November 2025

Councillor Paul Donovan – who will not be seeking re-election for Labour in May – reflects on what has been good, bad or indifferent over the past eight years of serving as a Wanstead Village councillor

On the plus side has been the efforts to tackle the climate and biodiversity crises. Councillor Jo Blackman and myself brought the Climate Emergency Motion to the council in 2019. This was duly passed, leading to a new climate policy. On biodiversity, we were both on a Nature and Environment Scrutiny Task and Finish Group that set out a number of measures. Slowly, things have advanced on the environmental agenda. Things like tree pit adoption, grow zones and work around the River Roding have been encouraging.

Transport has been a thorny area. The extension of ULEZ and School Streets schemes have improved air quality for everyone. Controlled parking zones have handed streets back to the residents. Electric car charging provision has improved. The extension of cycle lanes has been encouraging, but Redbridge does lag behind neighbouring boroughs on things like cycle networks. And it has been frustrating looking back at how slow progress has been on transport.

We have not been bold enough with schemes like Low Emissions Neighbourhoods, restricting car movements and improving daily life. The rapid withdrawal of the few schemes deployed during the Covid crisis has to be a regret. It would be good to see more pedestrianisation of shopping areas, as has been seen with the Mini-Holland schemes in Waltham Forest. Redbridge does now have an active travel policy, but it has been slow to arrive. And things have not been made easier by TFL’s reordering of local bus provision.

Running local councils, though, is not easy, especially in these cash-strapped times. Redbridge has had more than £100m taken away by national government over the past decade. It is one of the worst-funded authorities per head in terms of the demands  that now exist. Statutory duties like adult and children’s care swallow up over 75% of the budget. Dealing with homelessness is another growing statutory demand. So, life is not easy, constantly trying to deliver more for less. It is something there could be a little more public understanding of when the council is looking for innovative ways to address the shortfalls.

Mostly, people become councillors for the right reason: to serve the community. They should not be expected to become lightning rods for people’s frustrations and anger. Yes, things go wrong or could be done better. People have the right to protest. But it increasingly feels like people just need something to get angry about. The rapidity with which a lynch mob mentality can develop via social media is alarming.

It has been great to serve the people of Wanstead for the past eight years. Much has been achieved but, given the resources, much more could be done. Above all, though, moving forward, let’s be nicer to each other.

Paul is a Labour councillor for Wanstead Village ward. Visit wnstd.com/donovan

Discover the creativity and community behind floral art with national demonstrator and Wanstead House manager Kathryn Stangaard, who will be presenting to the Woodford and District Floral Arrangement Group this festive season

For over 20 years, I have been incredibly lucky to be a part of the National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies (NAFAS). This has taken me to many places here and abroad as a national demonstrator, speaker, judge and teacher.

The world of floral art, which incorporates flower arranging and floristry, covers a huge range of art and craft techniques, environmental designs, period history and contemporary techniques from around the world. It is as diverse as the people involved.

In my time, I have arranged flowers at Westminster Abbey for both Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III, for services such as Armistice Day, Epiphany, RAF celebrations and Commonwealth Day. I have been involved with huge installations in Selfridges for Chelsea week and exhibited in some of the most prestigious venues in the country. Flower arranging really does get you into places you wouldn’t normally get to see!

Flower arranging is also know to be extremely therapeutic, relieving stress and anxiety, and is also very sociable. We run a class at Wanstead House Community Centre every Friday morning and this is a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours playing with flowers and socialising. Our class was recently involved with the flower festival at Christ Church for the Wanstead Festival and produced some fantastic exhibits around the theme of children’s books.

There are many different periods throughout the year when it’s a busy time with flowers for certain celebrations and holidays, but Christmas is usually one of the busiest. From swags, garlands and table centres to trees and door wreaths, it is the time when most people like to ‘have a go’ themselves, and you can always find classes and workshops locally.

Woodford and District Floral Arrangement Group meet on the third Monday of every month (except December and January), where we have different demonstrators each time who transform flowers and foliage before your eyes into wonderful designs that are then raffled off, so you could be lucky enough to go home with a beautiful arrangement.

This year, for our Christmas meeting, I will be demonstrating some of the latest ideas and techniques, but also showing you some traditional designs for your Christmas décor. So please do join us; all are welcome for fun and flowers, mince pies and a glass of something festive!

