South Woodford Society

30/09/2026

https://planning.redbridge.gov.uk/.../application.../205808
BY OCTOBER 13TH
The consultation for planning application no1822/25 for the former ARC restaurant site on Hermon Hill for 9 flats (5 car parking spaces) and a small supermarket or restaurant has been reopened. The application has had a number of objections citing additional traffic, overbearing nature of the development, lack of affordable housing and loss of privacy and light for existing houses to the back of the plot. If you have any comments, either in favour or against, please make them via the link above.

30/09/2026

Don't forget to register for our Business Networking Event NEXT Tuesday! Namak is kindly offering a 20% discount for those staying on to eat afterwards - the food is delicious there, so why not carry on with your networking after the event!

25/09/2026

Travel greener locally with our new community electric cargo bike! 🚲 📦 🧺 🛍️ 🚲!

A community hire e-cargo bike has been introduced in South Woodford for the first time under the council backed initiative.

Aimed at supporting local people to make more sustainable travel choices for shorter trips around the borough, the e-bikes offer an affordable and more eco-friendly form of travel.

The bike is already in operation and available to hire, in partnership with the Council, Creative Biscuit, and OurBike - the UK's largest community electric cargo bike share scheme.

With a spacious cargo box designed to hold more items than a standard bike, it gives people and businesses a new way to carry shopping, make local deliveries and enjoy family trips in a more environmentally friendly way.

The scheme has been subsidised by Redbridge Council using TfL funds to keep hire costs low at £5 an hour helping make the bikes more accessible across the community.

New users can also get an hour of free hire, along with three hours of free hire for new businesses - giving users a chance to see how e-cargo bikes could fit into their routine.

Designed for everyday errands and trips, the sturdy three-wheeler combines its large cargo box, which is big enough to transport children, with electric assistance to help riders pedal with power for heavier loads.

From doing the weekly shop to school runs, the hire bikes offer a new sustainable travel choice, enabling people to use a cargo bike without buying one, finding space to store it, or taking on its maintenance.

The bikes can be hired by businesses too, providing companies with a way to move supplies or make nearby deliveries without needing a car or van for every journey.

In addition to its green credentials the bikes also encourage more active travel helping make physical activity part of an everyday task to boost health and fitness.

Under the green scheme, the bike can be hired by anyone and used throughout Redbridge but will have to be collected from its permanent base near Creative Biscuit, (it’s parked outside the station, opposite the Railway Bell) in South Woodford, and also returned there once the hire has ended.

To book your bike, download the OurBike app from the Apple App Store or Google Play and register for an account. Once approved, users can find their local bike, reserve a time for pick-up and follow the app's instructions to unlock it. The bikes can be booked up to 6 months in advance.

Well done to Creative Biscuit, who will help keep the bikes ready for the community by charging and swapping the batteries, while OurBike manages bookings, maintenance and customer support.

For more information go to: https://www.ourbike.co.uk/

20/09/2026

Busy Day in SOUTH WOODFORD Today! MARKET in George Lane, 11am - 4pm, LITTER PICK, meet at the Orchard (Corner of Mulberry Way and Primrose Road), 11am - 1pm, GARDENING SESSION, also at the Orchard, 11am - 1pm - equipment provided for both, or you're welcome to bring you own.

18/09/2026

Tomorrow is Woodford Fire Station’s Open Day!

Join the Community Activity Day tomorrow (Saturday (Saturday 19 September), from 11am to 4pm, at Woodford Fire Station, 2 Snakes Lane, IG8 0BS, as part of the station’s annual Open Day.

The event will bring together a wide range of local services offering free support, advice and guidance for residents. This includes:

- Free health checks on the Healthy Redbridge Bus
- Family advice and support
- Employment and volunteering opportunities
- Benefits and cost of living guidance
- Waste and recycling support
- SEND information and advice
- Adult social care guidance

Redbridge Institute of Adult Education will also be on site throughout the day, enrolling residents for adult learning courses. With classes running in the heart of Gants Hill, the Institute supports hundreds of adults each year to build skills, confidence and qualifications.

17/09/2026

It's the monthly tri-fecta at South Woodford on Sunday - we have our regular litter pick, the market in George Lane, and we are going to be preparing the ground at the Orchard on the corner of Primrose Road and Mulberry Way for the installation of a lovely new bench, which has been created by the local chain-saw scupltor, Marshall Lambert. All events start from 11am - any questions pop them below! Hope to see you on Sunday...

Litterpick - South Woodford Community Orchard E18 1ED
Gardening - As above
Market - George Lane from M&S to the International Supermarket.

16/09/2026

https://planning.redbridge.gov.uk/redbridge/application-details/205808
NOW CLOSING ON 13TH OCTOBER. PLEASE COMMENT VIA THE LINK ABOVE
The planning appln (1822/25) for the old ARC restaurant site on Hermon Hill for 9 flats (with 5 car parking spaces) and a small supermarket or restaurant is being discussed at Redbridge Town Hall this evening at 6.30pm. The application has had a number of objections citing additional traffic, overbearing nature of the development, lack of affordable housing and loss of privacy and light for existing houses to the back of the plot. If you have any comments, they may still be read if there are any delays to the application, and anyone can attend the meeting this evening.

02/09/2026

Redbridge is proposing a number of new yellow box junctions, two in South Woodford, one at the bottom of Chelmsford Road and another at Fuller's Avenue. There is no mention of cameras in the documentation. If you have any thoughts or comments, please complete the survey link the page link given below.

To understand how traffic currently behaves, traffic surveys have been held at junctions across the borough. The data shows that 14 junctions were commonly obstructed during the daytime (from 7am to 7pm) over one week. In response to this data, new yellow box markings

01/09/2026

WILDLIFE BIOBLITZ DAY - September 29th @ Ray Park, Woodford Green

Are you interested in getting to know your local wildlife better and helping to contribute to our knowledge of local biodiversity?

Learn about the importance of biodiversity recording and how you can get involved using the amazing iNaturalist mobile app.

After some training and useful tips around using the app, you will put it to the test by Bioblitzing at Ray Park, finding as many species as we can!

Suitable for ages 13+

Vision Redbridge Culture & Leisure is a registered charity and as a non-profit organisation any surplus we make will be reinvested for community benefit, to improve the quality of facilities and services offered to you. Join the Nature Conservation Team to experience the outdoor world: Plant and ani...