July 2021

Redbridge Council has launched a consultation on proposals for 10km of new segregated cycle lanes in the local area.

“The proposed improvements on Aldersbrook Road, Blake Hall Road, Centre Road, Lakehouse Road and also Woodford New Road are not only intended to provide a safer facility for cyclists, but also to encourage bike riding. They are preliminary measures and it is hoped that funding may be secured for future interventions, such as improvements to assist pedestrians and cyclists at junctions in the area,” said a spokesperson.

The consultation is open until 20 August, with a separate survey for each road.

Aldersbrook Road consultation
Blake Hall Road consultation
Centre Road consultation
Lakehouse Road consultation
Woodford New Road consultation

The City of London Corporation is seeking volunteers to help with the return of cattle grazing in Wanstead Park next month.

“An induction meeting for those interested in helping is planned for 4 August. If you would like to register your interest, please get in touch by 2 August to be notified of the event details,” said a spokesperson.

It follows a successful trial last year, when three English longhorn cows made a historic return to grazing in the park, the first time in 150 years.

Email epping.forest@cityoflondon.gov.uk

The Epping Forest and Commons Committee has approved a decision to allow cycling throughout Wanstead Park.

It follows a consultation earlier this year in which over two thirds of respondents (675 responses) were in favour of allowing cycling across the whole park. Previously, a 1930s byelaw restricted cycling to one path. “We ask cyclists to observe the cycling code of conduct, stick to the paths and note any areas that remain restricted, such as historic or ecologically sensitive areas,” said a spokesperson.

Visit wnstd.com/parkcycle 

The Temple – Wanstead Park’s visitor centre – will reopen next month for a series of drop-in activities and tours.

“We are delighted to announce that visitors will once again be able to enjoy The Temple over the summer holidays. On 11, 19 and 25 August from 2pm to 5pm we will offer activities for families and history enthusiasts alike,” said a City of London spokesperson. The Temple – a Grade II*-listed building – will also participate in the Open House Festival on the first weekend of September.

Visit wnstd.com/temple

The Wren Wildlife Group, London Wildlife Trust and Wild Wanstead have compiled a list of 10 species at risk of local extinction. In the fifth of a series of articles looking at each species in turn, Susie Knox is in awe of the stag beetle

As insects go, stag beetles are about as impressive as they get – easily holding their own against some of the weird and wonderful invertebrates found in tropical parts of the world. They live in woods, hedgerows, parks and gardens. Stag beetles look scary but pose no threat to humans! They’re rare to see, so if you spot one, you are very lucky.

Adult male stag beetles are 3.5–7.5cm long, with large, antler-like jaws. The females don’t have these mandibles but still grow up to 5cm in size. The males display their massive jaws to attract females and duel with their rivals. Stag beetles can live up to seven years, but they spend most of that time underground in their larval stage. Even the larvae of male stag beetles have large jaws!

When ready to mature, stag beetles build an egg-shaped cocoon in the soil, up to 20cm below ground. It can be as large as an orange and take up to three weeks to construct. Within the cocoon, the larva pupates and turns into its adult form. After spending winter and spring in the soil, adult beetles emerge above ground from mid-May onwards to mate. By the end of August, most of them will be dead. Look out for females on the ground searching for a place near rotting wood to lay their eggs. Males tend to be seen flying on the hunt for a mate.

Stag beetles have declined in Europe and are red-listed in many countries. They are protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act and are a Priority Species under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework. Stag beetles are suffering from loss of habitat. The UK has lost much of its native broad-leaved woodland and the decaying wood they need is often removed to make things look tidy. Stag beetles are found in areas of southern England, but fewer are recorded in east London than other parts of the capital, particularly in the south and west. In Wanstead, they are rarely seen, and are less frequently encountered than their not-quite-so impressive cousins, the lesser stag beetle. The City of London is aware of the need to leave decaying wood, a key habitat for so many species, including the stag beetle. As such, stag beetle sightings are probably a good indicator of the health of many other species locally – which is why the lack of them in Wanstead is so concerning.

