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.

I am proud to be a part of the Wanstead Village community.

I’ve worked for the NHS for more than 13 years, I am delighted the Green Party back the 15% restorative pay adjustment for all NHS staff. Our environment is linked to our well-being. Everything from the damaging impact of climate change, to the extremes of poverty. I have studied human rights to Masters level, and I will fight any form of discrimination based on race, sex, gender, ability, religion, sexuality or any protected characteristic.

Before retirement, most of my working life was spent with P&O Cruises, both at sea and in their London offices, including P&O Travel as manager of the passport and visa services.

My interests include long-term support for the EU and public transport. I was a member of the London Regional Passengers Committee (now London Travelwatch) for eight years, as well as serving on their sub-committee for passengers with disabilities. A decades-long campaigner for the Liberal Democrats, I aim to deliver on environmental issues.

Suddenly, we are facing immediate and serious threats: war in Europe; the cost of living crisis; the capacity of the NHS.

But these do not match the looming threat of the catastrophic deterioration of our environment caused by human industrial and agricultural activity. We must all think about immediate problems, whether local, national or worldwide, in terms of environmentally favourable solutions. We must all think Green. That is why I’m standing for the Green Party in Wanstead Village.

I have lived in Woodford for over 28 years.

I am a self-made entrepreneur, and my company works with people from disadvantaged backgrounds, helping them into employment. I previously worked with the Barking, Havering & Redbridge NHS Trust as a senior manager for cancer services. My business background and experience in health and social care will ensure the council is well run and delivers value for money for residents. I will do my best to ensure Wanstead is a place where people dream of making their home.

I have lived in Wanstead for 50 years, and I am a former teacher of maths and computer studies.

My late husband, Alan, and I were heavily involved with the Friends of Wanstead Parklands. I have a passion for green spaces, which are vital for all of us. We should also consider how we can help refugees who are escaping war in Ukraine. We need a focal point where we can meet and help those families who have lost their homes and loved ones. I think we also need to help the police either via Neighbourhood Watch or Streetwatch.

Climate emergency is here, biodiversity is in crisis, the seas are full of plastic pollution and extinction is happening now.

What we can all do in every garden in the UK is rewilding grow zones. That will help the bees and other insects thrive and improve the soil quality and food production. For there to be a future for us all, such projects need to be supported and encouraged. Abusing those of us that do environmental measures must stop. We can all do our bit. Vote for the Green Party in Wanstead Village on 5 May.

It has been a privilege to represent Wanstead Village since 2018 and serve as Cabinet Member for the Environment and Civic Pride since 2021.

I live locally with my family, work as an environmental campaigner and am a school governor. I have worked hard to make our ward and borough cleaner, greener and safer: monthly litter picks, investments in street cleansing, bulbs, tree planting, new bike storage, and plans for traffic calming and bike lanes. I hope to continue working with the local community to improve our area.

Vanya Marks of Wanstead Climate Action talks to a local resident about her DIY efforts to make her flat more energy efficient, something that will reduce her utility bills and help reduce carbon emissions

With the energy crisis and rising cost of living causing us all to tighten our belts, there has never been a better time to upgrade our homes to make them more energy efficient. One out of every four pounds spent on heating is wasted and housing contributes 14% of the UK’s carbon emissions. So, I spoke to a Wanstead resident (who wishes to remain anonymous, so we’ll call her Coni) about how she decided to solve some of these issues herself.

The bedroom wall of Coni’s chilly ground-floor flat is a single-skin wall backing onto a communal entrance corridor, which is unheated and just as cold as outside. So, she decided to fit internal insulation to create a warmer feel to the room and save energy and money. “I also thought it would be a manageable and satisfying DIY job!” said Coni.

Coni bought three boards of 55mm thick insulated plasterboard from Wickes (£68 each). “I could have gone for thinner insulation but I figured I was only going to do this job once so I may as well do it properly. Wickes deliver, which is great as these boards are 2,400mm x 1,800mm and are too big to get in a car.” Coni enlisted her 78-year-old dad to help as the boards were too large for her to manoeuvre into the flat by herself.

