January 2024

8
Wanstead Village Directory
Swans on ice: they’re probably not
stuck, but dogs can make them skid!
Wanstead councillor speaks at inquiry
into airport expansion plans
Local swan rescue volunteers have offered
advice amidst concerns over cold conditions.
“We get numerous calls when lakes are frozen
regarding waterfowl being ‘stuck’ on ice. But
birds are well adapted to the cold. Swans have
25,000 feathers, which form a complete shell,
meaning their skin doesn’t actually come into
contact with the ice or water at all, and their
legs have a special blood supply. But please
do control dogs around icy water. Panicked
waterfowl will flee and skid on the ice, which
can cause nasty injuries,” said Louisa Green.
Wanstead Village councillor Jo Blackman
spoke at last month’s public inquiry into
London City Airport’s expansion plans.
“Redbridge Council has consistently opposed
City Airport’s plans for more flights in the
early morning and Saturday afternoons.
Wanstead is under the current flight path
and particularly impacted by these plans that
would lead to more noise and air pollution,
as well as exacerbating the climate crisis,” said
Councillor Blackman. The inquiry will continue
at Stratford Town Hall in the New Year.
Plans to transform St Gabriel’s Church
hall into accessible community space
A crowdfunding campaign to improve
St Gabriel’s Church hall in Aldersbrook has
raised £12,432. “We aim to transform our hall
into a sustainable and accessible community
space and to reduce our carbon footprint
while making the hall more widely available to
the community,” said Father Martyn Hawkes.
Fundraising by the Friends of St Gabriel’s has
already seen the installation of solar panels on
the hall roof, with more fundraising initiatives
planned in the run-up to the centenary of the
hall’s opening in 2027.
To advertise, call 020 8819 6645 or visit wnstd.com