How to help:

• When out and about, leave old stumps and deadwood alone. Female stags lay their eggs in rotting log piles, old fence posts and the roots of various rotten trees, including oak, apple, ash and cherry.
• Build a log pyramid for stags in your garden. Find out how at wnstd.com/logpile
• If you’re mulching any of your flower beds, use untreated woodchip, which can also provide ideal habitat for females to lay their eggs in and a food supply for the larvae.
• Create an area of wild lawn. Mow once a year in late summer and remove the cuttings (this will help wild flowers naturalise).

For more information about the 10 species under threat of extinction in Wanstead, visit wnstd.com/the10

Moving to Wanstead four years ago was a creative turning point for Art Group Wanstead Member Leila Skye, who takes inspiration from local scenes

I was born in Forest Gate 72 years ago. I come from a creative background and very much lived under the shadow of my father’s artistic family. My Uncle Maurice was an artist in Whitechapel in the 1930s. His sketches appeared in the Evening Standard and his paintings are in the Cardiff Museum, highlighting the miners’ plight during the war years. His commercial work also appeared in the comics Eagle, Bunty and Judy in the 1950s and 1960s.

My life as a young artist, from the age of nine, was disrupted many times due to my parents’ own restless lifestyle, until the age of 16. I had been to eight different schools by the age of 15, with undiagnosed dyslexia.

At 17, I followed in my uncle’s footsteps and enrolled in evening classes at St Martin’s School of Art. My charcoal life drawings were very well received. But life took over and in those days I had to work. I feel I never found my voice educationally until 1994 when I was in my late 40s and gained a BA Hons in social and developmental psychology with the help of a scribe. After bringing up my daughter, I returned to work, but encountered mobility issues by the time I was in my late 50s.

I dipped in and out of the art world, but never found my way creatively until 2017, when I moved to Wanstead. My life, I guess, was character building.

Since living in Wanstead, I have revisited my interest in art. During lockdown, I enrolled in mixed media painting online courses and that kept me busy whilst still learning. I’m also on the patient panel at Whipps Cross Hospital, my way of giving something back over the last 14 years because of what I gained in mobility through numerous spinal surgeries and hip replacements there.

Lockdown had a silver lining for me. I have since found my creative voice and a distraction from my chronic pain conditions. It’s been – and still is – a marvellous therapy. I’ve undertaken virtual courses and workshops to develop that voice. Despite my life’s challenges, I love experimenting with painting.

Much of my art is of the High Street or other local areas. I’m developing a body of work in expressive and intuitive mark-making as a way to respond to my surroundings. The local community may see me around on Tarzy Wood or in Wanstead Park, sketching.

I sold four paintings in two weeks when Lillies of Wanstead kindly allowed me to use their window to display my work during the last art trail. The experience gave me the confidence to continue well into lockdown. I also enjoy designing greetings cards for family and friends.

I’m now a grandmother as well as a mother, and am pleased to say both generations have a stable lifestyle, unlike mine. But since moving to Wanstead, I’ve never been so happy. I’m coming out of the shadows. And sometimes, that takes a lifetime. And now?… I’m staying in one place.

A group of volunteers from St Mary’s in South Woodford, Christ Church in Wanstead and St Gabriel’s in Aldersbrook will be resuming in-person bereavement cafés this month, following a period of virtual events.

The first session will take place at Christ Church on 20 July from 10.30am to 11.30am, and will continue on the third Tuesday of each month. In South Woodford, sessions will take place on the first Tuesday of each month at St Mary’s from 2pm to 3pm, starting from 3 August.

Call 020 8505 3000 

Four golfers have completed a golfing marathon at Wanstead Golf Club in aid of charity.

The group played 72 holes on 5 July, which took around 15 hours. To date, they have raised over £2,300 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

“We believe everyone suffering from cancer should receive the help they need. This is why the four of us completed the ‘Longest Day Golf Challenge’ for Macmillan. We played four rounds of golf in one day, in a bid to raise awareness and raise money for this amazing cause. We played the game we love, in a way that really benefits others,” said Max Shepherd, George Leversuch, Joe Fitzgerald and James Heard.

Visit wnstd.com/72holes

The latest stamp duty holiday is over, meaning buyers need to be aware of the implications to their chain and mortgage offer, says Derek Inkpin from local solicitors Wiseman Lee

All good things, as we know, come to an end. The amount of financial help given by the government since March 2020 in the relaxation of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) rules has been considerable and with it, a knock-on effect on price increases. Gazumping has reappeared in some cases. But the SDLT holiday ended on 30 June.

