Features

On 3 October, Wanstead residents will get the chance to quiz London City Airport representatives about their expansion proposals. John Stewart of campaign group HACAN East reports. London City Airport has extended the consultation on its expansion proposals in its draft Master Plan to 18 October. The airport wants to almost double flight numbers from today’s levels, end the 24-hour weekend break and bring in more planes in the early morning and late evening. The proposals have proved highly controversial. The Mayor of Newham called the draft Master Plan “fundamentally flawed”. Other local authorities have come out against the proposals and local residents from many parts of London have been sending in objections. Climate change activists have also raised big concerns. London City Airport does seem to have miscalculated just how much opposition its proposals would generate. When the consultation ends, it will look at the responses and publish a final Master Plan towards the end of this year. If it does decide to take any of the proposals forward, the airport will need to draw up a detailed planning application to Newham Council, the planning authority for the airport. It will be required to consult on its proposals before...

In the 16th of a series of articles charting the Wild Wanstead project – which aims to transform Wanstead into a multi-garden nature reserve – Iain Ambler provides an update on work to rewild parts of George Green. Photography by Alex Deverill Lots of Wanstead residents will be familiar with the term rewilding. It’s a concept that’s gaining increasing currency in the UK in the conservation debate. It refers to the restoration of an area of land to its natural state, particularly to reintroduce species of animals or plants. The most famous example is the Knepp Estate in Sussex, which since 2001 has seen extraordinary increases in wildlife. Rare species like nightingales and purple emperor butterflies are breeding well there and populations of common species are growing at an astronomical pace. Rewilding is bringing hope that the UK can reverse the, frankly, alarming trends of biodiversity loss seen over the last 70-plus years. So far, so good… but could a form of rewilding happen in an urban environment? Say, in the middle of urban Wanstead? What would happen if nature was allowed to just do its thing here? Wild Wanstead has been working with Redbridge Council to undertake a trial to find...

In the second of a series of articles looking at the work of Age UK Redbridge, Barking & Havering, local artist Brenda Coyle explains why picking up a brush could be just what the doctor ordered Lots of people come in and ask about the old Cherry Tree Café. Do you remember the one on Woodbine Place, by the buses? Called the Cherry Tree, of course, as it once housed within its walled garden a (now deceased) large, beautiful cherry tree, which bloomed every spring with gorgeous pink blossoms. Nowadays, the doors are open again, but this time it’s become a wonderful space for arts and craft classes, luckily part of Wanstead’s Allan Burgess Centre, supported by Age UK Redbridge, Barking & Havering. Various art-based activities are on offer, ranging from loom weaving and clay modelling to jewellery making and painting, to name but a few. We are all aware that the arts are fast becoming an important element in building our wellbeing, not just for ourselves, but for our friends and families. Doctors and other primary care professionals are often social prescribing and referring people to join art-based classes, not just to learn and enjoy a new fun activity,...

As the children head back to school, accountancy examiner and Wanstead resident Steve Wilks offers his advice for preparing for the next season of exams The summer holidays are over; the nights are drawing in and a new term is starting. For many of Wanstead’s students, this means embarking on final year exams, whether at GCSE or A level. This will determine a student’s university choices and ultimate career path. Examinations are the traditional way of assessing this, and it is essential students develop a good exam technique to maximise the best result possible. It is important to familiarise yourself with the examination requirements – whether it’s multiple choice questions, short form structured questions or essay writing – and how these will be assessed. It is also essential to pay attention to the mark allocation for a question. Clearly, an answer worth 10 marks will often require a longer, more detailed response than a one- or two-mark answer. Often, small marked allocation questions are marked on a penny points’ system, so a two-mark question will require two points or one point well explained – the further explanation being worth a mark. Use the mark allocation as a guide to tailor your...

Stanley and Brenda Lopata will be using this month’s Wanstead Festival to champion the work of their daughter, who is striving to improve the UK’s seas and beaches through her charity Sea-Changers Seven years ago, my husband, Stanley, and I moved to this area after having lived in the same house in Buckhurst Hill for 44 years. According to popular wisdom, this should have been a really traumatic experience, but it has turned out to be a wonderful new phase in our lives. We love Wanstead – its diverse and vibrant community and its proximity to London and Epping Forest. However, one thing that Wanstead cannot boast is a marine and coastal environment. Why then are we choosing to put our efforts into supporting the charity Sea-Changers? Let me explain. Since we moved, we have both been attending art classes and were delighted to have pieces of work in group exhibitions during last year’s art trail. We both joined Art Group Wanstead and we wanted to be involved in the Wanstead Festival, but as amateurs, we didn’t want to take a venue in the High Street to display our work. Back to Sea-Changers. This is a charity set up nine...

Lots of people love the idea of installing a green roof but don’t know where to start. An event at this year’s Wanstead Fringe aims to change all that. Susie Knox from Wild Wanstead reports There’s a revolution going on in London. But if you want to see it, you’ll need to look up… Green roofs are appearing on buildings around the capital, creating a patchwork of vegetation across the skyline. According to a report from the Mayor of London, there are now 1.5 million square metres of green roof in Greater London. It might be new to the UK, but green roof technology is well established in countries like Germany, Austria and Switzerland. That means there’s now a substantial body of evidence quantifying the enormous benefits of making gardens in the sky. A green (or living) roof is one where vegetation or a habitat for wildlife is deliberately established. They can be on an impressive scale – creating parkland, areas to grow food or even bespoke habitats for wildlife. But for residential developments, they are usually what’s called an ‘extensive’ green roof, which means they are low maintenance and once established, largely look after themselves. They are vegetated with...

