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In the 13th of a series of articles looking at the redevelopment of Whipps Cross Hospital, Charlotte Monro explains why the Action4Whipps community campaign is needed now more than ever before

In January this year, the government decided our urgently needed new Whipps Cross Hospital will not be funded till 2032 to 2034. It could now be 11 years or more before the new hospital opens. Keeping the old buildings and equipment in a fit state for patient care over that time will cost at least £200m.

Five years ago, as a new hospital became a real prospect, people came together to make sure a new Whipps will be built to the highest standards to meet the population’s needs into the future. Action4Whipps community campaign has been having a significant impact, on the streets, submitting petitions and evidence and talking to NHS bodies, councillors and MPs. The need for campaigning is even greater now.

Hospitals serving our area are under huge pressure and facing budget cuts. We are continuing our fight to make sure valued services – like the excellent Margaret Centre providing palliative and end-of-life care, and the Connaught Day Hospital for older people – are secured for the future (neither were included in the new hospital designs).

Whipps A&E is at the sharp end of pressure with over half of patients who need to be admitted to hospital waiting for over 12 hours (2024/25 figures). Some 65% of all those who attend A&E have serious or life-threatening conditions.

Hospital staff do their very best to provide high standards of care, but conditions that too often prevail increase the risk of something going wrong. A recent coroner report showed tragic consequences for a 59-year-old woman whose death from sepsis could have been avoided had she been able to receive the right care. No beds were available in resuscitation; on that day, 25 patients were being cared for in corridors. Often, there are not enough staff.

Having worked at Whipps for many years, I remember a time when we looked back on 12-hour waits and trollies in the corridor as a shocking thing of the past. We must not accept that such conditions can be the norm. The planned physical upgrade of the current emergency department is welcome, but sufficient beds in the hospital and correct staffing are also crucial.

The UK has wealth, and the NHS should be a priority. But instead of the increase in nurses, doctors, therapists and new infrastructure so urgently needed, the government’s 10-year plan for the NHS, released last month, focuses on digital apps, shifting care to the community without clear plans or sufficient funding and expanding the role of the private sector. Worryingly, the few structures in which the community can influence decisions on health provision, for example, scrutiny committees, may be abolished.

For more information on the campaign, visit wnstd.com/a4w or email whipps.cross.campaign@gmail.com

In the second of a series of articles documenting the development of Wanstead’s Evergreen Field, Geoff Horsnell looks at the contractors’ breach of conditions that caused work to be halted. Photo by Geoff Wilkinson

When the Metropolitan Police first put the Evergreen Field up for auction in the late 1990s, a number of local residents clubbed together to try to submit a bid, which was ultimately unsuccessful. From this beginning, the Wanstead Society was formed.

The first matter on the agenda for the society was to try to preserve the Evergreen Field, perhaps as part of the adjacent Christ Church Green. On the whole, this action was successful until the latest application in 2023. This application – to build a residential block of 24 flats atop a ground-floor nursery – was approved in early 2024, subject to some 41 conditions. Earlier this year, a planning amendment (1759/23/01) was submitted, laying out the proposed plan of action and how the work would be staged. This was in response to condition 1 of the original approval.

Recent events have seen contractors on the site preparing the groundwork by clearing the undergrowth. We witnessed high hoardings being erected around the site with the inevitable graffiti following soon after. Unfortunately for the builders, the application approval came with a whole raft of conditions, some of which needed to be met before any work could begin. The Redbridge Enforcement team was alerted and sent a case officer to the site. He instructed the builders to stop all further work until outstanding conditions had been met. One of the actions had been to start felling some of the mature trees on the site and to pollard others in breach of condition 9 of the application approval.

At this point, I should point out that at least one of the mature trees on the site is a rare Holm Oak tree. This variety is unique in remaining in leaf all year round. For this reason, these oaks have the nickname ‘Evergreen Oaks’, seemingly giving the site its name in the process. A further complication is that the site lies within the Wanstead Village Conservation Area where all mature trees are automatically protected.

