70 thoughts on “Something new for Wellington Road…”

  1. Isn’t it from Ant and Dec? Not even in heritage colours. Still if no one uses it hopefully it will get bored and go away

  2. It seems like a real effort has been made to make this part of the High Street look absolutely hideous – and that effort has succeeded.

  3. Judging by what my neighbour has been allowed to build in his back garden it seems you can build what you like in Redbridge regardless of how much a hideous eyesore it might appear to everyone who has to look at it.

  4. The owners of these premises have displayed utter contempt it would seem to enhance the street scene in the High Street from the moment they took over the old Threshers Wines.

    They put up cheap and nasty banners as a shop sign that have remained and are now faded in the sun and are practically unreadable. The blanked out the shop windows entirely with awful computerised stickers, have recently added blue advertising which does not go with the red shop front and now this. It is a wonder how they survive as they do not appear to be doing much of a trade there.

    I would never use the place as they seem to show no respect for their environment and therefore I do not wish to respect them either and I urge locals to vote with their feet and boycott the place until they smarten up their act.

    I am sure it will not take too long for that contraption to get vandalised after the pubs turn out on a weekend.

    As for the quad bike, I notice this has vanished as quickly as it arrived.

  5. Used it 3 times this week already. Will be using it a lot more. A welcome addition in my house and as I do not live on that road it does not bother me.

  6. I notice that the Kebab Shop just past it did not have any permission for that out of keeping loud signage or that ramshackle construction made out of B&Q type decking either. Law unto themselves in certain cases along there it would appear. Is that bit a conservation area?

  7. For those who keep asking, never seen one like that before but it’s obviously an automated collection point for delivery of parcels from many online retailers.

  8. The Wanstead Society wouldn’t let Majestic have a ‘neon’ sign as it was not in keeping with the area but the 7/11 or whatever that shop is [that by the way sells alcohol to minors] and Gezi Grill have made made that part of the high street a no go for me and many others. How have they been allowed to get away with their hideous appendages?

  9. If you look closely behind the current facade there’s a beautiful period building that could help make that end of the high street the best part! The convenience store was tatty and neglected before they added the lockers…..I didn’t think it was possible to make it any worse.

    We are so lucky in a Wanstead to have a high street framed with a park and wide pavements. It’s screaming out for a renaissance. It’s great to see new businesses such as the fish monger and sumo fresh but I do worry that unlike area’s such as hackney, people here aren’t prepared to pay a little more to support local good quality shops and restaurants (look at the comments about the fish monger’s business with people imploring him to be cheap). These people don’t have the economies of scale and can’t command the same purchasing power from suppliers that the supermarket giants do.

    So it’s our choice. Support local businesses which invest in our high street or accept that we’ll continue to be surrounded by cheap and nasty tat.

    1. Monster Girl you are so right. A fishmonger can never be cheap. I buy at Billingsgate or Fin and Flounder at Broadway Mkt. If you want quality you have to pay – Ask Gordon Ramsey! I have lived here for more than 25 years. Wanstead was upmarket when I came then became shabby. It now has the potential to rise like a Phoenix but not if we allow the tat to take over.

  10. Well have they got planning permission, also all the sign out side shops on the pavement is making Wanstead look untidy and is bad for blind and partially sighted people who can walk into all these signs some have tables and signs and leave very little room to walk on the pavement time the local Councillors did something about it

  11. Compton Akers – yes, its part of the wanstead village conservation area.
    Compton Akers – thanks. please also look into geza park restaurant internally illuminated signage (non compliant) and the decking.

  12. daniel goldberg – from the comments posted you can see most if not all people prefer the look of a less obtrusive poster than this box and bollards.

  13. Sadly it looks like this may be part of the gradul demise of our once lovely High St. Chicken shops, betting shops, that ghastly grill place with the awful decking. The shop owners are being paid for allowing it to be there. The shop itself as others have said, is an eyesore. What next? McDonalds?
    Councillors need to look at what the planning dept. are letting happen.

  14. I see that Cllr Cronin joined in the debate. We would expect all three local Councillors to get involved in a big way please. That is why you were voted in.

      1. We need action asap. Plus the council should not grant planning permission for the ‘mini arcade’ where Joliffe’s builders was. I’ve heard Eric Pickles has got involved and may approve it. Why doesn’t he mind his own business. It’s the last thing we need in Wanstead.

  15. Sitting I the Cuckfield now looking at it. The whole newsagents is an eyesore with their faded signage. They couldn’t even be bothered to take down the old Threshers sign which just proves they have no interest in the way the street looks. Will boycott the collection service and the shop.

  16. If the lovely flower stall run by Phil a few years back, adjacent to what is now Coop, had to go, then this dross must certainly do the same.

    Let’s see some leadership, and delivery, on this from local Councillors.

    1. Well perhaps Manchester would like to take the shop and the collection service and leave Wanstead as a nice area

  17. Seeing as the bollards are reminding people of the Hacienda – perhaps we could have a rave around the bollards as part of the Wanstead Fringe? We could ask New Order to fund the flying in of a top Chicago house DJ and Peter Saville can open the festival. Hm?

