July 2020

38
Wanstead Village Directory
where to now?
Wanstead Village councillors Jo Blackman, Daniel Morgan-Thomas and
Paul Donovan invite you to drop a pin on the Redbridge Active Travel
map and submit your thoughts about shaping a greener Wanstead
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused
terrible loss of life across the country.
These have been challenging times for
our community, but it has been fantastic
to see people stepping up to help out in so
many ways.
And many people have spent more time
exploring their local area on foot and by bike.
Now, as we come out of lockdown, there is
the possibility of shaping a whole new way
of living. The chance to draw on some of
the positives of the past three months – the
reduction in pollution and carbon emissions.
Silence all around. The chance to hear the
birds and see the stars.
We must not let all of these gains be thrown
away, with a rush to fill the skies with planes
and the roads with cars in an effort to make
up for loss of economic activity over the
pandemic period. There is the chance now
to move to a way of living that preserves and
builds on some of the gains of the past three
months. A transition to a way of living that
helps confront that other great crisis in our
midst – climate change.
We are keen to find a way to maintain and
promote more forms of sustainable transport
beyond the current pandemic as part of a
green recovery.
The trial closure of some streets in Wanstead
Village to enable social distancing could pave
the way for street spaces that promote and
encourage cycling and walking. Changes
such as these could help us achieve those
goals of a cleaner, greener way of living. An
environment where both young and old
can move around more freely, breathing
cleaner air.
We know there is much more the council
can do to improve cycle paths, walkways,
junctions, improve bike storage and
encourage the use of electric vehicles.
Redbridge Council wants to hear residents’
views about how we can make our streets
safer and promote cycling and walking. So,
please share your views and suggestions
on the Redbridge Active Travel project’s
interactive map.
We know from our inbox and advice service
that local residents have lots of ideas about
how to make our streets work better for
pedestrians and cyclists. Now is the time to
share those views to shape the future design
of our streets, pavements and cycle paths. If
you don’t speak out, nothing will change.
COVID-19 has shown how we can work
together to build our communities and
support each other. Let’s build on that to
ensure a positive legacy for our streets, ward
and borough.
To submit your suggestions on how to
make Redbridge’s streets healthier and
safer, visit wnstd.com/map
To advertise, call 020 8819 6645 or visit wnstd.com