The Woodford and District Floral Arrangement Group Christmas event will take place at Wanstead Library on 17 November from 7.30pm (visitors: £9). For more information call 020 8508 9765

For more information on classes at Wanstead House, call 020 8989 3693

In the fourth of a series of articles documenting the development of Wanstead’s Evergreen Field, Geoff Horsnell revisits the entire development cycle, from initial application to the halting of work and design amendments

The current application for Evergreen Field was submitted in 2023. As the plan involved more than a single dwelling, the Redbridge planning department declared it a ‘major application’. To all intents and purposes, this meant greater care should be taken when processing the various plans and documents, or so one might believe.

The application attracted a large number of comments – both objections and letters of support – and it was not until April 2025 that a decision was reached to accept the proposal. Attached to this decision were a total of 41 conditions. Some of these conditions simply stated things such as “work should begin within three years of the decision date.” However, a number of these conditions required an answer before the site could even be cleared, let alone for building to commence.

Over the weeks and months since then, various amendments were submitted to address these primary conditions. Various surveys were undertaken by different specialist firms to detail the biodiversity of the site; how the drainage would be managed; which trees needed to be felled and which could remain, and so on. Some of these reports contained errors; others were better presented, so that, to date, only a small proportion of the amendments have been approved. At the same time, the developers started work before some of the reports had even been submitted, leading to Redbridge enforcement halting the site work in June. At the time of writing, work has still not restarted.

The latest amendment to be submitted (amendment 14) is the most worrisome of all. It consists of some 22 plans and documents with a covering letter that admits a number of standard building regulations have not been followed. In order to fully comply with these regulations, a significant amount of redesign has to take place. The 22 documents and plans are rather technical, but include things such as party wall thickness and window size and lay out the detail of the various changes required. Given this is supposed to be a ‘major development application’, it does not show the developers in a good or professional light. Indeed, not even the Redbridge planning department have emerged with a spotless track record here. For such a major development, the planning department should have spotted the document errors and incorrect rules and regulations and been more focused and aware when dealing with the developers, architects and builders.

Perhaps there is even more to come to light here. It’s a case of ‘watch this space!’

For more information on the Evergreen Field development plans and to view the full application, visit wnstd.com/field

Award-winning composer and local resident Simone Spagnolo will bring his part-concert, part-theatre show Mr Baldocci to Wanstead this month.

“What happens when a piano virtuoso, a reel of fragmented memories and an old answer machine collide on stage? The result is Mr Baldocci, a genre-defying show that reimagines identity in the age of post-truth,” said Simone.

Performances will take place at The Wanstead Curtain on 21 and 22 November before embarking on a European tour in 2026.

Visit wnstd.com/mrb

In the 48th of a series of articles, David Bird discusses the work of Redbridge Music Society and introduces David Silkoff and Margaret Macham, who will be giving a piano duo recital in Wanstead this month

Two essential aims of Redbridge Music Society are to bring high-quality, live recitals to Redbridge and to champion musicians who live or work within or near the borough. This month, at Wanstead Library, pianist Margaret Macham and local pianist David Silkoff will perform duo arrangements of music by Bach (chorale preludes including Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring), Dvorak (Slavonic dances), Ravel and Mozart; solo piano items will also be included.

David Silkoff studied piano with Lina Collins, a pupil of Mathilde Verne, who was a former pupil of Clara Schumann. He studied at the Royal College of Music under concert pianists Kendall Taylor and Cyril Smith, during which time he won a Martin Scholarship for those with exceptional musical talent. Later, he studied at the Royal Academy of Music, where he won the Lloyd Hartley prize.

His Wigmore Hall debut in 1975 was highly praised for his glowing technique and sensitive playing, and Benjamin Britten, on hearing David play Beethoven’s 3rd Piano Concerto, described his playing as “electrifying.” David has performed at many London concert venues, including the Southbank Centre, and hasperformed as a soloist and accompanist across Europe.

David has a very wide repertoire, ranging from baroque to contemporary classical and popular music. He entertains for corporate events and has played at many top London venues, including the Ritz Hotel and the Guildhall. He is highly sought after as a chamber accompanist, for auditions and for piano examinations. He also pursues a busy teaching career.

Margaret Macham began playing the piano at the age of six. Later, she was awarded the   Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Gold Medal for Grade 7 piano, gaining the highest examination mark across all instruments in the UK.

Margaret won a Foundation Scholarship to the Royal College of Music studying under the renowned pianists and teachers Kendall Taylor, Bernard Roberts and Peter Wallfisch. At the Royal College of Music, she was a prize-winning student and performed regularly as a soloist and in chamber music ensembles. She has performed at Wigmore Hall, the Purcell Room, Blackheath Concert Hall, St James Piccadilly, Leeds Castle in Kent, the Holywell Room in Oxford and other major venues in the South East of England.

