A public consultation into Barking and Dagenham Council’s plans for its budget will go live next Thursday, 22 November, seeking views on its plans to bridge a £50 million government funding gap whilst protecting key services.

Government grants for local authorities have reduced by nearly 50 per cent since 2010, which has forced Barking and Dagenham Council to make unprecedented cuts totalling £153 million.

The number of young people from Barking and Dagenham achieving the Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE) has seen an increase of nearly 50%.

146 young people from the borough achieved the award in 2017/18 which is a 224% increase from 2013.

In total 368 youngsters enrolled on the programme of which 234 were for Bronze, 100 Silver and 34 for the Gold award.

Barking and Dagenham Council has saved almost £1 million on clear-up costs thanks to powers secured in the High Court that prevent illegal traveller campsites in the borough.

The injunction, which was amongst the first of its kind granted in the capital, prohibits any unauthorised encampments at a number of locations across the borough, as well as banning fly-tipping. It was the first to be granted on an indefinite basis.

Almost 70 new people will help transform Barking and Dagenham Council's refuse and waste team, following the local authority's biggest recruitment drive for several years.

The newly filled roles include drivers, loaders, street cleaners, supervisors and office-based staff, as the council looks to expand and improve the service to make bin collections more efficient and reliable. 

Jo Richardson Community school has been awarded the School of the Year award for ‘Making a Difference’ at the Pearson Teaching Awards.

The award acknowledges the “power of a school to transform the life chances of children” and “bring cohesion and enrichment to their local community.” 

The judges recognised that the school goes "above and beyond" to provide an education which is second to none for all its students and provides learning and "endless opportunities" for everyone. 

More than 300 people have already had their say on a scheme that protects renters from inadequate, poorly maintained and overcrowded housing.

The initiative, which was introduced in the borough by Barking and Dagenham Council in 2014, makes it compulsory for every private rented property in the borough to have a licence.

Barking Learning Centre is set to host the Young Poet Laureate Tour on Thursday 25 October, when young residents with a passion for poetry will be able to enjoy an open mic event and a series of workshops with some of the best poets, rappers and beatboxers in the UK. 

The event will take place from 10.30am to 5pm and is open to anyone aged from 13 to 25. It will feature Momtaza Mehri, the Young People’s Laureate for London, alongside a selection of other talented poets and performers.

Barking and Dagenham council has introduced new stickers that will be applied to illegally dumped rubbish in the latest clampdown on grime crime.

Barking and Dagenham Council has launched an innovative new online platform, allowing everyone from residents to community groups to access and analyse a vast array of data about their borough, which will help it plan and deliver services. 

Good news for green-fingered locals, as Barking and Dagenham Council will be continuing with its Green Garden Waste subscription service for 2019/20.

Not only is the paid-for service set to be extended for the next two years, but it will also be increased from 16 to 19 collections a year, and it will come at no extra cost to residents.