Havering Council engaged in a lengthy and at times contentious debate over an urgent motion concerning Mercury Land Holdings, ultimately leading to the adjournment of most other business. The meeting on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, saw a significant portion of time dedicated to the future of the company.
Councillor Keith Prince initially questioned the urgency of the motion, arguing it did not meet the criteria for short notice. However, Councillor Ray Morgon, Leader of the Council, explained the motion aimed to rescind a previous decision from September of the previous year that mandated a business plan amendment for Mercury Land Holdings to focus on social homes. Officers had concluded that this focus would undercut the financial viability of Mercury Land Holdings to the extent that it would either go out of business or require significant subsidies from the Council.
The urgent motion proposed revising the business plan to focus on delivering affordable housing and reducing temporary accommodation costs once the company reached its breakeven point. Councillor Morgon emphasized the importance of aligning such proposals with the Council's will, especially as the Council's budget was being set.
Following extensive discussion and procedural votes, the Council ultimately agreed to the urgent motion. The meeting saw several procedural votes. Initially, there was a vote to defer the urgent motion, which was not explicitly stated but implied to have been lost as the debate continued. Following this, a procedural motion was proposed to take the urgent motion as a vote only, which was seconded. Later, a vote was held on whether to suspend the procedural rule to allow for an open-ended meeting, which was lost by 1 vote to 7 with 0 abstentions. Subsequently, a vote was taken to adjourn the meeting and reconvene at a future date, which was also lost by 25 votes to 24. Finally, a vote was held on an amendment to the urgent motion, which proposed agreeing the motion with the proviso that Mercury Land Holdings' business plans would be reviewed by the Places Overview and Scrutiny Committee and an emergency full council meeting be scheduled if required. This motion was carried by 40 votes to six with zero abstentions.
This decision was made on the condition that Mercury Land Holdings' business plans would be reviewed by the Places Overview and Scrutiny Committee the following week, with an emergency full council meeting to be scheduled if deemed necessary. The revised business plan aims to focus the company on delivering much needed affordable housing and driving down temporary accommodation costs, once it has reached its breakeven number of properties.
Several other motions were withdrawn or deferred due to the extended debate on Mercury Land Holdings. These included a motion calling for a halt to plans to sell or demolish Harold Wood, Gidea Park, and South Hornchurch libraries (with an exception for Harold Wood library to continue discussions with a local community group). Another withdrawn motion condemned government tax changes that increased costs for local pubs and small businesses, calling for their reversal. A third motion called for a halt to the rollout of the new Case Tracker System, arguing it threatened the ability of elected members to serve their residents effectively.
Further details on the agenda and reports can be found in the Public reports pack and the Supplementary Agenda - Urgent Motion.
