a consultation to get the thoughts of residents as it looks to renew a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) on Dagenham Heathway. 



PSPOs aim to change behaviours, increase civic pride and ultimately deal with any antisocial behaviour taking place in a particular area. 



The Heathway PSPO currently prohibits the following activities:



•    Drinking alcohol in a public place