Category: Wansteadium

Following their resounding victory earlier this week, opponents of plans to introduce new parking restrictions in and around central Wanstead might feel their work is done.

The “Area 1” committee on Monday decided to recommend that the plans to introduce pay and display on Wanstead High Street and paid permits for residents in central Wanstead and Snaresbrook should not go ahead (report here from the Wanstead Guardian). But that is not necessarily an end to the matter.

First off there is a debate to be held on Thursday night at the full council meeting, following the presentation of the petitions organised against both plans. This debate is triggered by the presentation of any petition with more than 1,500 signatures, but of course doesn’t in itself mean that the petitioners have their way.

The decision on both plans is one which will be made by the council’s cabinet, rather than the full council, as it is an executive decision. This meeting will not be held until 6 September, and it is to this meeting that the Area 1 committee recommendation will be presented.

The council papers, available here, include some of the reasons why the proposals were made. Particularly clear are the comments from the director of finances and resources, who writes:

The proposal to introduce pay and display parking restrictions in Wanstead High Street arises from the decision of Cabinet at its out a Parking Strategy Review. The context for this review was the financial environment facing the public sector in which all service areas within the Council needed to identify opportunities to make savings or generate additional income… Subsequently, one of the budget proposals approved by Council at its meeting on 3rd March 2011 was the generation of new income in respect of the expansion of charging for parking across the Borough. This proposal was to be effective from 2012/13 and amounted to £500,000 in that year and £1,250,000 in a full year and therefore is a significant element in the Authority’s overall budget.

Nevertheless, Valerie and Michael Powis, organisers of the Oppose Parking campaign, told Wansteadium: “We take our petitions to Full Council Debate on 21st July at 7.15 pm at Ilford Town Hall. Any supporters who oppose the parking plans would be welcome in the public gallery.”

Wanstead cyclist Carole Edrich wrote here last week that following her own chemotherapy, she was going to cycle to Trim in Ireland, all in aid of a charity which provides adapted bikes and tricycles for children who have had cancer. Here is an update from the saddle:

Thanks to Clair, a leggy redhead on the ferry, I got to Kelly’s Spa
Resort Hotel without getting lost at all. That’s a first on the trip
as my sense of direction, ability to remember directions, or distinguish
left from right disappears with fatigue.

The locally sourced food here at Kelly’s is fantastic and I watched a
spectacular sunrise over the Irish sea from my bed before feeling
shamed into getting up by the sound of early rising guests.

The journey so far started with a ride to the mainline station and the
train to Weybridge. After that, the bike route went through Newbury,
Chippenham (overnight at Guyers House, a beautifully maintained
romantic destination with gorgeous gardens, attentive staff and a
wonderful attention to detail), then Bath, Bristol, Newport, Hereford,
Hay-On-Wye (here, at the Westview Guest House I was looked after by
the owners, a couple passionately and intelligently dedicated to
minimizing their carbon footprint, driving Porsches and who provide
warm, friendly and superior holiday lodgings).

My lack of fitness is frustrating and I struggle daily with the
distances involved, especially when there are hills. Memories of
riding through Argentina before cancer have a dreamlike clarity
and I’m determined to get that level of fitness back even though, for
now, this ride to Ireland may have been far too ambitious.

My laptop is dead even though I’ve carried it on my back and so is my
phone charger (which I didn’t). Common sense says I’m getting fitter
although my legs feel like jelly and I’m never sure I’ll make the day’s
ride.

Two friends are sponsoring me for the millimeters I lose from my
waist. So much exercise means I’m hungry all the time and so far the
food has been extremely good. This wasn’t something I took into
account when I posted the appeal on www.justgiving.com/CyclistOnChemo
– if things don’t change I may have to pay them!

Donations can be made via www.justgiving.com/CyclistOnChemo or you can text a donation

[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/Jill_Alexander/statuses/91596382728753152″]

Wanstead’s property blogger George C Parker writes:

Like many people I was outraged by the recent phone hacking scandal, and I made sure I left an angry message to the News of the World on my voicemail. However I try though, I soon turn from the news pages to the property pages – it’s the way we moguls are made.

Talking of telecoms, much of Wanstead’s voice and data traffic still travels through the exchange in Gordon Road, though regretfully fibre-optics have now replaced the rows of nimble-fingered, honey-toned lady operators… I’m sorry, where was I?

As well as being a communications hub, Gordon Road is well positioned for many of Wanstead’s primary schools, Christchurch Green, and either local Tube station.

It’s a good example of a road where property is still snapped up when it becomes available – according to mouseprice.co.uk, three Gordon Road houses have changed hands this year with strong annualised returns. Registering for online alerts with estate agents and web property portals will give you a competitive advantage, and the fateful email might even whizz through one of those fibre-optics ..

Vertical gardening
I’m mildly impressed by these people who can croft great mounds of food from their window boxes and garden containers, like this chap. They festoon their home and castle with every manner of fruit and legume, conjuring up veritable Harvest Festivals of grub. Part of me wonders why they don’t turn their roof tile over to grazing cattle and be done with it. But please don’t ask George C Parker for a valuation on one of these agricultural spectaculars! Most buyers will not want to inherit a ploughing schedule when they move in – if they did, they’d buy a real farm.

However, for those green-fingered people who want to grow a little happiness outdoors, there’s always an allotment. Local plots include as those at Redbridge Lane West, which are more than handy for the Warren Estate. Now I’m no gardener, and would always prefer my organic veg to arrive ready washed fresh from the delivery van to having to dig them up. But I’d be happy to trundle down to tend my patch from this lovely Tennyson Avenue property (5 bedroom detached, just £1.275m). Possibly a little on the Margo and Jerry end of the Good Life scale, but I guess I could always wipe my wellies carefully outside.

At the other end of the property scale, here is a bijou residencethat might help you with pests in the garden – at £24.95 this comes in well below the Stamp Duty threshold, and is not subject to HIP (Hedgehog Information Pack) legislation.