Author: Wansteadium

Wansteadium’s property  blogger George C Parker writes:

Shuffle up dear Wansteadians, it’s getting rather busy around the old place of late. People are flocking to the village in droves, pouncing on every property that comes to market. There’s a swagger in the step of every sales and letting agent in the place, as some dear Wansteadium readers have been finding out.

This week a plaintive tweet bewailed the short supply of one-bed flats for rent, with one having received 7 offers from prospective tenants on the first day alone. By all accounts viewing sessions are resembling minor sieges, such is the demand. I’ll be monitoring our friend’s timeline in earnest in the hope that her ideal new home becomes available very soon. Channelling Sir Winston: the darkest hour is just before the dawn. And to quote Parker: your perfect property is definitely out there, it’s merely a matter of finding it.

Here’s an example; aside from one bedroom apartments, there is an extremely short supply of Wanstead police stations on the market at the moment. In fact I can only see one for sale at present, and despite a certain dilapidation, some missing roof lead etc, I am certain that it will be snapped up very soon. Possessing such a commanding view of Wanstead, its bakeries and fast food outlets, and with plenty of office, detention and parking facilities – it’s surely only a matter of time before Spratt Hall Nick is purchased by the Met. It’s tailor made as an office for officers to carry out serious crime detection and prevention initiatives based on technology and social media. They can have that idea for free.

Some interesting properties have caught my monocled eye this week: firstly this splendid “bungalow” on the Avenue. It’s a clever redevelopment, offering a luxury-sized residence for those who prefer or need not to use stairs.

Secondly, for those who do appreciate a good staircase – this beauty here comes with a balustrade that could be highly polished for maximum downward sliding velocity. Handy for the sports clubs down that way as well.

Finally, I can’t help wondering if the recent success of the Fringe has dusted us all with a little extra pride and enjoyment in Wanstead life. The local estate agents tended to think so, with most of them mentioning it in their glossy Summer mailouts. By and large, Evergreen-shaped fiascos notwithstanding, 2013 has gone well thus far. We now have sushi, we got an outdoor (very nearly underwater) cinema venue and we have a Fringe. We’re definitely getting cooler now. Sit tight!

In the circumstances, probably best to get an Epping train.

 

Plans have been submitted to Redbridge Council for permission to build a shopping arcade on Wanstead High Street.

The four-storey building would be on the site of the Jolliffe’s builder’s office, which has a large yard behind it – the arcade front on the High Street would link to a mall on the yard. The plan is for a number of shops, offices and restaurants, with six two-bedroom apartments above them. There would also be a three-storey mews building with a basement, in which would three “live work units”, six one-bedroom flats, and three studio apartments.

As George C Parker, Wansteadium’s property blogger noted here in July, the site was briefly offered for sale in July for £1.3m, but quickly disappeared from listings. It’s thought the small office was put up after the war, filling a hole left by a bomb.

The plan, submitted on behalf of Mammoth Texryte Limited of Ilford, says:

The resulting scheme seeks to add to the exciting village nature of Wanstead by providing letable units for local business, artists, entrepreneurs at an affordable starter rent, whilst creating a new adjunct to the street around a focused mall and courtyard hub, and new eco styled apartments within the village and related to this new hub.

The application also refers to the shortage of flats in Wanstead.

But it has not gone down well with the council’s planning officers. Principal Planner Mike Brown has recommended the application be refused, saying it was “seriously flawed”. One particular objection was that its four-storeys would contrast with three storeys to the right (Images in Frames) and two to the left (Wanstead Pharmacy).

He added this comment:

The council is inviting comments on the application on the Redbridge website here. (It is application number 2520/13 )
(Hat tip Rob Maitland.)
Top image Google Streetview, others from Redbridge-i.

This is only the XLVIIth edition of Wanstead Weekend Photo, but Geoff Wilkinson has reached his LIInd week, having started V weeks before we did. He hit his anniversary this week. Though his initial ambition was to run Wanstead Daily Photo for a year, he’s decided to carry on. A French photograher has been doing a similar project for eight years, Geoff says, with a slight sigh. Anyway, about this week’s photo he says: “I noticed this very stylish ‘saddlebag’ on the back of a bicycle parked outside Wanstead tube station. In stark contrast to the basket on the front, this wooden box originally contained 1980 vintage Port. What a great idea, cycle recycling!”

Misquoting Sarah Palin, but it’s a genuine question. Noticed any improvements, o commuters of Wanstead and Snaresbrook?

@Wansteadium After a 14-minute wait this morning at Wanstead still in rush hour…not so well!

— Clurrr. (@rebelwithaquilt) October 11, 2013

https://twitter.com/MissCusack/status/388742549986611200

@Wansteadium Really? @centralline has seemed more crowded than ever this week. As for last night, well don't get me started…

— Graham Lee (@glee53) October 11, 2013

@Wansteadium can't say I have really noticed. Standing room only on the 6.04 so much from more tubes

— David Morgan (@dav35mor) October 11, 2013

Every week Geoff Wilkinson treats us to one of his photographs. This week there’s a bumper crop, but Geoff didn’t take any of them. They were instead taken by participants on Geoff’s Wanstead Photo Walks which he held during the Wanstead Fringe. This is nearly all the competitors. A winner is about to be announced (Wansteadium has been asked to be the judge and is having a hard think…)
(Trevor)

 

(Sarie)

 

(Sam B)

 

(Jan B)

 

(Geraldine)

 

(Bruce)

 

(Andrea)

 

(Andrea)

 

(Andrea)

 

(Andrea)