Cllr Jo Blackman has recognised (in the March Wanstead Village Directory) the concerns of local residents about traffic and speeding in residential streets – something we have been campaigning about since last summer.

It is good that Redbridge Council has asked the police to restart Community Roadwatch events, where the police support volunteers to identify speeding motorists, who are then issued with a warning letter. More problematic is the statement that the council has asked Wanstead Village’s Safer Neighbourhood police team to focus on dangerous driving. The problem is that the ward team for Wanstead Village does not exist currently, as it has been suspended since June 2021. Wanstead Park Safer Neighbourhood team has been asked to work in both wards since then.

We met the Wanstead Park Safer Neighbourhood team in December. The two police officers told us that they are simply unable to do the work needed on crime prevention in Wanstead Village on top of the workload for Wanstead Park. They give priority to the needs of Wanstead Park. The officers also told us that speeding and traffic formed no part of their role and they are clearly not resourced for that. We question whether giving this additional role to a Safer Neighbourhood team in a different ward can be sustainable.

We hope that the council’s initiative amounts to more than political theatre, but there must be some doubt. Priority must be given to restoring Wanstead Village’s Safer Neighbourhood team as soon as possible.

Crispin Acton

Wanstead Liberal Democrats