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Home Improvement Grants
The Council participated in the London Home Improvement
Campaign from 17th April to 13th May, 1972.
The Campaign was designed to encourage residents with
certain properties to take advantage of grants of up to £1,000
that are available to pay towards improvements to their homes.
Leaflet distribution displays in local libraries and clinics
continued throughout the period and there were advertisement
displays at the Town Hall and at the Havering Advice Centre
During the final week display trailers from the Department of the
Environment and the Gas and Coal Boards were stationed in
Romford Market Place and at other sites in the Borough
The local press also carried full page advertisements and
features and London's Television screened advertisements
nightly
The whole campaign was backed up by local poster advertising
and local stores distributed free carrier bags bearing
slogans.
Housing Act, 1969 (Part II) — General Improvement Areas
During the year staff of the Town Clerk, Borough Planning
Officer and Health Department carried out a public participation
exercise for the creation of a General Improvement Area south of
Brentwood Road, Romford It is too early to state whether the
outcome is successful, but it will certainly serve as a useful
pilot scheme to examine the possibility of other similar schemes
at some time in the future.
Romford Central Area Development
The Romford Central Area shopping precinct has now been
completed and is just beginning to settle down to serve as a
major shopping centre in this part of the Greater London area.
With a traffic free precinct of this magnitude one likes to think
that there must have been a considerable drop in the number of
accidents to pedestrians since this scheme came into operation
There is now growing interest in the creation of an office
precinct in the Eastern and Western Road area of Romford, and
it is hoped to reach agreement during 1973 to the main parts of
the scheme If successful, it is hoped that, in addition to extending
the employment opportunities for office workers in theCentral
Area of Romford, the provision of additional office facilities will
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