As a result of the condition requirements, the developers must now provide a number of written reports to the council. Currently, some five separate amendments have been submitted and have now been validated. The reports have been placed on the planning website for public scrutiny. Generally speaking, these amendments must then be approved before any work can restart. The target date for these amendments is 15 August.

There is also the matter of the mature trees that have already been felled or pollarded. Cutting down or pollarding a protected tree without permission can result in a substantial fine per tree. We can only wait and see if Redbridge Enforcement bite the bullet and go for financial remuneration for this breach.

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

Restoration work is underway in Wanstead Park, and the decision to add a supportive steel frame to the Grotto was not taken lightly, says Caroline Haines, Chair of the Epping Forest and Commons Committee

I’m delighted to update you on an exciting heritage project that’s now well underway in Wanstead Park – the restoration of the historic Grotto.

Many local residents will know the Grotto as a much-loved feature of the landscape, standing quietly at the edge of the Ornamental Waters. But this Grade II* listed building – one of the most historically significant in Epping Forest – has been on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register for some time, due to the condition of its structure. Now, thanks to funding from the City of London Corporation, as conservators of Epping Forest, vital restoration work is being carried out to stabilise the Grotto and preserve it for future generations.

Working in close partnership with Historic England, we’ve developed a careful plan that respects the heritage value of the site while addressing the practical issues that threaten its long-term survival. The work involves cleaning and repairing the brickwork, filling in cavities, removing vegetation and repointing areas that have weathered over time. From a distance, these changes may appear subtle, but they are critical to the structure’s integrity.

One of the most significant aspects of the project is the introduction of a new steel frame, which will be discreetly placed at the back of the Grotto. This decision was not taken lightly. The top of the Grotto is leaning, and without support, its condition could deteriorate further. After careful consideration, two options were proposed: to demolish and rebuild the original walls in solid masonry, or to stabilise the structure with a sympathetic internal frame. The steel frame was chosen as it preserves the original brickwork and minimises visual impact.

This phase of the project is expected to continue until the end of the year. While some nearby areas may be temporarily closed for safety reasons, we are doing all we can to minimise disruption and keep park users informed through signage and social media updates.

We also need your help. Recently, the contractor’s compound was accessed without permission, with fencing damaged and equipment interfered with. Thankfully, nothing was taken and it appeared to be a case of curiosity rather than criminal intent, but it’s important to remember this is an active construction site and entering it is dangerous. If you ever see someone inside the fenced area during evenings or weekends, please call us. Your vigilance helps protect this important heritage work.

Wanstead Park is a place of national heritage, and I know how deeply it is cherished by the local community. This project is a vital step in ensuring that the Grotto – one of its true jewels – remains part of that story for years to come.

For more information and to contact Epping Forest Keepers call 020 8532 1010

From diving beetles to jumping spiders, James Heal from the Wren Wildlife Group reports on the highlights of this year’s Wanstead Wildlife Weekend, which revealed the diversity of life thriving on our doorstep

We have been organising the Wanstead Wildlife Weekend or something like it for almost a decade now. The original intention was as a slightly more formalised bioblitz where we counted every species – a mass citizen science natural history survey of sorts. The purpose has since morphed into more of an opportunity to showcase the amazing biodiversity we have locally through family-friendly activities. And there were some great highlights from this year’s event at the end of June.

Almost 50 people came out on the Friday evening and were rewarded with some very active bats, mainly Pipistrelles. Tim, who led the bat walk, was also back in Wanstead Park a few hours later for the annual moth trap reveal near the Temple. This is always one of my favourite activities, and lots of moths gently emerged from the egg boxes in the light trap, including crowd pleasers such as Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala), which looks exactly like a hewn-off section of Birch twig or small branch.

Bob led a walk along the transect (technical term for specific surveyed area) which a small team has been regularly surveying for butterflies. Some of the regular summer species were on show, including Essex Skipper, Small Copper, Meadow Brown, three of our ‘White’ species and a bonus from a well-showing Purple Hairstreak. This latter butterfly is often hard to spot as it is small, quite nondescript on the oft-seen underside of the wings, and likes spending time in the canopy, but one or two came down to ground level.

