Rachel writes…
I have been meaning to write this for a while, but was prompted to do so by the words of a resident in an email about Centre Road’s new double yellows, who said, ‘Small things like this can make a big impact on the community’.

Which is very true. And wise words for all of us who are struggling with wanting to right enormous and seemingly unstoppable wrongs – let’s start small. (And then let’s make BIG, big plans.)

Hence this belated blog post, to point out for those who haven’t noticed, and to celebrate with those who have: Redbridge have put double yellow lines down both sides of Centre Road!

If you haven’t been following this saga as closely as others then you can read why we were concerned on the blog here. In essence, after the RPZ was introduced in Forest Gate North, there appeared to be a large, and increasing, number of displaced cars and other vehicles parking all the way up Centre Road where previously there had been no parking.

Spurred on by complaints from residents, I was in touch with Redbridge, along with Seyi, at first gently then increasingly firmly, making the points that the vehicles parked were detrimental to everyone’s enjoyment of Wanstead Flats, were encouraging fly tipping along Centre Road, and most importantly were making the road extremely dangerous for all road users but especially for cyclists and for pedestrians.

It may or may not be a coincidence, but it was very soon after writing a very bald email stating my concern that we shouldn’t wait until someone had died to take action, that I was contacted to say that double yellow lines were going in as I had requested. There are often painfully few victories as a councillor, so I am claiming this one.

The picture above is one I took as we drove home from our holiday, south down Centre Road towards Forest Gate. A clear road, which is safer, and which has I believe already seen a drop in fly tips now that the area is not shielded by parked cars. A result.