  18. Thanks Sally, you’re entirely correct that all three Councillors should come down on this sort of thing like a tonne of bricks! As a resident and user of our High Street I’m appalled and shall certainly be seeking my colleagues support in ensuring this monstrosity is removed!!!!

  19. Not sure it is professional for councillors to comment on such matters with such bias in an open forum?
    Professional?

    I think “We will host a meeting on the matter in due course and publish a statement accordingly” would have worked better.

    Yes it is hideous and I only see it attracting thieves to attempt to break in and steal whatever they can get, but at the end of the day a failing business is looking to make some extra income and provide a convenient service to local residents.

    All I see lately on this forum is negative comments about planning permission for this, permits for that, they have not used the correct font on the signage, the fish is not sustainable, the trees have no leaves… Lighten up people, put a smile on your face. I walked past it the other day and I did not even realise it was there until I read the post.

    I am putting forward an idea for the forum administrator to create a room called the ‘Whine Cellar’. Here we can all get the negativity off our chest and leave the rest of the forum open for happy topics.

    Honestly, people objecting to new business opening (albeit is chains) – would you rather have empty units rather than actual services. You might not use whatever opens up, but others will. Imagine our High Street with 90% empty units all because people objected, it would damage the area more than a parcel collection locker.

    Feel free to make this post the first post in the Whine Cellar when you do open it up.

    Next week I will be objecting to adverts on the side of buses driving down the High Street. Birds nesting in trees without the necessary license. The grass at number 72 on my road not having the correct shade of green……

  20. It’s the new Tardis design for Doctor Who.
    Although clearly the BBC have taken criticism that it needs to pay its way and not rely on the licence fee a little too far.

  21. I agree nick ,should not be in that position totally out of place local councillors will take this up sue Nolan

  22. Interesting, from InPost’s website:

    ‘With our aggressive expansion plans, we are looking for suitable locations to host our postal lockers. From petrol forecourts and retail parks to supermarket carparks, all of our locations have been carefully selected to guarantee maximum convenience to the shopper.’

    The above sites for the lockers is perfectly acceptable to me. On a pavement outside a small shop in a local High Street, however, is not.

  23. @ Tom Howl
    Perhaps my post was misread. Putting these lockers on ‘petrol forecourts, in retail parks and supermarket carparks’ – as stated on InPost’s (the owner of the lockers) website – makes far more sense to me. However, putting them on the pavement outside a small shop in a local High Street such as ours, is not the appropiate site for them.

  24. Robespierre, I remember Hacienda’s interior just because I got part of it in my home. Also Tony Wilson (r.i.p) came few times to Wanstead and he loved it. Anyway, jokes apart, what those hacienda’s pooles are for? I can’t see any pragmatic uses of it.

  25. Postal/Parcel pickups great idea bad location. Like somebody said how could you make this shop/corner look any worse……I’m surprised the owners of this place haven’t made a decent off-licence out it, I never use this place as it’s looks so un-inviting. Wanstead could do with a good one like an Oddbins. No doubt something bad will happen to it soon enough.

  26. Compton, the quad bike has been and gone many times before someone told you about it, it may come and go again!

  27. @MrWanstead

    I think Oddbins were refused a planning consent/license in what then became the betting shop [rolleyes] , and then the British Heart Foundation.

    I can’t find the appropriate smiley for this.

  28. Why do we need an Oddbins? We have a Majestic. People object to the bookmakers so that residents can have a flutter on the horses now and then but it is ok to open another shop selling alcohol so that the keyboard warriors can save Wanstead after a large glass of Merlot.

    Come on people… I am surprised that no one has picked up and complained on two things I saw yesterday:

    1. A guy with a ‘Golf Sale’ style sign at the corner near the George for Papa’s Pizza and their £6.99 Large Pizza deal. If you do take them up then please please please try the Special Garlic sauce! I am convinced it is 99% butter but is soooooooooooooo good!

    2. Piccoberti had 6 tables outside… In the past they have only ever had 2 tables outside, last night they had 6! SIX!. Now… Remember the Starbucks witch hunt because they were using 1.45m when they only had permission for 1.4m… How is this allowed.

    1. I believe you can only buy in bulk from Majestic. As for the betting shop, can’t see a problem with this. Some of us residents (indeed us semi-retired ones) like the odd flutter, even if only on the Grand National.

  29. Collected another parcel this morning. Very handy.

    What I did was walk through Nutter Lane, The Nightingale Estate and up Wellington Road to collect it. At no point did I step foot onto the High Street in order to get to or use the locker.

    So the question is, why is this an issue for the ‘High Street’? If the answer is ‘Because it is visible from the High Street’ then so are a lot of things…

      1. gold3bg fine you can walk what ever way you want but it still remains an eye sore and also did it have planning permission

  30. It still forms part of the High Street and, aesthetically, it doesn’t enrich it. This is subjective of course, but the number of comments here suggests a general agreement.

    We are just trying to protect our little High Street and keep it a smidgeon special if we can, what’s the harm in that.

  31. i suspect goldberg thinks he’s hilarious with his ‘controversial’ point of view and has some attention seeking issues. goldberg how long have you lived in wanstead? do you own a property in wanstead?

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