A London Assembly Member has joined growing calls to tackle a toxic fire burning on and off for 20 years in East London.

The site of the fires is located at an illegal dump site at Launders Lane in Rainham, Havering, East London.

The fires which burn routinely over summer have led local residents to complain of nosebleeds, problems breathing, coughing fits and even burns from the ground which they claim are caused by toxic fumes coming from the fires.

The London Fire Brigade has attended over 70 fires at the site since 2018.

Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member & Environment Spokesperson Hina Bokhari, has become the latest politician to call for action to stop the fires once and for all.

During a visit to the site this week alongside local Havering Residents Association councillors Sue Ospreay & Sarah Edwards, Bokhari stated she could smell the toxic fumes even a considerable distance away from the site and that it was clear the ongoing fires are a public risk to Londoners health.

Remediation of the site has been complicated by ownership changes. The current owner, who did not own the site when the dumping occurred, has put forward a provisional plan to clear the site in return for being allowed to develop 25 per cent of the land for commercial purposes, something complicated by Green Belt Legislation.

Commenting Hina Bokhari AM said:

“My visit to Launders Lane this week was truly shocking. It is beyond belief that these fires, which pose such a clear risk to public health, have been allowed to burn for over 20 years.

“Air pollution of this kind could have serious long-term impacts on people living in the area, especially young children, many of whom have to stay indoors when the fires are burning.

“It is clear that all actors need to come together to solve this issue. I will be asking the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan what he can do to ensure that Havering Council and the Landowner can address this issue.

“As someone who has marketed himself as a champion of clean air and who has rightly stated that clean air is “a right, not a privilege”, the situation here in Launder’s Lane should be of great concern to him.

“It is also in his interest to see the issue solved considering that the London Fire Brigade is called here so often, incurring a cost to the GLA and that the site has been recognised as posing a significant safety risk to firefighters due to how unstable it is.

“I am also clear that the Government must take into account the exceptional circumstances when it comes to making a decision over Greenbelt legislation on this site. It is very clear there is no point somewhere being designated as ‘Greenbelt’ if it is actually a toxic waste site that poses a massive public health risk.

“The people of Rainham cannot afford to put up with this risk any longer, they need action now.”