Please do come along and join us for this very special evening of piano duo music-making!

The recital will take place at Wanstead Library on 11 November from 8pm (tickets on the door; visitors: £12; members: £9). Call 07380 606 767. Redbridge Music Society is affiliated to Making Music.

Redbridge Council’s new street trading policy has caused controversy in Wanstead, but aims to boost local enterprise, improve standards and keep the High Street vibrant, says Councillor Khayer Chowdhury

Street trading offers vital opportunities for local entrepreneurs to grow their businesses, reach new customers and test new business ideas in the local market. It also plays an important role in attracting footfall to high streets, strengthening local economies and fostering community vibrancy. The popular monthly market in Wanstead is a great example of how street trading can benefit an area.

For many years, street trading in Redbridge has operated without a formal policy. Instead, licence applications were handled under the London Local Authorities Act 1990. To bring greater structure and transparency to the process, the council undertook a borough-wide consultation in 2024 to develop a new street trading policy with updated criteria for licence applications.

The consultation ran from 22 July to 31 October 2024 (extended from its original end date) and was promoted widely through the council’s website and digital channels. The consultation received 80 responses and several thousand online views. Following careful analysis of the feedback, and after going through committee scrutiny, the new policy was formally adopted unanimously at full council. In line with statutory requirements, notices were then published in the Yellow Advertiser to invite interest in potential trading pitches. These notices form part of the legal process and were separate from the initial consultation on the policy itself.

The new policy establishes a clear framework for assessing street trading applications. It does not automatically grant licences. Instead, it sets out the criteria and application process that potential traders must meet to operate within the borough. Under the policy, successful applicants will receive one-year licences, which the council may revoke if conditions are not met. All stalls must be temporary and dismantled at the end of each trading day. The policy introduces robust new standards to ensure high-quality, well-designed stalls that enhance the existing High Street offerings. Key criteria include preventing public nuisance, including issues related to noise, waste, odours or vermin.

These measures aim to raise standards and promote a more strategic, better-managed approach to street trading across Redbridge. While the number of traders is not expected to increase significantly, the focus will be on quality, compliance and supporting thriving local high streets, alongside healthy competition and choice for residents. The new policy is more than a set of rules, it’s an investment in our high streets. By encouraging high-quality trading, the council is helping to nurture small businesses, bring fresh ideas to our local economy, create jobs and create high streets that are lively, diverse and welcoming.

Councillor Chowdhury is Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety. For more information on the street trading proposals, visit wnstd.com/marketstalls

Following a public meeting in September to discuss the matter of market stalls on Wanstead High Street, very little has happened other than growing frustration amongst us residents, says Colin Cronin

Several weeks have passed and we have yet to hear a peep from the Leader of Redbridge Council, Councillor Kam Rai. You may recall that Councillor Rai was unable to attend September’s public meeting with Councillor Blackman, citing diary issues. It transpires the leader was more interested in attending the Labour Party conference than listening to the concerns of the residents and businesses in Wanstead he is paid to represent.

During the meeting, we were assured by the councillors who did attend that matters would be raised with council officers and further details would be fed back to residents. At the time of writing in late October, no such feedback has been received. Indeed, the silence from this council has been deafening. Business owners are left fearful for their livelihoods and residents concerned for our High Street. Dealing with these issues is a serious business. Serving the community is what local politics is about. It is not a stepping-stone to becoming an MP.

To describe the handling of these proposals as shambolic would be an understatement. The much-vaunted but ‘never knowingly shared’ consultation is complete fiction. A freedom of information request asked council officers for the report that showed how they determined the suitability of these pitches and how they mitigated numerous concerns, including parking, road safety, hygiene and impact on shops. The response? “There were no formal written reports produced.” We should be thankful we at least got a response, coupled with some unvarnished honesty.

The level of apathy this council shows towards the Wanstead community is breathtaking. Messages to the council leader go unanswered, emails remain ignored and this Labour administration cower behind the closed doors of Ilford Town Hall, having eroded the ability for taxpayers to scrutinise them. Abolished were Area Committees under their watch. Launched with much fanfare came the replacement Area Forums: now discontinued too. In the absence of such scrutiny, another meeting will be convened to continue to discuss this issue; it is certainly not something that will go away if ignored.

