Leytonstone Councillors are proposing that a sports cage be built in Church Lane car park in reponse to young people telling them there’s nothing to do in the town. Good idea or bad idea? Respond to the poll in our sidebar or you can submit your comments to the council on their website.
There’s been quite a bit of discussion in recent months about street clutter (signage, advertisments etc.) and its negative impact on London streets. The guys over at The Wanstead Society had a link to a nice Guardian/English Heritage interactive tool which demonstrates some of these issues extremely well.
English Heritage also started the “Save Our Streets” campaign…
The towns and villages of England are being blighted by superfluous signs, haphazard paving and obstructed footways. As a result our streets are losing their local distinctiveness and character.
Save our Streets is a campaign to return England’s streets to places where people want to be, where all street users are accommodated and where communities thrive as a result.
A series of policy documents are available on their website which detail the problems caused by insensitive street additions and maintenance.
Unfortunately it seems the long awaited and much needed refurb of Leytonstone Underground Station has been delayed. Quote from Leytonstone Labour’s October 2009 Residents’ Report…
As some of you may know Leytonstone Tube Station was due shortly to have a much needed and significant refurbishment programme totalling some £5m plus. What you may not know is that buried within the announcements by the Mayor of London – Boris Johnson – regarding his fare hikes, was an announcement postponing refurbishment works to a number of tube stations including Leytonstone.
The works were due to include the replacement of customer information systems such as the PA system, Help Points and lighting and potentially also some other work to improve the appearance and access of the station.
We intend to write to Boris Johnson, expressing our disappointment at this turn of affairs and seek assurances that this much needed investment into Leytonstone’s well used infrastructure is not lost
indefinitely.
There are plenty of things happening in E11 over the Christmas period…
Leytonstone Christmas Lights Switch On
When: Thursday 26th November, 3:30pm – 6:00pm.
Where: Leytonstone Town Centre.
Christmas Market
When: Saturday 5th December.
Where: St. John’s Church, Leytonstone.
Town Centre Christmas Decoration Window Display Competition
When: Friday 18th December.
Where: Leytonstone Town Centre.
Wanstead Christmas Lights Switch On
Residents can take part in a fun treasure hunt from by picking up a map from local retailers along Wanstead High Street.
Carol singers will also be on hand to provide plenty of Christmas cheers and the annual lights display will be switched on.
All shops, cafes and restaurants participating in the event will also exhibit art by pupils from Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School on Chestnut Drive.
The event is being organised by Living Streets, which represents pedestrians and aims to make roads safer for people moving around on foot.
The participating retailers are: Bike Trax, One Deko, Rio, Nice Croissant, The Orange Tree, Picture Perfect Gallery, The Larder, Blush Temples, Heads N Tails, Wanstead Domestic Appliances, Horsfall & Wright, Knock Down Ginger and Lillies of Wanstead.
When: Friday 27th November, 3:30pm – 6:00pm.
Where: Wanstead High Street.
Came across this print of Knotts Green House, Leytonstone residence of Joseph Gurney Barclay, noted astronomer and head of Barclays Bank (yes, that Barclays Bank)…
Knotts Green House - Residence of Joseph Gurney Barclay
The drawing is taken from the Illustrated London News, July 15th 1865. The caption reads “Entertainment Given by Mr Gurney Barclay, at Leytonstone, to the Agents of the London City Mission”. Unfortunately, like most of the great old houses in Leytonstone, Knotts Green (which was situated around the Matlock Road area) eventually fell into disrepair and was knocked down in the 1960s to make way for Livingstone College and subsequently the tower blocks of the Livingstone Estate, also later demolished.
Tragic 
From Waltham Forest Council…
We need your back-up
We are asking the whole community to support us in our call for a fair level of police resourcing in Waltham Forest.
Show your support by signing our online petition to help us secure 120 extra police officers for the borough.
An ambitious target has been set of 5,000 signatures to be collected for the back-up petition by November 2009.