The island flower bed outside Wanstead Station is looking somewhat neglected and doesn’t live up to the Wanstead Community Gardeners’ usual high standards. It’s a work in progress, reassures Marian Temple The island bed between The George pub and Wanstead Station has been looking rather desolate for some time. An old water tank with ‘Wanstead Community Gardeners’ on it announces that it is one of our patches, but it has caused us problems since we took it over about three years ago. The soil is very poor, dry and stony, not really a problem but the couch grass is and threatens to overrun the area. Our councillors suggested we could apply for a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) grant to have some preparatory work done to give us a more level playing field, something we could cope with. CIL grants come from developers who pay the council for infrastructure their new development might cause to be needed (such as helping to pay for schools, leisure centres, healthcare facilities and transport schemes). A percentage of this goes to local group projects for the improvement of the area. What we needed fitted in perfectly with this. We applied for the grant (a lot of hoop-jumping)...

As Art Trail Wanstead clocks up a decade, founder Donna Mizzi looks forward to 2019’s time-themed event and explains why more residents are getting involved in creating art than they did 10 years ago Over the space of just 10 years, we have noticed that art is considered less the preserve of a few talented individuals to being more an activity that people of all ages and abilities can engage in. And the trail has shown that individuals do not always have to spend years at art school to create work that is admired or appreciated by members of the public. That said, many of our members have at some time joined local classes, courses or groups. It may be a change in society as more people find art accessible, relaxing, therapeutic and a break from uncreative jobs. And, of course, it may be the art trail that has helped drive that change and broken down some barriers. The volunteers involved certainly hope so. Organiser and Wanstead House tutor Anna Bisset says the trail can act as “a stepping-stone into a community of people who are making and enjoying art, or even as a bridge from art student to professional...

The big news for last year’s Wanstead Fringe was the event’s first professional theatre production. This year, there are three. Chloe Longstaff takes a look at each Truly celebrating diversity in theatre, this year’s Wanstead Fringe is hosting three contrasting performances, offering something for all ages and interests. First up is The Border, an outrageous Brechtian parable that explores the lines we draw between ourselves and other people. Staged by Theatre Centre, which was founded in 1953 and has decades of experience at bringing new writing to audiences, The Border is a timely and thought-provoking contribution to our questions of identity; life is about to be turned upside down for one small town as the border crossing is sealed shut, dividing here from there, us from them, this from that. In the midst of it all, Stranger, a young girl’s beloved dog, has gone missing. Will Stranger be found before the border closes, or will he be trapped forever on the ‘wrong’ side? This play is suitable for children aged 13-plus and will be particularly useful to young audiences, though relevant to everyone. It’s a must for anyone studying drama, citizenship and PHSE. We Must Throw The Cows Down The...

In the second of a series of articles looking at the redevelopment of Whipps Cross Hospital, Wanstead resident Charlotte Monro explains why she is supporting a petition calling for government funding Our community desperately needs a new hospital. Rebuilding Whipps has wide support, not least in Wanstead, as I discovered when gathering signatures on the High Street for our petition calling on the government to fund the build. Quite a team is now set up at Whipps, working on more detailed proposals for the new hospital. I recently attended a community partners’ workshop as one of five Waltham Forest Save Our NHS delegates. Redbridge was also well represented with Councillor Dan Morgan-Thomas and Mike New, chair of Redbridge Health Watch. We were told the redevelopment work from now until September is focused on (one) developing ideas for how health services will be delivered in the future and the size of hospital needed, and (two) options for the land occupied by Whipps. This will inform a revised ‘Strategic Outline Case’ to be submitted to the NHS powers that be in December, the first hurdle for government approval. I believe it is vital that we, the communities who rely on our hospital,...

Francis Castro, senior nature conservation ranger for Vision RCL, is keen to champion the Roding Valley and invites you to join him for a late summer walk through this local hidden gem. Valley photo by Anna MacLaughlin The Roding Valley is one of the hidden gems of east London, part of the area’s industrial landscape but also retaining some of its rural charm. It is a great way to explore the borough and for those looking for a more rural getaway. The Nature Conservation Ranger Team, part of the Parks Team for Vision RCL, have a walk scheduled for 7 September, which will be our longest walk yet, completing the trilogy of Roding Valley guided walks we have held throughout the year. It will take in the entirety of the Roding Valley through Redbridge, as we make our way to Wanstead Park, starting from Ray Park in Woodford Green. Totalling around 7km each way, we will be travelling along one of the great assets the borough has in terms of a green corridor, one that maybe not too many people know about. The aim of our walks has been to showcase the value of the Roding Valley in terms of a...

Nominations for the Mayor of Redbridge’s annual community awards are now open. “These awards are a great way to throw light on those giving individuals to recognise and celebrate the work they do – so please get nominating!” said the Mayor of Redbridge, Councillor Zulfiqar Hussain. A panel of councillors, officers and residents will shortlist the nominations and select winners in six different categories. The deadline is 31 December. Click here to take part....