The actions of Redbridge Council leave our local councillors in a very difficult position. It is for them to decide if they flow with the tide of the administration in supporting these proposals or if they defy the party whip and represent the wishes of the Wanstead community who elected them. The Wansteadium blog summed it up perfectly: “Hard to figure out why the ruling Labour group seems prepared to throw its three faithful councillors under the bus.” Perhaps the Leader can tell us whenever he emerges from behind the oak doors of Ilford Town Hall. For now, the doors remain solidly shut as the frustration of the Wanstead community grows.

For more information on the street trading proposals, visit wnstd.com/marketstalls

Local artists will be adding colour to Wanstead Library’s entrance display case this month with an exhibition entitled ‘Colour Me Happy’.

“From 3 November, the display will illustrate how an individual’s favourite hues and chosen subjects can lift the spirits, whether used in artwork or on home features. Enjoy the display and try to recognise your own happy palette,” said Donna Mizzi.

Images from the exhibition will also be on sale during the festive Sparkle Fair in the library’s hall from 11am to 4pm on 8 November (free entry).

Visit wnstd.com/art

Snaresbrook is among 17 London Underground stations that will be assessed for step-free access upgrades.

The shortlisted stations will now undergo detailed feasibility studies, although any future work will be subject to TfL’s finances. “While TfL will fund these additional studies, the subsequent development and delivery of schemes will be dependent on TfL’s future funding position, with deliverable schemes prioritised where there is significant third-party funding available,” said a spokesperson.

This month’s Remembrance Sunday service in Wanstead will be more inclusive.

“I’m delighted this year’s service will broaden to include the United Reformed Church, Quakers and Humanists, alongside both the Catholic and Anglican representations,” said Colin Cronin, who has been organising the event for 10 years. “There can be no more fitting tribute to the fallen than those of different faiths and none joining together in harmony.”

The service will take place at the Wanstead War Memorial on 9 November from 12.30pm.

Aldersbrook’s very own dancing queen, Grace Sparks, celebrates her 100th birthday – still smiling, still graceful and surrounded by friends and fond memories. Here, a neighbour shares her story

It’s Saturday evening in Aldersbrook Bowls Club and just one couple is dancing on the main hall floor. But that couple is Grace and Bill Sparks, whose footwork and movement have won them several ballroom dancing awards. Their friends have learned that it’s a good time to “sit this one out” and be spectators while the Sparks do what they do best.

That dancing must have done Grace some good as she reached her 100th birthday last month and she still has that almost permanent smile on her face.

Grace was born just off City Road in Islington and lived there until she was five. The family then moved to Dagenham, where Grace lived until 1939, the year war broke out. Many of her relatives were evacuated to Horsham in Sussex, so Grace, with her mum and aunt, followed them there.

Grace never returned to school and first went to work, at the age of 15, in a tailor’s shop in Horsham, supplying military uniforms and men’s clothing. The war passed peacefully for Grace and, at the age of 18, she joined the Women’s Royal Naval Service and after training was stationed in Pwllheli in North Wales. The war ended in 1945 and she was demobbed a few months later. The family had relocated, this time to Stratford, and Grace returned there that year. She found work immediately as a clerk for a construction company and was based in Holborn.

Grace found something else as well – she met a bricklayer from Battersea. That meeting was with Bill, a man who’d served his country in the navy during the war. They married two years later and settled in Stratford, going on to have three children. In 1958, Grace made her final move when the family came to Aldersbrook. It was the start of long-standing, treasured friendships with lovely neighbours and members of the local community. Grace became an active member of Aldersbrook Women’s Club as well as the bowls club. In her later years, she became a guest in the local Contact the Elderly group, although she can no longer attend meetings as she’s become housebound under the care of her daughter, Jenny.

Grace lets it be known that she’s thoroughly enjoyed living in Aldersbrook for the past 67 years. She’s highlighted the community and neighbourly spirit the area has provided and has always appreciated that she has been privileged to live in and enjoy such a green area with a beautiful park and all that nature has to offer.

It’s no surprise that Grace has had many visitors and phone calls from her many, many friends, who now wish her a happy 100th birthday with the hope that there are many more to come.

Article submissions for local centenarians are welcome. Email editor@wnstd.com

After a year, Whipps Cross Interchange now has a proper W14 bus stop – with shelter and seating – at the start of its route outside the area’s main hospital.

Since the once-an-hour W14 was launched in September 2024, an unmarked stop was used to start journeys, which even TfL was unable to locate. Calvin Bailey MP, notified by residents, asked TfL to revisit the site and patients and staff can now arrive and leave using the same stop, marked ‘V’.

Campaigners, however, are still calling for the W14 to stop within the hospital grounds.