With effect from 1 July 2021, the £500,000 threshold for UK main residence property reduces to £250,000 until 30 September 2021, and then from 1 October 2021, the threshold reverts to its previous level of £125,000. If you are buying an additional property, whether as a buy-to-let or a second home, a 3% surcharge applies to the current SDLT regime.

Whether you can still make an SDLT saving up to 30 September 2021 depends on the chain. A short chain of transactions should mean exchange of contracts and completion by 30 September, but unless as a buyer you are aware of these changing rules, don’t forget that an increase to SDLT could take you beyond your budget. Even if as a buyer you are financially OK to proceed, it is worth checking that the other buyers in the chain have the funds to pay the new SDLT rate due up to 30 September and, of course, even worse, if completion takes place after 1 October.

Another point worth checking is the fine print of your mortgage offer and whether the lender has imposed a condition that the purchase can only proceed providing the SDLT concession is still available.

In areas where there are significant delays in obtaining searches, it might be possible to obtain a personal search or, at additional cost, search delay insurance. However, in each case, it will be necessary to check with the lender whether either of these measures is acceptable because if not, the delay in exchanging and then completing after September will likely upset the SDLT apple cart.

Change of subject – for many years, people selling properties subject to Capital Gains Tax (CGT) could report their CGT gains and pay their tax in the next financial year. Not so now – from 6 April 2020 in the sale of taxable residential properties, CGT tax returns and the payment due must be made within 30 days after completion of the sale. Do this late and you will become liable for interest on late payment and possibly HMRC penalties.

Finally, a new Ground Rent Reform bill is proceeding through Parliament. The aim is to stop onerous and rising ground rents from affecting future long leaseholds. The scandal of doubling ground rents every few years needs to be resolved urgently. Hopefully, this will become law in 2023.

Wiseman Lee is located at 9–13 Cambridge Park, Wanstead, E11 2PU. For more information, call 020 8215 1000

As well as managing The Cuckfield, Lizi Arnold is proud to be part of another Wanstead icon, The Corner House Project, which is now a registered charity thankful for all the community support it receives

The Corner House Project was started in 2019 by a small group of local residents looking to help vulnerable people in east London. We started collecting clothing for the homeless and food for foodbanks and outreaches, among several other projects.

Since then, we have grown immensely, and our team of volunteers has grown with us. Gone from pubs and offices filled high with boxes of donations ready to be taken to the next homeless outreach, or food donations in spare bedrooms, we now have storage and regular collections.

Since the pandemic especially, The Corner House Project – combined with the power of Facebook’s Wanstead Community Hub and the Tin in a Bin Network – has helped thousands of people with food parcels, clothing and bedding, supplied the NHS with fruit and home-cooked meals, and helped other charities with donations too. Wherever the help is needed, we aim to do what we can. By adding to our already strong and amazing team, we’ve been able to achieve so much.

We are also now a registered charity, which is huge for us in terms of funding and support, and we are always looking into avenues for funding so we can continue to grow and help more people where it’s needed. What our team has achieved over the last year is incredible. We’ve turned pubs into clothing and food stores and supplied meals and food parcels. Only with the generous support of the community have we been able to do this. Wanstead is just amazing. You ask for a tin of beans, you get 500. And that’s why this works. The Corner House Project is a community project, not just for the homeless. We help where we can and how we can, with the support of our team and community.

So, what of the future of The Corner House Project? We will get better and bigger. Now that we’re registered and official, we can apply for funding for bigger projects, such as local events and homeless outreaches. We will continue supporting other charities, such as mental health charities and Lola’s Homeless wherever we can. We have big plans to come. After the pandemic, we expect to see an increase of those in need of help.

Anyone in the community is welcome to volunteer or fundraise for us.

One final point. While The Corner House Project was founded out of the beautiful Corner House on the corner of Grove Park and the High Street, it is not affiliated with Age UK or the Allan Burgess Centre and donations cannot be dropped there for safety reasons.

