As the Guardian has reported, a council committee recently considered a draft planning consultation document which will seek views on whether there should be a major intensification of development in Woodford, South Woodford and Wanstead. This would be in order to meet Redbridge’s housing targets, as one of several alternatives to developing the Oakfield site in Fairlop.

As I pointed out, any such proposal for Wanstead and/or Woodford, if implemented, would have the following effects.

It would completely destroy the character of the area.

It would exacerbate the current shortage of community facilities such as schools in South Woodford, and it would go against present planning policy and hard-fought battles to keep undesirable development at bay (for example, in Bedford Road).

More generally, there are clear dangers in proposing a Woodford/Wanstead ‘growth corridor’ even if it is not thought to be a serious option, because it gives a signal to predatory developers that the council may consider altering its planning policy in the future.

On these grounds I proposed that the Woodford/Wanstead option be taken out of the consultation document completely.

However, I received no support for this proposal from either Tories or Labour. This is despite the fact that the Tories issued a hue and cry about the draft proposals in the summer, and two Labour Councillors from Wanstead were on the Committee. As is usual with Labour councillors, they had nothing to say. As is usual with the Tories, despite their rhetoric in the press, when it came to a vote they bottled out.

On the other hand I am confident that the residents of Woodford, South Woodford and Wanstead will have plenty to say when the consultation is published, and I and my colleagues will be working hard to get their voices heard.

Councillor Gwyneth Deakins Deputy leader, Liberal Democrat group Member for Roding ward