A LIFE-long Wanstead resident and community campaigner claims creeping yuppification' has begun to rob the area of its unique identity.

Journalist, Paul Donovan, of Dangan Road, says rising house prices and an influx of young professionals over the past ten years has threatened to turn the area into a characterless commuter town.' The former M11 Link Road protester believes this has contributed to the growth of a more selfish' culture amongst local people, weakening the long-held community bonds which have given Wanstead its cherished village atmosphere.

He said: "Wanstead is very, very different to the way it was when I was growing up here, and pretty different to the way it was even ten years ago.

"When I was a kid the area really was like a village, with families and neighbours being born and raised here and becoming involved in community affairs which affected us all.

"The population profile has changed a lot due in part to the building of new apartment developments, which have attracted single young people who are often less likely to involve themselves in the community."

Mr Donovan, 45, claims an added consequence of this population change has been the loss of a number of long-established High Street stores, forcing many local people, including the elderly, to travel outside Wanstead to do their shopping.

He said: "You only have to look at the High Street to see what Wanstead is becoming and that is a characterless commutor town where people sleep and eat and nothing more.

"When I was a kid there was a department store, Dunhams, which is now closed, and at least two butchers and grocers, whereas now the choice is so limited.

"The creeping yuppification of the High Street means we have lots of choice when it comes to pricy restaurants and cafes but not much when it comes to actually doing your shopping.

"Even the choice of pubs has decreased with chains like Wetherspoons moving in to replace the old family run locals, forcing a lot of people, like me, to drink outside the area."

The committed environmentalist is also concerned about the potential impact of council plans to sell-off a number of allotment sites across the borough.

He said: "Allotments have played a key role in community life in Wanstead since it was a rural area. It would be tragic if the council decides to sell any of them for development.

"These green spaces are places for people from a wide range of backgrounds to meet up and chat when they might otherwise never have met. We can't afford to lose that."

Mr Donovan admits there are things he still loves about living in the area, but fears he could be forced to consider moving away in the future if community life continues to fade away.

He said: "We need to ensure Wanstead retains the elements that make it such a nice place to live, and somewhere that people want to move to and bring up their families.

"An important part of this is to make sure we encourage people to become involved in community activities and to take steps to preserve the character of the High Street."