April 2022

Local council elections in all 32 London boroughs will be held this month.

In Redbridge, 63 members of the council will be selected, contested across 22 wards. The Wanstead Village Directory presents statements from all 19 candidates standing in the two wards covered by this publication. Wanstead Village – which is represented by three councillors – has 12 nominated candidates, while Wanstead Park – represented by two councillors – has seven candidates. Both wards were created ahead of the 2018 elections following a boundary review.

Polling stations open at 7am on 5 May and close at 10pm. Voters do not need to bring any identification, and can cast as many votes as there are councillors to be elected in their ward. For a list of polling stations in Wanstead Village and Wanstead Park wards and to locate your nearest venue, visit wnstd.com/pollingstations

The results will be announced the following day.

Wanstead Village ward candidates

• Crispin Acton (Lib Dem)
  
• Jo Blackman (Lab)
  
• Gavin Chambers (Con)
  
• Paul Donovan (Lab)
  
• Neil Hepworth (Lib Dem)
  
• Fatema Hussain (Con)
  
• Sharn Kalsi (Con)
  
• Richard Lafferty (Green)
  
• Susanne Marshall (Green)
  
• Daniel Morgan-Thomas (Lab)
  
• John Rowlands (Green)
  
• Scott Wilding (Lib Dem)

Wanstead Park ward candidates

• Bayo Alaba (Lab)
  
• Sheila Bain (Lab)
  
• David Bruck (Lib Dem)
  
• Janet Cornish (Lib Dem)
• Ashley Gunstock (Green)
• Duncan McWatt (Con)
• Zakyuddin Vora (Con) 

Having lived in and around Wanstead since 1998 – and as an actor, teacher and FA coach – I am connected with the area’s residents on many levels and have an intimate knowledge of its demographic and political landscape.

With 33 years of experience as a Green campaigner, I have worked in the borough on wide-ranging issues to promote the Green agenda. Therefore, I stand to better ensure the council is held to account on matters such as safer streets, congestion, pollution reduction and recycling and waste management.

I am proud to stand for re-election in Wanstead Park ward, where I’ve lived for many years, raised my three children, been privileged to serve as a councillor since 2014 and Cabinet Member since 2016.

Working hard for the ward, achievements include Aldersbrook School Streets Scheme, traffic calming, cycling improvements and the new Aldersbrook and Lakehouse Conservation Area. Progressing our climate change agenda, the Whipps Cross Hospital redevelopment and protecting services are among my priorities.

Born at Wanstead Hospital, I have lived in the same house in Snaresbrook all my life.

I worked at Bush Boake Allen as an analytical chemist in Hackney and Walthamstow and then as a science technician at Queens Park Community School until retirement. I am a lifetime member of the Woodland Trust, and I strongly support keeping as much of the Wanstead green belt as possible. I will work with the other councillors from Wanstead, which has been lacking since Labour ended the old Area Committee One.

Born in Wales, in a council house, I consider myself coming from a humble background.

I am a registered nurse and work in education in a nearby hospital. I returned to the front line during Covid, which was one of the hardest challenges I have had to face. I have plenty of skills to offer on how to stop inappropriate developments as a previous chairman of planning in Epping Forest. I am also a founding member of a Holocaust Educational Trust. If you vote for me, I will always put residents’ needs before party politics.

I grew up in Wanstead, having lived here since 1984.

I attended both Wanstead Church School and Wanstead High School. A local campaigner for two decades, I have been chair of the Wanstead Society since 2010, and helped raised funds to refurbish the playground on Christ Church Green in 2016. I became a school governor at Wanstead Church School in 2020. The Liberal Democrats have pledged to deliver better streets by removing graffiti faster, enforcing planning rules and improving recycling rates.

It has been a pleasure to serve the people of Wanstead as a councillor over the past four years.

If re-elected, I shall continue to push the green agenda, looking to advance the foundations put in place in the first term to counter climate change and advance biodiversity. Active travel is another important area to progress in order that we can all live cleaner, greener and more healthy lives. All of these elements and more can only be achieved by us all working together in the community.

It’s been a privilege to represent Wanstead Village on Redbridge Council.

Though more difficult since the pandemic, I have been striving to keep Wanstead as a place where everyone can flourish and feel safe and ensure the best of the council’s services, events and resources are provided here. It’s been a pleasure to meet and work with so many different parts of our community. If re-elected, I look forward to doing so more, including regularly meeting with local police and NHS providers to get the most for Wanstead.

I’m proud to have lived in Redbridge ever since immigrating to the UK.

Having started my career at Ford Dagenham, I moved on to start up my own construction business, which I ran for a number of years. I’ve raised my family in Redbridge and am a committed member of the community, helping in a number of charitable organisations. I am looking to ensure the community that I have raised my family in continues to provide the best for future generations as I look to represent the residents of Wanstead Park.

I am a self-employed company director immersed in the creative community.

As one of the pioneering forces in the east London regeneration space, I understand and believe in the power of community working in tandem with public services. I am a board trustee to a charity, a trust governor to a school in Waltham Forest, and youth mentor. As a councillor, my focus will be on supporting the ongoing work around sustainability, road safety, air quality, cycle network enhancements and leisure improvements.

I moved to Wanstead Village over 20 years ago, having previously enjoyed its shops, bars and restaurants from just over the ward boundary in Wanstead Park. My children went to Wanstead schools, and I volunteer to help run Christ Church. Working from home more recently has given me time to appreciate Wanstead’s wider facilities and I am keen to protect and enhance them. Your Lib Dem team are committed to ensuring the community’s voice is heard by the council before decisions affecting our area are made.