Your independent community newspaper Free Sept 2020, No. 66 WALTHAM Email [email protected] Facebook /WalthamForestEcho Instagram @walthamforestecho Tweet @WFEcho FOREST ECHO Visit walthamforestecho.co.uk Features News Photography Column Arts & Culture How an anti-violence Concern over New project shines a Michelle Edwards scores Introducing a new design campaign is helping opportunities for local light on the borough's a victory in her quest for trail connecting creativity, young people thrive market traders Pakistani community council transparency stories and activism P . 5 P . 6 P . 9 P . 11 P . 12 Justice for Magnificent mural murdered Michelle ustice has finally been served for the man who raped and murdered a woman in a Walthamstow Jplayground – eleven years following the brutal attack. Aman Vyas, 36, was found guilty of killing and raping 35-year-old Michelle Sama- raweera in Queens Road in May 2009, in addition to the rape of three other women in the weeks leading up to the murder. All the offences took place in Waltham- stow over a two-month period. The decade-long Metropolitan Police investigation to catch and convict Vyas was described by its lead detective as “extraordinary” and “remarkable”. He was sen- A ROW OF shops in Leyton High Road has been brightened up by East London artist Camille Walala, in partnership with prolific street art group Wood Street Walls, local cafe Deeney's tenced to 37 years in prison at and animation studio Mighty Elk. The work was supported by a £40,000 crowdfunder, while the mural also used recycled paint from Forest Recycling Project. Credit Penny Dampier Croydon Crown Court last month. Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy said: “We never gave up. We Flight relief as airport expansion paused demanded justice for Michelle. Eleven years on, we have it.” of the airport, including an had to bow to the inevitable. its long-term prospects. He For the full story visit the by James Cracknell extension to its only terminal “It relies heavily on business pas- said: “Completing the terminal Echo website at walthamforest building, could have seen up sengers and unless they come back extension and new east pier very echo.co.uk. ampaigners against to twice as many flights taking it could continue to struggle. For much remains part of our future The Echo is free for everyone. As a climate change and off each year. Business travel- residents it means relief from the and, with the foundations for not-for-profit, we need your support air and noise pollu- lers from London's financial noise that was blighting their lives.” both in place, we stand ready to stay that way. If you would like to tion in the borough districts make up a significant Local campaigner Meera Chadha to take those projects forward support our publisher WFWellComm are celebrating after London chunk of its custom and the said: “Let's hope the airport uses when demand returns. with a one-off donation scan this QR C code with your PayPal app: City Airport announced it was airport's operating company the opportunity to review the need “In the months ahead we will postponing its expansion plans. has responded to passenger to grow flight numbers.” work with airlines and govern- Waltham Forest is one of the demand falling “well below The airport's target had been ment to help restore confidence worst-affected boroughs in Lon- normal” since the coronavirus to increase flight numbers from to the UK aviation market.” don for overflying planes thanks lockdown by pausing expansion the current 84,000 per year to Waltham Forest Council has to its position directly under- until “confidence is restored”. 151,000 by 2035. Some parts of long opposed the airport's expan- neath the Newham airport's John Stewart, chair of the the expansion had already been sion. Deputy leader Clyde Loakes main flightpath, with residents HACAN East campaign group, completed prior to the pan- said: “It is surely common sense long locked in battle with avia- told the Echo: “This is a big blow demic, such as building eight to finally abandon these clearly tion bosses over various proposals to London City Airport. It had new aircraft stands, and chief unpopular plans as we concen- to expand and allow more flights. been hoping to grow significantly executive Robert Sinclair said trate on the immediate health and The latest £500million upgrade over the next few years. But it has he “remained confident” about wellbeing of our residents.” 