“The actual job was quite straightforward. I peeled back the carpet and underlay and prised off the skirting. Then I placed a thin piece of wood on the floor; this ensures the plasterboard is kept off the floor by a couple of centimetres in case of rising damp (this is removed once the boards are fixed). Next, I rested the plasterboard against the wall so I could scribe with a pencil which bits to cut. The corners of the room are not quite true, so I needed to use a handsaw to cut the board to the right shape. It cuts really easily. Then came the fun part – I put the board on the floor again and squirted adhesive foam on the insulated side. I left it for five minutes to expand and go tacky (otherwise it just slides off when you lift the board up) and then held the board in place on the wall for a couple of minutes while it cured. I used a plumb line to make sure the board was vertical. Same procedure for the remaining boards. I then pinned the boards in place by drilling one hole per board and banging in a pin – these anchor the boards to the wall in case of fire, which could cause the boards to fall and block your escape route. To finish, I used a ready-mix filler to fill the gaps between the boards. I painted with dilute PVA (wood glue) to seal the plasterboard, then straight on with the Dulux. I glued the skirtings back on, then cut the carpet back to fit.”

Coni’s room immediately felt warmer and she has created a healthier environment. “I recommend anyone reasonably competent with a drill and saw to have a go.”

The products

Boards: www.wickes.co.uk/Knauf-XPS-Laminate-Plus-Insulated-Plasterboard-Tapered-Edge—55mm-x-1-2m-x-2-

Foam: www.toolstation.com/soudal-genius-gun-plasterboard-adhesive-foam

Pins: www.screwfix.com/p/timco-insulation-fixings-140-x-8mm-100-pack/232kf

The job cost about £300 and took about three days.

I worked in the Department of Health until 2017.

I graduated in public health (MSc) in 2019 and have lived in Wanstead for the last 25 years. I am an active member of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Wanstead. In 2012 I joined neighbours in a successful campaign for traffic calming on Wellington Road. Liberal Democrats are campaigning for a visible police presence on our High Street. The Safer Neighbourhood Team in Wanstead Village was suspended last June. We will lobby to bring it back.

A Wanstead resident has co-written a play about NHS paramedics, inspired by her dad’s career at Whipps Cross Hospital.

“My dad was a paramedic. I haven’t followed in his footsteps – I am an actor and writer – however, I have been so influenced by him that I’ve spent the last five years writing a verbatim play about NHS paramedics called I Couldn’t Do Your Job,” said Hannah Fayers. Following two performances in Hornchurch, the show will move to The Pleasance Theatre in Islington from 4 to 7 May.

Visit wnstd.com/yourjob

Residents and businesses in Wanstead raised over £5,000 this month to restore the children’s playground on Christ Church Green, which was partially damaged by a fire on 2 April.

“Our much-loved and much-used playground was struck by vandals. An arson attack destroyed the tables used by parents, friends and children. The money raised will be given directly to Vision RCL, which manages the site, to cover the cost of new seating. Any surplus will be donated to the Wanstead Fringe,” said Paul Canal, who launched the fundraising campaign.

Two new picnic benches have since been ordered.

“Due to a number of factors, the delivery of items such as benches is taking longer than usual, but we hope to have the play area’s safety surface repaired in the coming weeks,” said a Vision RCL spokesperson.

Police have increased their patrols in the area as a result of the incident.

A statement from the Wanstead Society following the recent planting of a new tree outside Gail’s Bakery on the High Street.

“On Friday 22 April local photographer Geoff Wilkinson kindly took these lovely pictures of the Wanstead Society’s new tree (a Cratageus‘ Paul’s Scarlet), with the ceremonial shovel that was first used over 20 years ago by us to plant some of our first trees on Christchurch Green. Andrew Richards, Senior Arboricultural Officer for the London Borough of Redbridge, delivered the shovel and made sure our tree was planted safely and securely. A very big thank you to you both!” said Katriye Ibrahim.

“The 22 April  also happened to be International Earth Day, marking 52 years since the birth of the modern environmental movement. As such, we will be registering our new sapling as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative for Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.”

How can you help keep the tree healthy and happy?
Adopt the tree for watering by scanning the QR code on the label that is attached to the tree.” This is crucial from now until September to give it the best possible chance of survival. Gail’s Bakery have kindly agreed to do their part in watering, but our little tree needs all the help it can get, the more people helping, the better! There is a watering pipe around the base so water can be fed through there, straight to the roots. With your help, we look forward to watching our tree grow, helping keep Wanstead green!”

The Friends of Wanstead Parklands is once again urging visitors to stick to the paths when viewing the bluebells in Chalet Wood.

“The bluebells in Wanstead Park look wonderful after a very warm Easter. Please stick to the log-lined paths as creating fresh ones amongst the bluebells kills the plants. Children are encouraged to balance on the logs lining the paths, just as the little girl in the picture here is doing. Treading on the leaves harms the plants and means there will be less to see next year,” said Gill James.