Another highlight was the rather overwhelmingly well-attended pond dipping at Shoulder of Mutton on the Sunday, where Louis and Gosia shared their knowledge and infectious enthusiasm, with young people wading out and finding Great Diving Beetles, water snails and dragonfly nymphs.

Despite the numbers at the pond dipping, there were still plenty of people who joined local bee and wasp expert Tony Madgwick, who helped an engaged crowd observe the drama of life and death unfold around nest holes of both bees and wasps on the dry and dusty pathways near Heronry Pond.

Amongst other activities – those which looked very closely at some wildlife many might miss – were the spider walk on Wanstead Flats and the lichen walk in Wanstead Park. Species highlights included a minuscule jumping spider found on tree trunks that looks like our common Zebra Jumping Spider (Salticus scenicus), but is much smaller and scarcer (S. zebraneus), and a Cladonia type of lichen (lichens are not a single species!) found not on bark or stone, but on soil.

If you would like to take part in Wren activities or if you have enough knowledge to lead a future walk, please do get in touch.

For more information on the Wren Wildlife Group, visit wnstd.com/wren

Residents are invited to join the Wren Wildlife Group in documenting the butterflies in Wanstead Park.

The event on 9 August is part of the UK-wide Big Butterfly Count 2025. “We will be leading a walk around the park to look for butterflies and to help you identify them. All ages are welcome; we’ll meet by the tea hut at 10am. Handouts will be provided so you can do your own count afterwards in your local area or garden,” said a spokesperson.

The national survey is run by the charity Butterfly Conservation.

Visit wnstd.com/bfly25

Wanstead High Street’s mobility hub and parklet was damaged last month after being struck by a vehicle.

“We have secured the area and are currently identifying the materials required for repair,” said a Redbridge Council spokesperson.

However, some residents have called for the seating space – installed in June 2021 – to be removed entirely. “Before the crash, this structure had fallen into disrepair. We have plenty of seating and bike racks, and it uses up valuable car parking spaces,” said Katriye Ibrahim.

Wanstead residents told a public meeting, called by a London Assembly member, how TfL’s careless bus reorganisation is wrecking lives and needs urgent action. Donna Mizzi and Millicent Brown report

On one of the hottest days of the year, about 60 local residents packed a meeting, called at short notice, to speak of the dreadful effects the area’s bus changes have had on their lives, livelihoods, health and children’s education.

Caroline Russell, deputy chair of the London Assembly’s Transport Committee, explained she called July’s meeting at Wanstead House to understand why there was a continuing outcry about the changes imposed last September. The London Assembly holds the Mayor and TfL chairman Sadiq Khan to account. Her eyes widened as, over 90 minutes, she heard emotional accounts of ongoing impact – particularly about the W14, which has created major hardships at every level. “Children can’t get to school and adults can’t get to work.” “Patients can’t reach the hospital.” “The whole thing is a disgrace. We can’t wait for a bus that doesn’t come,” said residents. The W12 and W13 buses have also been problematic for many.

Residents told Caroline the infrequency and unpredictability of the ‘hourly’ W14 services, where there is no alternative public transport, has left elderly and disabled people isolated and lonely – common causes of depression. Meanwhile, carers have had trouble reaching residents. The W14 also avoids the most useful sections of South Woodford’s and Wanstead’s shopping streets, before terminating at Whipps Cross interchange, half a mile from the Outpatients and A&E departments.

Lucille Grant (86) was confined to her Nightingale Estate home on a number of days over the winter, forcing her to sell up and move to a more convenient location. “Now I worry about all the elderly and disabled people I’ve left behind,” she said. Elderly residents, including some using frames or walking sticks, have gone out and not been able to get a bus back home.

Actor and Green Party member Ashley Gunstock said: “TfL is either grossly inept, thoughtless or callous.” Caroline suggested there might have been some planning oversights; the response was a shaking of heads. A resident said it appeared TfL was taking a “sneaky wrecking ball” to the W14 as it hasn’t been as profitable as other routes.

A local elderly woman apologised for arriving late after a one-and-a-half-hour journey. Caroline said she understood because it had taken her that same length of time to reach the meeting, including Tube replacement buses. Immediately, several people chorused: “But this woman hasn’t travelled from Islington!” The exhausted, apologetic resident had just come from nearby Nightingale Lane, but her bus didn’t turn up.

