Another cycle-way disturbs the natural aspect

A warning that work was taking place on the track that continues from the car-park at the end of Warren Road, Wanstead, prompted me to take a look.

5th May 2010 - Warren Track is closed for upgrading to a cycle-road

The Heronry Pond end of the track which runs between Wanstead Golf Course and Chalet Wood in the Park was blocked off, and already a substantial amount of what was evidently to be a surfaced track was being built up the hill towards Warren Road. Two metres wide, a substantial sub-surface, evidently laid out in the style of the London Cycle Network routes, much the same as that which has ruined the meadow by the Alders Brook and threatens to invade into the wilderness area of the Exchange Lands. (see here)

A few metres up on the left hand edge, the piece of land that harboured the only Broad-leaved Helleborine known in this area has gone, and so has a perfectly serviceable country-like track, which seemed to reasonably comfortably accommodate both pedestrians and cyclists - albeit there were at times of course, on such a surface, the odd muddy spot. As a person who does suffer from a measure of difficulty when it comes to to walking an uneven surface, I can say that I never ever found this route difficult under any circumstances. As an ex-cyclist, I consider that I would have had no trouble using such a surface even on my sports-style bike, let alone the wide-tyred models that are the norm these days. Is it necessary to again suffer the requirements of the let's-go-faster, let's go-smoother cyclist lobby at the expense of reality and wildlife?

We shall all - pedestrians and cyclists, wheelchair users, pram-pushers and dog-walkers - share the "road"; that is what it is there for. And I know that as I walk down that ex-lane one day (probably on more than one day) a go-faster cyclist will come along from behind, I shall hear a swish, and will try instinctively to move to one side. At the expense of my balance, and at the cost of pain.

The original surface in the foreground

When I visited, there was a great pile of gravelled earth in the car-park, and I know that there is a problem of disposing of it. It has been suggested that it be used to resurface some of the Park's paths, but this would be foolhardy. Certainly, there are enough paths and tracks in the Park that desperately need work done on them, but really careful consideration need be made as to using an appropriate material, not just waste material that needs a home. Witness the cock-up around the Ornamental Waters where the material used after re-establishing the path there turned into a nice porridge mix when it rained.

It is an interesting thing, but I actually listened to the London Borough of Redbridge Engineer on the Warren-track project say that the track was a bit of no-man's land; neither part of the Park nor the golf course. Must be under Redbridge's administration, though, for why else would they resurface it when it wasn't needed? Mind you, saying that the road was built under Redbridge's auspice begs the question as to why it has been allowed to continue westwards at the bottom along the edge of the Heronry Pond. A good and fairly recent surfaced path already exists here, and this is Epping Forest! Why did Epping Forest give permission for this to happen?

At what cost; to the natural aspect and to the ratepayer?So what next? I fear that what is next is another part of Epping Forest - the Exchange Land site - for as I have indicated before, the present Roding Valley Way route has been aimed straight at that land. Two or three metres of what is esentially a road through there? We shall see.

One positive outcome of the Warren Road road is that now a super-fast cycle-highway has been built, there will be no need for cycles to go through the Park from Wanstead Park Avenue to Warren Road. It'll be so much easier to use the good surface which will doubtless be built from Park Road that connects via the north edge of Heronry Pond to Warren Road ex-track, won't it?

Paul Ferris, 5th May 2010