As well as signing the online petition, residents can show their support by completing a postcard found at Council buildings and GP surgeries across the Borough, or at one of our roadshows.
The next roadshow taking place is at Leyton Mills on Friday 30 October from 10am – 3pm.
The Wanstead Guardian is reporting that one of the large victorian mansions on Cambridge Park in Wanstead is to be demolished and replaced by a block of flats…
A Victorian townhouse is set to be demolished and replaced with a block of nine flats.
The former care home, in Cambridge Park, Wanstead, is one of the largest of its type still left in the street – which used to be flanked by similar buildings until one side was demolished to make way for the M11 link road in the early 1990s.
Residents living in nearby Highstone Avenue and Chestnut Drive say the house is a landmark, and should have been converted rather than demolished.
The full article can be read here.
Surely the council can’t allow that to happen! These great houses are what gives Wanstead its character. Ok, its probably too large to sell as a family residence, but keep the existing building and convert to flats if no other use can be found. A search on the Redbridge planning pages for Cambridge Park doesn’t bring back any obvious applications. Anyone know anything further about this development?
UPDATE – had a search around Redbridge council’s website, seems that 65 Cambridge Park is the house in question and the planning decision was made last year. Must be they’re about to start work on it now…
65 Cambridge Park, Wanstead
Nice double fronted house, shame to see it go. Seems that its too late to save it now though
Waltham Forest Guardian reports that Waltham Forest councillors have agreed to take action to oppose the expansion of London City Airport…
At a full council meeting this evening, Liberal Democrat Farooq Qureshi put forward a motion acknowledging residents’ concern about the expansion of the airport and the increase in noise it will create for residents as well as the environmental impact.
The motion also pledges that on completion of the investigation, the council will take action by writing to the Mayor of Newham condemning its decision to allow expansion and to consider legal action in relation to the expansion or flight path changes.
All parties supported the motion and councillors voted unanimously in favour.
The full article can be found here.
Firework Displays
Start planning your night and catch some impressive fireworks this year and see in Bonfire Night with a bang. There are two organised firework displays being staged close to E11 this year:
Waltham Forest
The 2009 Waltham Forest Firework Display will take place at:
Chestnut Field (behind the Town Hall),
Forest Road,
Walthamstow
E17 4JF
on Thursday 5th November.
Gates open at 6pm and the display begins at 8pm. There will be a funfair with rides for all the family and hot snacks and drinks on sale. The funfair will end at 9:30pm.
Walthamstow Town Hall can be reached by buses 123 and 275 along Forest Road or by tube from Walthamstow Central or train from Wood Street Station.
Entry prices
Adults: £4
Under 16′s: £3
Under 5′s: FREE
Senior citizens: £3
Newham (Wanstead Flats)
The free display will once again be held at:
Wanstead Flats,
Centre Road,
Forest Gate E7
on Friday 6th November.
Gates open at 6:15pm and the display begins at 7:30pm. There will be hot snacks and drinks on sale.
The display is taking place at Wanstead Flats by kind permission of The Corporation of London, conservators of Epping Forest.
Wanstead Flats can be reached by buses 58, 101, 104, 308, 330, 474, W19 or by train to Manor Park, Forest Gate or Wanstead Park station. Or for us in E11, simpler to just walk!
Wanstead Rugby Club
Support Wanstead Rugby Club on Bonfire Night.
Roding Lane North,
Woodford Green,
Essex
IG8 8JY
on Thursday 5th November.
Gates open at 7:00pm and the display begins at 7:30pm.
Entry prices
Per person: £3
Please do not bring glass bottles or sharp items. People may be searched as a condition of entry.
People are asked not to bring their dogs.
Please use public transport where possible – there may be limited parking at some of the events.
A number of restaurants in Leytonstone are offering special discounts during “Leytonstone Food Week”, which runs from Monday 26th October till Sunday 1st November 2009.
Leytonstone Food Week
Examples of the discounts on offer are:
A leaflet which details all of the offers available can be downloaded here.
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