The refurbishment works around Nightingale Green, which have included relaying of pavements, new kerbstones, a new faux-cobbled area outside the pub and new lamp-posts, are now pretty much completed after several weeks of work.
The improvements were funded by Transport for London and, as Wansteadium reported last year, came at a cost of £150,000.
However, landlord of the Nightingale, Noel McMahon is not yet impressed – and he’s not happy with the area’s dog owners. He wrote to Wansteadium: “Would be nice to think that they will finish the job & do something with the quagmire of a green & the very very sad flower beds. It really could be so nice with just a little imagination and care. Particularly from the inconsiderate Dog owners who refuse to pick up their Dogs mess that my Staff & myself do on pretty much a daily basis. Disgusting & inconsiderate.”
Walked past all this the other day; dog dirt on a dog’s dinner…. what were they thinking.
Equally an absurd use of money as the unnecessary re paving of one side of the High Street, also at Tfl’s expense, a year or 2 back.
Had a walk across the ‘green’ yesterday and although the faux cobbling looked quite nice the Tarmac is a real eye sore. It looked so much better when it was just stone chipped. Now you have small islands of greenery lost between great seas of black!
Such as shame as it could’ve been so much nicer.
I have to agree, is this what £155k gets you. There should be a village feel to it. If there is any budget left at the end of the year please please rectify this disaster!
The flowerbeds were designed by a local architect and paid for by money left over from the folded Friends of Wanstead Parklands, (which I had been holding), matched by a contribution from Redbridge. The shrubs are basically the same mix used near Wanstead station. There is nothing wrong with the beds themselves, but the shrubs have been pruned inefficiently. I agree about the tarmac. To combat excessive rain, surfaces should allow water to drain away naturally.
Can I just bring up this dog mess issue…? I am a dog owner. I walk my dog, and I always have bags in my pocket and I pick up her poop (because I know how gross it is to step in it / have it lying about etc). I have lived in Wanstead for years, as has my dog, and recently I have been screamed at by people (twice, in different areas, on different occasions) – my dog was pooping, I am hovering with a bag – is it not clear that I am picking it up? (which I did). Can people have basic civility, and if it is not clear to them by me standing over the dog holding a bag, to come up and talk to me rather than just scream at me without knowing what is going on? I would really like to know…
This really is a bit of a disaster. The mix of tarmac on one side of the road and Paving on the other really looks odd. The random strips of tarmac on the side that has paving look odd. I think it looks worse than it did before (which wasnt really that bad). I find it hard to believe that there was not a better use for such a large sum of money.
Its correct the pruning is wrong of the Plants & is done without any consideration or care what so ever . The Flower Beds are not particularly attractive or imaginative & most of the flowering Plants have been provided by the Residents over the Years. Now every time theyare about to bloom or are in bloom along come the maintainence team and one foul sweep of their mechanical shears & the whole lots wiped out . Total lack of interest or care as to how the finished project appears. To try & plant anything one would need to use a pnuematic hammer on the ground its so hard and again any rubbish ,cans ,bottles etc just left total apathy towards the end results . It could be be such a beautifull feature for our area & how it would enhance the Property values even more so in & around the Village &create a nice Community feel for us all. Lets make it an objective to lobby the powers that be & for once complete the Projects they start £155 K is an incredible ammount of money for what haqs been done . We didnt get new Lamp Posts we got new light fittings which are fantastic ,but tyheir is a big difference cost wise