For more information on The Corner House Project and to get involved, email info@cornerhouseproject.org

Earlier this year, April Mehmet founded Walk It Out, a project dedicated to empowering women in Redbridge. Organised walks offering a safe and supportive environment now take place in Wanstead Park

I am April. I was raised in Stoke Newington and moved to Ilford, where my journey began, but my passion to empower women to believe in themselves started in Chadwell Heath, where I reside now. Growing up wasn’t easy, especially after my father passed away in my first year of secondary school. This made me grow up much quicker and gave me great responsibility. I had no choice but to be strong; I knew no other way. I just battled through life by clenching on to my dreams and never giving up hope.

Writing this article has brought me back to memory lane and reminded me of what I stand for and my strength. Going through all the things I did, from bereavement, bullying, domestic abuse and mental health in my family, made me the woman I am today and I feel very proud of my achievements. Everyone should have a positive role model and I wished I had someone like me at school or around me to push me to reach my goals. It was this thought that inspired me in April 2021 to create Walk it Out.

Helping others always gave me satisfaction and a feel-good factor, so in my spare time, I would support and mentor in my community, but I always wanted to start my own organisation. I wanted women to know and feel they can also achieve their goals in life and to never give up on their dreams. Lockdown 2020 really made me think about what could be going on behind closed doors, and I wanted to reach out knowing that domestic abuse had risen and anxieties had increased after the death of Sarah Everard.

Being a parent myself, I could see the struggles women were facing and I wanted to support females in my area. The only way I could do this during the pandemic was to walk and talk through parks in Redbridge, so I made a post on social media and received a huge response. I then arranged my first walk and started installing positive mindsets, building confidence and resilience in women, making a positive impact on their lives.

My aim is to empower and raise awareness for women, creating a safe environment where women feel acknowledged, heard and valued. I believe that supporting and guiding young females and women in overcoming their challenges, facing their fears, building their self-esteem and conquering themselves, will lead to better relationships and better decision-making, allowing women to feel stronger and more in control.

We have now started our walks every Sunday morning at 11am in Wanstead Park, with beautiful lakes, scenery and interesting history.

Ladies, I am very excited to be making positive changes in the community. Come and join us and feel empowered.

For more information on Walk It Out, visit wnstd.com/walkitout or follow the group on Twitter and Instagram @walk__it__out

As Redbridge Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning and Planning Enforcement, Councillor Sheila Bain (Wanstead Park, Labour) explains why the Aldersbrook Conservation Area was extended last year

Redbridge has many areas of historic or architectural interest, and protecting these is an important function of the planning system, achieved through the designation of Conservation Areas.   

Conservation Areas have extra planning rules applied to them to help preserve or enhance their character and protect their settings. The designation of these areas is a vitally important way of protecting and improving the borough’s heritage, and serves to protect the environment and biodiversity. Designating a Conservation Area does not mean prohibiting development but ensures changes are carefully managed to safeguard the appearance of the area.   

There are 16 conservation areas in Redbridge. They are supported by design guidance, which gives advice on how to make improvements to homes in an acceptable way. Local planning authorities are required to periodically review the character and boundaries of Conservation Areas and publish proposals for their preservation and enhancement, and this was most recently carried out in the Aldersbrook Conservation Area and Lake House Estate.

This area of Edwardian housing is one of the most noteworthy examples in the borough.  Our review showed that many alterations and extensions had taken place to properties over the years, resulting in the loss of Edwardian features. Permitted development rights (where planning permission isn’t needed) had allowed owners to undertake additional works to properties which had a major negative impact on the character of the area as a whole.

Following consultation with residents, the boundary of the Aldersbrook Conservation Area was extended to include the Lake House Estate, and the council introduced an Article 4 Direction to tackle the adverse impacts on the area by household development. This was the course of action most supported by residents, many of whom had strong concerns about the condition of the area.

The Article 4 Direction requires that planning permission be obtained for certain, normally exempt, building works. For example, replacing windows, roof coverings, work to porches and removing boundary walls with loss of front gardens. The aim is to prevent further erosion of the area’s Edwardian character, to encourage restoration and to ensure new work preserves or enhances the character and appearance of the area. The objective is to keep the area’s architectural heritage intact and the environment green, which has added benefits for biodiversity.

As Cabinet Member for Planning and Planning Enforcement, I’m proud to be involved in protecting our architectural heritage and environment for the enjoyment and benefit of the community and future generations.

To contact Councillor Sheila Bain, email sheila.bain@redbridge.gov.uk