A safety walk for women and girls will take place in South Woodford on 14 November.
“It’s a chance for you to walk with local police officers, pointing out the areas you feel unsafe in and suggesting how they can be improved,” said Councillor Rosa Gomez, who is organising the event in conjunction with the Churchfields Ward Panel and the Safer Neighbourhoods Team.
The one-hour walk will begin at the corner of Grove Road and Buckingham Road, departing at 4pm (no booking required).
Artists from South Woodford are among those who will be exhibiting handmade prints at the Epping Forest Visitor Centre in Chingford from 7 November to 3 December.
“The prints in this exhibition explore many aspects of Essex and particularly Epping Forest. We are a group of local artists who meet at Bedford House in Buckhurst Hill. We use a small rolling press and a book press to experiment with a wide range of printmaking processes, including lino and wood cutting and silk screening,” said tutor Anne Daniels.
Visit swvg.co.uk/essexprint
The South Woodford Business Forum will host a networking event for local businesses on 16 November.
“Join us at the Luna Café, 127 High Road, from 5pm to 7pm to find out more about our work to support shops and businesses in the area. We will have several presentations, including from an experienced business coach. It will also be a great opportunity to meet other local businesses and to promote yours,” said a spokesperson for the group.
The event is free, but booking is required.
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Broadmead Road is closed between Charteris Road and St Barnabas Road, where it crosses the Central LineResidents have launched a petition calling for the urgent reopening of Broadmead Road.
Explaining the reasons, the petition states: “This closure has severely impacted our daily lives, causing immense inconvenience… While we understand initial tests have been conducted and inspections are scheduled, we strongly believe that expediting these processes is crucial for restoring normalcy to our community. We implore the authorities to prioritise this matter with utmost urgency.”
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Redbridge Council has issued an update on Broadmead Road, which was partially closed to traffic in July due to significant structural defects to the bridge section over the Central Line tracks.
“The council is working closely with TfL to speed up the survey work where possible. To reopen Broadmead Road will require extensive construction work and is expected to take a significant amount of time. At this stage, Redbridge Council is continuing survey work to establish what works are necessary to ensure the bridge is safe.”
©Geoff WilkinsonThe flower sculptures between George Lane and The Shrubberies were installed 20 years ago this autumn.
Now, the artist behind them is keen to hear from those who helped with the project. “I was very taken by how pretty the green strip was on my first site visit back in 2001. The project – completed in 2003 – involved children from Churchfields, Oakdale and Wells Primary School. I would love to hear from those who participated for an article about the project in the next issue,” said Nicola Burrell.
©Gill JamesA small herd of English Longhorn cows returned to Wanstead Park in October to graze over the winter months.
“The cows will have an important job to do grazing the main acid grassland to remove course vegetation and young scrub, as well as reducing the vegetation on the Yellow Meadow Ant hills, which improves the biodiversity of this special area of Epping Forest,” said a spokesperson for the City of London Corporation.
Nominations for the Mayor of Redbridge’s annual community awards are now open.
“Do you know an unsung hero within your family, your street or anywhere within your community? Or a group or organisation that has made a positive and selfless contribution to the lives of Redbridge residents? If yes, please nominate them for an award!” said a spokesperson. Nominations close on 31 December.
Visit swvg.co.uk/ma2024
The South Woodford Neighbourhood Forum has launched an online community portal in connection with its newly drafted design code, which will help influence the future development of the local area.
“Design codes provide a framework for creating healthy, safe, sustainable and distinctive places, with a consistent and high-quality standard of design… This new portal will build on previous engagement and insights from the community,” explained Pearl Arbenser-Simmonds.
The portal uses an interactive map and other engagement tools to find out what matters most to residents and visitors alike, with respondents asked to identify locations that require improvement or would benefit from additional amenities, such as better street lighting, more trees, new playgrounds or increased accessibility.
“Our design code will provide a long-term vision for South Woodford, so tell us what matters most to you!”
The survey is open until 30 November.
Visit swvg.co.uk/haveyoursay
A new Post Office will open in South Woodford next month.
Opening at 1pm on 29 November, the branch will be located at 115 George Lane, South Woodford, E18 1AE, next door to Tipi Coffee Co.
“This will restore Post Office services to the area after the closure of the store at 139 George Lane. The same products and services will continue to be available,” said a spokesperson.
The opening hours will be: Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm.
A Post Office spokesperson said: “We are keen to restore this branch to the area as soon as possible, so we have decided to go ahead with our plans. But there is the opportunity to give feedback until 3 November 2023. Customers can share their views during the consultation online at postofficeviews.co.uk with the branch code 031002. Submissions can also be made via email to comments@postoffice.co.uk, by post to Freepost YOUR COMMENTS, or by telephone 03452 66 01 15.”
Redbridge Council’s undertaking not to demolish Wanstead Youth Centre for housing and retain it as publicly owned property was welcomed by all last month. However, Save Our Wanstead Youth Centre campaigners requested more information, particularly the full business case and details of how the decision to create an education hub and youth centre complies with the council’s statutory duties to provide youth services.
We also asked if the consultation is to be meaningful this time round. The council should comply with its legal and moral obligations to consult when proposals are in their formative stage, with a view to reaching agreement.
At the council meeting, the cabinet shockingly confirmed the centre would close from 15 October with no commitment on when it will reopen. Closing without a firm, or even tentative, start date for building works not only deprives the community of the services and facilities but leaves the site open to vandalism, while the council also loses out on vital income.
Most of the people who spoke at the meeting, including four young people (Beth, Charis, Lily and Zak), asked the council to keep the centre open while plans are firmed up and a community forum and partnerships are established, as per their standing orders. The intent is “to bring the council closer to the local community.” Regrettably, these pleas fell on deaf ears, contrary to the council leader’s undertakings.
We believe the closure will be premature, as it will take months, if not over a year, to develop plans, secure funding and complete the works. We have asked to meet with the council leader to discuss options for interim arrangements and counter proposals.
Other speakers challenged the performance of Vision’s management of the youth centre, particularly from a financial perspective over at least the past five years. Our own calculations show the venue could have been generating three to four times as much income as Vision has achieved. No financial breakdowns were provided in the council’s report to substantiate the alleged income and expenditure levels now being quoted, making it impossible to submit counter proposals. Very importantly, no evidence has been provided to substantiate the council’s statement that the centre is not financially viable. We therefore requested that the council scrutinise Vision’s management.
We hope the leader’s assurances that “we owe it to you to get a centre up and running as soon as possible” prove to be accurate.
Wanstead Youth Centre is located at 144 Elmcroft Avenue, Wanstead, E11 2DB. For more information on the Save Our Wanstead Youth Centre campaign, visit wnstd.com/sowyc or call 07403 649 306
