• Wanstead should brace itself for another season of parking grief. Firstly there is likely to be a wave of protests over a proposal to restrict the area outside Christ Church on Wanstead Place (right)  to “residents only”, even though there are no houses at that point. The church halls are used by community groups, such as babies and toddlers’ activities, several times a day. In addition to this, it is just a matter of weeks until the 12 month review of the parking restrictions on Spratt Hall Road, Dangan Road, and Addison Road will take place. At last week’s Area One committee it was reported that the absence of parked cars on either side of Spratt Hall Road (praised last year by one resident as being “lovely… so empty, it’s like the aftermath of a nuclear war!”) now means cars can speed down it from Cambridge Park to New Wanstead unhindered. This story will run and run. We have started a new “parking” forum on Wanstead Talk for people to discuss this issue.
• Michael Crombie, former music teacher at Wanstead High School and prolific sex offender, was jailed for a further three years at the Old Bailey last week after more complainants came forward to report being abused by him. The Daily Mail reported that “the latest case emerged after one former pupil, whom Crombie abused whilst teaching her in sixth form, was outraged by his request for a character reference during his last trial in 2010 and stepped forward”.
• One of the best spots for a restaurant in Wanstead High Street, the former Cinnamon Indian restaurant, could become a Domino’s Pizza Delivery base. The chain has applied for permission to change its use. The Wanstead Guardian says the shop plans to open the takeaway until 1am on Saturday nights and midnight the rest of the week. Details of the application are here on the Redbridge site.
• One more traffic update: Wanstead is to get a green cycle lane along Cambridge Park Road towards the junction at the George.
The very first line of About Wansteadium reads “Wansteadium is a blog about all sorts of things going on in Wanstead E11”. That’s why I say “shame on you” – for ignoring that part of Wanstead that has the E12 postcode. There are some people here in Aldersbrook who jokingly mention “Independence for Aldersbrook” but I don’t expect someone writing articles about Wanstead to, apparently, encourage this independence.
I’ll put it down to ignorance or a straight-forward mistake but I really don’t expect a simple fact of this type to appear incorrectly in your blog. I first lived in Herongate Road Aldersbrook as a very small child way back in 1940 and I grew up there as a Wanstead resident. For the past 42 years I have lived in Dover Road – the next road to the one I grew up in – so I think my remarks must count for something
Disappointedly,
Roger Godbold
Response from Wansteadium: Thank you Roger for your letter. We apologise for the error – for error it was, rather than bigotry – and as a gesture of our thanks we are happy to offer you a refund on your subscription.
There can be no doubt, this is the world’s best snowman. And it was built in Wanstead by reader Jane Miller and friends.
Full disclosure – it was built four years ago. But it’s still worth marvelling at.
Jane writes: “Made this seated snowman overlooking the lake in Wanstead Park a few years ago (2009) when everything had come to a standstill! By the time we came back after walking children had made little animals to keep him company.”
Get e-mail updates from Wansteadium. With snowmen as good as these, what have you got to lose?[widgets_on_pages id=”mailchimp”]
Storified by Wansteadium· Mon, Jan 21 2013 15:30:08
We’re live tweeting the Area 1 committee covering Wanstead and Snaresbrook #area1Wansteadium
There’s consensus that it’s sub-optimal for Wanstead Police station front counter to close. #area1Wansteadium
Cllr Wilson urges more police to be devoted to the Safer Neighbourhood Team. #area1Wansteadium
@Wansteadium More police ARE being devoted to the SNTs – the problem is that the SNTs mostly won’t be ward-based!Ian Bond
@CllrIanBond @Wansteadium How big is a neighbourhood then? #area1Peter Coll
Cllr Mrs Dunn says it makes little sense for officers to be bussed from Barkingside every day #area1Wansteadium
Cllr Mrs Nolan says Wanstead is sitting target for criminals with Tubes at either end of high st #area1Wansteadium
Wanstead parking campaigner Michael Powis says members of public only have 2 minutes’ microphone time. Cllrs, however, have no limit. #area1Wansteadium
He says members of the public can be made to look foolish by expressions from cllrs. Cllr Cummins apologises if there’s hostility #area1Wansteadium
Cllr Wilson also apologises but says it’s ‘a meeting held in public rather than a public meeting per se’. Lots of ways to contact #area1Wansteadium
Now it’s the Redbridge Core Strategy Review Preferred Options Report discussion. Why aren’t more people here? #area1Wansteadium
Cllr Alex Wilson summarises changes in spending, incl extension of garden waste collection to all-year-round service #area1Wansteadium
Increase in pay and display fees and "additional locations"? Can this mean Wanstead? #area1Wansteadium
