Many people must have enjoyed the local treasure that is Wanstead Park over the Christmas and New Year period. While the park is a fantastic wilderness paradise, many have also been struck by the present state of the lakes which appear to be losing all of their water. Whilst much of England suffers flooding the lakes in Wanstead Park seem to be leaking water at an incredible rate.
The conservators of the park, the City of London Corporation, must be aware of what the problem is with the lakes from the hydrology study they conducted last year. Yet nothing has been done to rectify the problem.
One can only imagine that the Corporation are waiting for another public hand out in the form of lottery funding or some such to deal with the problem. Why though the need to wait? The Corporation is sitting on literally billions, yet refuses to pay out the relative small change required for the ongoing maintenance of the park.
Surely the Corporation of London should act in the spirit of Queen Victoria, who gave Epping Forest for "the use and enjoyment" of the people of London, and cough up to fix the lakes and other ongoing running repairs of the park. Wanstead Park represents an oasis in East London but without a bit or nurture in the true spirit of which it was bequeathed, this fantastic wilderness will collapse and disappear before our very eyes.
* published - Ilford Recorder and Wanstead and Woodford Guardian - 7/1/2016
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