Caroline is a Green Party member. Fellow London Assembly member Keith Prince, Conservative member for Redbridge and Havering, also attended the meeting. He mentioned that the local Labour MP Calvin Bailey has been involved, presenting a parliamentary petition in January. Meeting organiser Syed Siddiqi said the seriousness of the issues meant that parties needed to work together to bring about the necessary bus changes. Keith said he is also arranging to get the Deputy Mayor down to the area and to the badly affected Woodbridge High School in September. Later, he explained he has also visited badly impacted retired residents in Eagle Lodge, Snaresbrook, and has arranged a meeting with the Director of Buses and to ride the W-buses with residents. He has raised direct questions with the London Mayor and says he is having ongoing meetings. Wanstead’s Labour councillors have also been raising the issues at Redbridge’s External Committee meetings. Save Our Local Bus Services campaigners say they will be meeting Deputy Mayor Seb Dance soon, and they were urged to work together with councillors and officers. But then a TfL officer spent much time telling the committee how difficult it was for TfL to make any changes. Councillors responded saying their own objections had been ignored in the first place.

Other residents have been drawing attention to the lack of essential bus information at local stops, including the Whipps Cross stand, even though the extensive changes took place almost a year ago. A TfL officer apologised, without being challenged, and said renewed details should appear this month.

Meanwhile, residents complained the apps were frequently useless. Director of Wanstead Mental Health Clinic, David Sleet, said: “You’re told to check an app for information. If you are a vulnerable person, you are already a target, and TfL is making them do something which makes them even more vulnerable.”

To share your W-bus stories, email donnamizzi@btinternet.com

Local children are invited to celebrate National Playday on 6 August.

Wanstead Library will be hosting a teddy bears’ picnic for under-5s on Christ Church Green from 2.30pm, followed by an hour of games and activities suitable for four- to 10-year-olds from 3pm. “Please note, these free events will take place in the park, weather permitting, but will be held in the library hall if it rains,” said a spokesperson.

National Playday events first began in 1987 as a response to cuts in funding for playgrounds and play centres.

Visit wnstd.com/play25

A new edition of Village Vouchers has been jointly published by the Wanstead Village Directory and South Woodford Village Gazette.

“Next time you head to the High Street, make sure you have Village Vouchers in your pocket. There are over £500 of savings available at local shops, salons, cafés, pubs and restaurants. Plus, every copy sold includes a donation to Tin in a Bin,” said editor Lee Marquis.

Valid until June 2026, the booklets can be ordered online (£5) and collected from the High Street.

Visit wnstd.com/vouchers

Ninety years ago, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott designed the famous K6 telephone box. Wanstead’s own iconic kiosk has now been adopted by Wanstead House Community Association. Kathryn Stangaard reports

It has always surprised me when someone comes into Wanstead House for the first time and says they have lived in the area for years but never knew we were here! For nearly 80 years, Wanstead House Community Association has been part of the local community, here every day of the week providing classes and clubs for everyone from birth to 110!

As a charitable organisation, advertising is expensive; our website and social media work well but sometimes you need something more obvious that really stands out, so what could be better than that typically British London landmark, the phone box?

One of our art tutors, Brenda Coyle, brought to my attention that we could adopt the historic phone box outside Wanstead Station. It was a very easy process. I sent an email to the relevant department at BT and we answered a few simple questions to see if we were eligible. The phone boxes are only available for adoption by councils and charities, so we fitted the bill and were accepted straight away. Obviously, we do have to maintain it, keep it clean and free of graffiti, and we can then use it to advertise Wanstead House and all that goes on here. Around the country, these redundant phone boxes have been used as book exchanges, art galleries and to house defibrillators (we have one of those at Wanstead House now as well, thanks to Martin & Co). It is surprising what you can do with a small space.

This particular phone box is a special one. Known as a K6 kiosk, it was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935 to mark King George V’s Silver Jubilee. Positioned beside a rare Edward VIII post box, Wanstead’s K6 was Grade II listed in 1987 and is one of only two K6s in the borough (the other one is in Woodford Green, opposite The Castle).

