Author: Giles

Wanstead Fringe 2021 is ON

Wansteadium is delighted to announce that the Wanstead Fringe will take place in September, after last year’s cancellation. The Wanstead Festival, run by Redbridge on Christ Church Green, is also taking place.

The Fringe will this year run over two weeks – Friday 3 September to Sunday 19 September – and the Festival will take place on the middle Sunday, the 12th.

The Wanstead Fringe Association is currently planning events, including the much-loved Kinema, comedy, Jumble Trail, music and talks, and there are hopes too for some theatre.

A spokesman for the association, which is a not-for-profit organisation, said: “It’s clear that even if the nation’s return to normality continues, things won’t be completely back to normal. But we know how much we want some cultural events and trust the rest of Wanstead is the same, so we’re going to do our best to get things together for September.”

  • Do you want to organise an event? Please get in touch with the Fringe organisers at wansteadfringe.org.
  • Do you want to get involved and help out? There are lots of interesting jobs needing doing as the Fringe continues to help develop the cultural life of Wanstead. Please email info@wansteadfringe.org

Wanstead Parklet is coming. What do you mean you don’t know what a parklet is??

This is a parklet. Artist’s impression from Meristem Design for Redbridge Council

Work is soon to begin on Wanstead High Street’s ‘parklet’ – a seating and planting area with bike racks and electric vehicle charging points, similar to one installed last year on George Lane in South Woodford.

The parklet – the name Redbridge Council is giving to the new community ‘mobility hubs’ – will be sited at the edge of the pavement in what are currently parking spaces running from outside Harvey’s greengrocer up to the dry cleaner’s next to the Co-op.

The idea of mobility hubs is to, in the council’s words, to be “small scale transport interconnection hubs that make it easier to change from one mode of transport to another”.

Four parking spaces which are currently pay and display will go – two to make space for the seating, one for an electric car charging bay and one for a “car club” bay, ie for a vehicle available for short term hire.

The proposal went through a period of public consultation earlier in the year. The council says most responses were in favour of the idea.

Councillor Jo Blackman, Redbridge cabinet member responsible for the environment, said: “We’re keen to promote active travel in Redbridge, as well as supporting the transition from diesel/petrol to electric vehicles, and providing more street space for residents and local businesses. The mobility hub in Wanstead will provide a perfect way to combine these aims and we are delighted to be offering this facility to the local community.”

Image: Meristem Design proposal for Redbridge Council

Christ Church Green anti-social behaviour plan

(Google Streetview)

Redbridge Council is proposing to introduce new rules on what can and can’t be done in its parks, including Christ Church Green and George Green, which would tackle a range of anti-social behaviours.

The measures, known as a Public Spaces Protection Order, would include:

  • Drinking alcohol (when asked to stop by an authorised officer)
  • Damaging trees and plants
  • Using or selling drugs
  • Urination, spitting and begging
  • Holding informally organised events, except those authorised by the council
  • Loitering in groups and refusing to disperse (when asked by an authorised officer)
  • Flying drones
  • Littering

A public consultation (available here) is currently asking for views on the proposals. If approved, the plan would bring Christ Church Green into line with the rules introduced two years ago on the High Street.

The consultation comes after Redbridge proposed to set up a café kiosk on the green which would have an alcohol licence and through which small events could be organised. There were objections from some nearby residents who feared the licence could lead to problem drinking on the green, but a PSPO would give the council the powers to intervene if it happened. It is thought the kiosk proposal might be resubmitted in a new form.

Wanstead’s Nationwide Building Society to shut

The Nationwide Building Society in Wanstead is to close leaving a high street with only the NatWest left standing.

A poster placed the window on Thursday announced the closure, which is to take place in August. Customers are directed towards branches in South Woodford, Walthamstow and Ilford.

The past few years have seen Santander, HSBC and Barclays close. The HSBC in South Woodford has just closed, with its customers directed towards the Post Office in Wanstead.

This week the Nationwide announced that its profits had doubled to £823m.

On a message on its website, it says that it has chosen to close Wanstead branch because there are five other branches within a 2.8-mile radius. It says only 13% of members use only the Wanstead branch, and that 72% of Wanstead branch members are registered for online banking.

Bizarrely the building society had promised that there would be no branch closures until January 2023. It’s not immediately clear how the two positions can be reconciled.

UPDATE, FRIDAY AM:
Wanstead Councillor Jo Blackman issued a statement saying:

Bank and building society branches provide a crucial lifeline for older residents in our community who may not be comfortable with online banking. Wanstead high street has lost many of its branches over the years and it’s really disappointing to see Nationwide shut theirs. I’ve written to Nationwide to ask them to urgently reconsider their decision.

Friday night spectacular

The complete gridlock which hit Wanstead on Friday afternoon and evening was something to behold. Nothing could move anywhere – caused, it is believed, by an earlier lorry crash which seized up Charlie Brown and Redbridge roundabouts. Thankfully it appears no one was injured.