2 No. 66 SEPTEMBER 2020 WALTHAM FOREST ECHO COMMENT Campaigning to protect hospital beds Eva Turner wants to ensure the new Whipps Cross meets local needs England has fallen from 110,000 land sale of parts of the Whipps FELLOWSHIP IS LIFE to 100,000 over the last ten years. Cross site is taking place, with This time last year the govern- new homes set to be built there. SEPT 2020 – No. 66 ment promised to spend £2.7bil- Residents in Waltham Forest, Waltham Forest Echo is lion on building six hospitals, one Redbridge and beyond com- the borough's free being the new Whipps Cross. No pletely depend on Whipps Cross community newspaper. exact figure was given for each to provide NHS services for the We publish monthly and one, but the funding equated to whole community. We know distribute 10,000 free copies £450million per hospital. Barts that our beloved old Victorian of each issue – and we will continue to do so later submitted revised plans for hospital does not now meet the during the ongoing the rebuild of Whipps Cross, requirements of our growing public health crisis which haven't yet been made population and we welcome the public. But we do know which proposal for a new hospital. Publisher But the great risk is that Barts David Floyd will decide to build fewer beds. Editor "The great risk Whipps Cross is also planned James Cracknell to become a centre of excel- Designer is that Barts lence for the care of frail and Jonathan Duncan will decide elderly people – but there is a Head of Advertising danger that the new hospital’s Klaudia Kiss to build designation for geriatric care could see some other surgical Head of Operations Parts of Whipps Cross Hospital pre-date the founding of the NHS fewer beds" specialisms disappear. Paige Ballmi We've scrutinised the Barts Engagement Manager he Covid-19 pandemic plans in May, it suggested there assessment the plan is based on. plans carefully. They are pur- Penny Dampier has starkly highlighted would be 50-60 fewer beds at A recently-published health and suing an untested, aspirational Contributors that having sufficient Whipps Cross (based on a likely care services strategy maintains strategy that doesn't take into Eva Turner, Nupur Trivedi, hospital capacity is 67% success rate for its commu- that new care models in the com- account the underfunding of Charlotte Pyatt, Carla Pianese, Tvital for our community. nity care model, the report sug- munity will reduce the volume community resources, nor the David O'Driscoll, Esther Freeman, Before the pandemic, Whipps gested 525 beds were needed at of A&E attendances, emergency fact that older people in hospital Marcia Veiga, Victoria Munro, Cross Hospital was running the new hospital, down from 586 admissions, and average length of take longer to treat. Although Alisha Dar, Jo Sealy, Michelle at between 98% and 99% bed as at late 2019). That's despite stays in hospital. Organisational Barts say they will “refresh” the Edwards, Lawrence Walker, Alice occupancy, sometimes with no East London having the fastest improvements are said to reduce assumptions in the plans, the Acreman, Hilary Powell, free beds. National Institute population growth in the capital. the need for patients to be admit- direction of travel is clear; a new Danial Edelstyn, Jim Nicols for Health and Care Excellence Since the start of 'austerity' in ted, as well as their length of stay. hospital with fewer beds. The member organisations (NICE) guidance states that once 2010, the NHS has been under- This is being used by Barts as part We are now building a community- of WFWellComm CIC are: bed occupancy goes above 90%, funded and under-resourced, of the justification for reduced wide campaign to ensure that we Community Transport Waltham increased infections, re-admis- with more finances being diverted bed numbers, despite no informa- have a big enough general hospital Forest, Social Spider CIC, HEET. sions and mortality are likely. It to the private sector instead. tion or evaluation of our current with an adequate number of beds, WFWellComm CIC Board: is fair to describe Whipps Cross Hospital beds are expensive, so community health services. plus a 24/7 accident and emer- David Floyd (Social Spider CIC) as an overstretched hospital. the focus of planning has been to Key to all this is that the fund- gency department. Please join us Tom Ruxton (HEET) Yet when Barts Health NHS promote better health services in ing promised by the government and help campaign for a better Helen Tredoux Trust, which runs the Leyton- the community, to help keep peo- is not going to be enough to Whipps Cross. (Community Transport WF) stone hospital, released a pub- ple out of hospital. The number fund the entire hospital redevel- For more information: lic update of its redevelopment of general acute hospital beds in opment. To raise more funds, a Email [email protected] Contact Call 020 8521 7956 Email [email protected] Post The Mill, 7 - 11 Coppermill Lane, Walthamstow E17 7HA Back to school Advertising had on the most disadvantaged she begins preparing for GCSEs.