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