Giles Gilbert Scott was a talented architect, best remembered for the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. He stemmed from the famous Scott dynasty of architects whose patriarch was George Gilbert Scott (Giles’ grandfather), whose work includes Snaresbrook Crown Court and Christ Church, Wanstead.

This amazing opportunity, to be able to adopt and use a part of history, has cost just £1. That was all BT were asking for it, so all we would ask you is to please help us look after this piece of heritage and take the time to stop and have a look at what is going on at your local community centre. I guarantee there will be something that will be of interest to you to keep your mind active or your body fit. It’s never too early or too late to try something new and we always welcome new members. So, next time you are passing, don’t forget to make a quick call to the phone box and see what we have going on.

Wanstead House is located at 21 The Green, Wanstead, E11 2NT. Call 020 8989 3693 or visit wnstd.com/house

The future of Wanstead Park’s waterways and the River Roding are inextricably linked, so what will be the best outcome? Councillor Paul Donovan explores the options

The competing demands for water in the local area was one theme that came out of a recent session run by Epping Forest in Wanstead Park. Invited to the park, local stakeholders were shown around by Epping Forest staff. The focus was the Park Plan, with projects that had been undertaken and in some cases completed over the past couple of years.

On the completion side, there is the floating reed bed on the Heronry Pond. Work to restore the Grotto is underway, with refurbishment of the Temple about to start.

But perhaps the most interesting proposal is the plan to pump water from the River Roding into the adjacent Ornamental Water (pictured here, where there has been no water for some time), then onto the other lakes in the park. The new plan, in a way, operates the opposite way around to the originally designed water system. Then, the water flowed from The Basin on the golf course to the Shoulder of Mutton Pond, onto the Heronry Pond, the Perch Pond and finally the Ornamental Water. The old system no longer functions well, with different lakes drying up over recent years. The Ornamental Water in particular does not hold water for long.

The stopgap measure of recent times has seen the Environment Agency (EA) granting a licence for Epping Forest to pump water from nearby bore holes into the Heronry Pond and Perch Pond. But this is a short-term arrangement, not a permanent solution. Epping Forest is set to replace the old pumphouse with a new one to extract water from the River Roding in the winter months, though EA approval is required for this to happen.

The role of the River Roding in this equation is an interesting one to ponder. On the one hand, there are the warnings about rising river levels with the onset of climate change. This could put surrounding residential areas under threat of being flooded. A safety valve, like the extraction of water to expanses like the park, can relieve some of these pressures. On the other hand, at present, river levels seem low, with competing interests seeking to draw on already depleted resources. The EA has to decide which interests take priority.

There are many calls for water to be restored to the Wanstead Park lakes. Yet, others say why should the river be depleted to maintain a man-made structure in what was the playpen of members of the British aristocracy in past centuries? The park, though, as part of Epping Forest, was given to the people of London by the Crown in 1878. Indeed, the river used to run through the Ornamental Water before it was separated off and straightened as part of the 18th-century designs of the park.

So, there are interesting, competing narratives on the question of water supplies. Some imaginative thinking is required from all sides. Pumping water from the Roding into the lakes has a role to play, but there will be a question of how much? What will future water levels be on the Roding? Maybe going forward, there should be thought given to developing more reed beds and wetland-style terrain, as part of the long-term solution. Or some sort of restoration of the original design, with the river running through the Ornamental Water or controlled by a sluice gate?

The park needs to be viewed as but one part of the overall mosaic that includes the River Roding as well as surrounding residential and non-residential areas. A more holistic view is needed to ensure a truly sustainable long-term solution.

For more information on the Park Plan, visit wnstd.com/parkplan

A planning application has been submitted for the development of a new Education and Youth Hub on the site of the former Wanstead Youth Centre, which closed in October 2023.

The £6.5m project will remodel the Elmcroft Avenue venue to include classrooms, a café, playrooms and offices. However, plans to convert the rear gymnasium into a multi-purpose space have raised concerns among campaigners, who argue it will mean the loss of the last large indoor sports hall in the west of the borough.

Visit wnstd.com/yhp