Leader's message - Friday 11 April 2025

It's been a busy few weeks, and I've been continuing to travel across the borough to meet residents and hear about your priorities.

The blossom season is here in Redbridge, and it's wonderful to see our borough come alive with colour. We're proud that Redbridge has been recognised as one of London's top destinations for cherry blossoms, with over 920 beautiful trees across the borough and 250 in Valentines Park alone. It's the perfect time to get outdoors and enjoy this spectacular display.

Last Friday, I had the privilege of distributing toys to children at the Albert Road Children's Centre’s Eid party as part of the incredible 70,000 gifts donated by the Kindness Offensive in December.

Seeing the smiles on young faces was a heartwarming reminder of the importance of the services we deliver as a council and how much centres like Albert Road mean to the children and parents who use them every day.I want to say a huge thank you to the staff and the parents who hosted me so graciously.

We also secured a significant victory this past fortnight, with a local takeaway in Ilford Town Centre fined a massive £6,000 for irresponsibly dumping rotting food waste onto pavements and leaving their bins overflowing.

Our message is clear: zero tolerance for fly-tipping, and we will not tolerate anything that harms our environment and community. I am grateful to our enforcement teams for securing this fine and sending a clear message.

On 1st April, we proudly celebrated Redbridge's 60th birthday as a borough. It was a special occasion to reflect on our rich history, vibrant community and exciting future. Over the coming weeks, you will hear more about how we are celebrating Redbridge’s history and heritage to mark our birthday.

With the Easter holidays underway, our MegaMix programme once again provides a range of free and affordable sports and activities for children and young people across the borough.

Make sure to book in advance, join in, and enjoy everything that's on offer.
Please remember that your bin collections may change over the Easter bank holiday weekend, so check our website to stay updated.

With Easter, Vaisakhi and Passover all starting in the coming weeks, I'd like to wish all my neighbours celebrating these festivals a peaceful and joyful time. It's a special opportunity to reflect, celebrate and spend valuable moments with family and friends. I am looking forward to celebrating Vaisakhi with my family this weekend.

As London's most efficient council, we're committed to maintaining excellent services. We can’t be everywhere at once, and your continued support through finding and reporting issues via the Love Clean Streets App or our online Report It page makes a huge difference in keeping Redbridge clean, safe and welcoming.

Thank you for playing your part.