London Borough of Havering

The London Borough of Havering is a London borough in East London.

Havering is bordered to the south by the Thames and the London Borough of Bexley, to the west by the London Borough of Redbridge and the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, to the north with Essex and the east with Thurrock.

The M25 forms part of the borough boundary to the east with North Ockendon the only settlement to fall outside. The principal town in Havering is Romford.

The borough has a population of 242,200 over 43 square miles (111 km²). Havering has a higher proportion of residents in white ethnic groups than other outer London boroughs (95.1% – 2001 census). The Indian population is the most significant ethnic minority group in Havering (1.2%).

The London Borough of Havering was created in 1965 by uniting Romford Borough and Hornchurch Urban District and transferring them to Greater London from Essex. The name originates from the Royal Liberty of Havering which covered broadly, but not exactly, the same area.

Because of London Underground and fast rail connections to central London from transport hubs at Romford and Upminster much of Havering has considerable residential development which has occurred throughout the last century.

Romford is the main commercial hub of the borough and there is also some industry to the south between Rainham and the Thames, where the A13 trunk road passes through the borough. The A12 trunk road also passes through the borough to the north, close to Romford. Large sections of Havering are parkland and half the borough is greenbelt protected land.

Havering is twinned with Ludwigshafen in Germany and Hesdin in France.

The southern part of Havering adjacent to the Thames is within the London Riverside section of the Thames Gateway redevelopment area. New open spaces, residential communities and transport options including further stations on the c2c line and the building of the East London Transit are being considered.

Havering includes the areas:

• Ardleigh Green
• Chase Cross
• Collier Row
• Elm Park
• Emerson Park
• Gidea Park
• Harold Hill
• Harold Wood
• Havering-atte-Bower
• Hornchurch
• North Ockendon
• Rainham
• Romford
• Upminster
• Wennington

Stations in the borough:

• Elm Park tube station – District Line
• Emerson Park railway station – 'one' Great Eastern
• Gidea Park railway station – 'one' Great Eastern
• Harold Wood railway station – 'one' Great Eastern
• Hornchurch tube station – District Line
• Rainham railway station – c2c
• Romford railway station – 'one' Great Eastern
• Upminster station – District Line, c2c and 'one' Great Eastern
• Upminster Bridge tube station – District Line

Places of interest:

• Langtons
• Liberty Shopping Centre
• Queen's Theatre
• Romford Market
• Upminster Windmill

The borough is split between the parliamentary contituencies of:

• Hornchurch
• Romford
• Upminster