No, says Cllr Cummins – it doesn’t mean Wanstead High Street. Cllr Dunn emphasises point "especially while the press are here" #area1Wansteadium
Michael Powis asks what is the criteria for the success of the parking controls around Wanstead High Street? #area1 #parkingWansteadium
Cllr Cummins says budget item "misleading" for creating impression that P&D could come to Wanstead. #area1Wansteadium
Cllrs are agreed it’s a terrific budget, with no council tax rise and money going back into music and drama services. And no P&D. #area1Wansteadium
We’ve got the message, says Mr Powis. #area1 #p&dWansteadium
Redbridge population grew by 40k between 2001-11, but only 7k more houses built, says officer. Will rise to 350k by 2028, he says #area1Wansteadium
So council wants 5 investment areas – incl S Woodford towards Charlie Brown roundabout #area1Wansteadium
Goodness. Wansteadium gets first ever name check in a public meeting. Discussion about Evergreen Field. #area1Wansteadium
Unexpected q from someone *advocating* houses on Evergreen field. 1st time buyers would be better than rat infested field, he says #area1Wansteadium
Wanstead Society springs into action. Cllrs say they will retain highest level of protection for Evergreen Field. #area1Wansteadium
Wanstead Society doesn’t like the idea of green Tarmac for cycle lanes #area1Wansteadium
Council says it’s only going to be green at junctions but this makes it safer. The Tarmac costs £8k more if it’s green. #area1Wansteadium
Wanstead Society says the need for cycle lanes greater on Wanstead High Street than on Cambridge Park Road. #area1Wansteadium
Uh oh. The council officer points out that the council doesn’t use the term Tarmac (trademark). It’s "surface treatment". #area1Wansteadium
Correction – the total cost of cycle lane on Cambridge Pk will be £8k, not the extra cost of its proposed green *surface treatment* #area1Wansteadium
@Wansteadium Suggestion: put little graffiti vandals to work spraypainting Tarmac green #yourewelcomehaylae
Almost finished. But just time for another quick parking spat. #area1Wansteadium
The parking restrictions on Spratt Hall Rd mean it’s now empty in the daytime & cars now speed down there, a parking objector says. #area1Wansteadium
The area outside Christ Church on Wanstead Place is to have bays for residents only. So bad news for people visiting to use halls #area1Wansteadium
@Wansteadium that’s helpful for the sick, elderly and young using the nearby GPs and clinics! #area1Heather
That’s it. Enough.Wansteadium
The meeting concluded at nearly five to ten.
@Wansteadium Thanks for the live tweeting – enjoyable and useful!Mark Samuels
I used to be paid to go to council meetings. Stillmoaned RT @Wansteadium We’re live tweeting Area 1 committee covering Wanstead/SnaresbrookVictoria Richards
@Wansteadium thanks for that. I think I’d lose the will to live if I attended in person…Jane Clapton
@janeclapton it’s not that bad. You’d enjoy it. Local democracy can be fun. (ish)Wansteadium
@Wansteadium I did like the unwritten sigh when the Wanstead Society kicked off.Tom Dolan
@tomskerous @wansteadium there were actual sighs in our household!Jane Clapton
@Wansteadium @janeclapton I’m on Area Two duty next week. You can do it for me if you like!Dominic Sutton
Parents in Wanstead could be excused a bit of head scratching at the logic of school closures and openings.
For while the Central Line was working, buses were running, roads were clear and rubbish was collected, not all Wanstead schools were open on Monday. Aldersbrook, Our Lady of Lourdes, and the Wanstead Church School were; Snaresbrook and Nightingale primaries were not. Wanstead High School opened at 9.40. The difference between the schools is not clear.
Meanwhile, at least some Wanstead schoolchildren got the opportunity to extend their life skills, in this case construction, judging by the igloo built on Cambridge Park and spotted by Wansteadium reader Linda (@goodshoeday)
• Wanstead should brace itself for another season of parking grief. Firstly there is likely to be a wave of protests over a proposal to restrict the area outside Christ Church on Wanstead Place (right)  to “residents only”, even though there are no houses at that point. The church halls are used by community groups, such as babies and toddlers’ activities, several times a day. In addition to this, it is just a matter of weeks until the 12 month review of the parking restrictions on Spratt Hall Road, Dangan Road, and Addison Road will take place. At last week’s Area One committee it was reported that the absence of parked cars on either side of Spratt Hall Road (praised last year by one resident as being “lovely… so empty, it’s like the aftermath of a nuclear war!”) now means cars can speed down it from Cambridge Park to New Wanstead unhindered. This story will run and run. We have started a new “parking” forum on Wanstead Talk for people to discuss this issue.
• One of the best spots for a restaurant in Wanstead High Street, the former Cinnamon Indian restaurant, could become a Domino’s Pizza Delivery base. The chain has applied for permission to change its use. The Wanstead Guardian says the shop plans to open the takeaway until 1am on Saturday nights and midnight the rest of the week. Details of the application are here on the Redbridge site.
