Fires could continue to burn at a hazardous rubbish dump in Havering “for years” as the council seeks a permanent solution.
Arnolds Field, in Launders Lane, has caught fire more than 160 times in four years, sending acrid smoke into Rainham residents’ homes.
They report developing coughs, itchy eyes and needing to visit the GP more frequently – with the Clear the Air in Havering campaign group describing them as “summers of hell”.
The new Reform administration pledged to bring an end to the fires, and top councillors agreed last week to begin preparing a remediation notice. The town hall may also intervene, councillors agreed, if the landowner does not carry out the legally-required works.
However, due to various legal processes and potential appeals, it may be two or three years before the council can officially step in.
“There may be two or three more years of fires before the works are done,” a council report warned.
It would also cost the cash-strapped town hall £200,000.
Councillor Keith Prince, the Reform leader of the council, said the council would combat the fires on “every front: enforcement, legal action and lobbying".
He said in a statement after the meeting: “Where the law allows, we will pursue those responsible, prepare for further enforcement action, and continue pressing the Government, the Environment Agency and the Mayor of London for the funding, powers and practical intervention needed to end this crisis."
He continued: “Residents living near Launders Lane have put up with fires, smoke, disruption and anxiety for far too long. I want to be absolutely clear: this Administration stands with them, and we will do everything within the Council’s powers to stop the fires and end this misery.
“This is a complex and long-running issue on privately owned land, but complexity cannot be an excuse for inaction.”
“The people affected deserve clean air, peace of mind and the ability to use their homes, gardens and local spaces without fear of smoke from repeated fires. That is what we are working to achieve,” he said.
“The government and the Environment Agency have already stepped in on other serious illegal waste sites where there were unacceptable risks to residents, the environment and public safety.
“Havering residents deserve the same urgency, the same fairness and the same determination.”
Residents in Rainham have campaigned for years for an end to the fires.
The land was formally determined as contaminated land in October 2025 the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
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The council says it had been working towards a targeted solution for key hotspot areas before the 2026 summer fire season, but the landowner withheld permission for the work at the point final procurement documents were due to be issued.
Clean the Air in Havering told the previous Havering Residents Association administration that time “was of the essence” and “clean air and a clean environment is a human right”.
Cllr Prince added: “This issue has gone on for years.
“Residents need to see that the council is on their side and that we are prepared to take firm, lawful and practical action. That means enforcement, legal routes and sustained lobbying for the outside support needed to finally end the harm being caused.”
The landowner did not respond to a request for comment.
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