Letters, contributions and comments sent in from Recorder readers this week.

Parking chaos in shopping parade

Mr J Smith, New North Road, Hainault, writes:

Since the redesign of the access road in front of the Manford Way shops opposite the library in Hainault, it has become a free-for-all to park.

Non badge holders often park in the few marked disabled and loading bays and any piece of footway they can get into (including the dedicated pedestrian crossing areas).

One particular licensed cabby insists on parking on the kerb outside or in the disabled bay opposite the newsagents every day.

Yes, he has a blue badge showing but he never arrives or leaves with any passenger. This, I believe, is a misuse of the badge.

Delivery drivers also have a hard time as there is only one loading bay for one vehicle, which is usually occupied.

There is a service road behind the shops but this is narrow and thanks to previous councils allowing extensions to enlarge the shops, many of the original delivery areas have vanished and the service road is often blocked by HGVs delivering to the supermarkets, leaving it very tight for anything but a smaller car to pass.

We used to have a regular daily parking warden on duty but now you’re lucky if you see one once a fortnight and then, once a couple tickets have been issued they’re back on their moped and off into the hills!

Campaign turning into a farce

R Carter, Little Heath, writes:

Reference made by Jenny Chalmers regarding Haul Road.

I attended the AGM of the Aldborough Hatch Defence Association, of which Jenny Chalmers is chairman. I asked if they had an alternative route and was told no.

I cannot see what the problem is. No lorries, mud, dirt or damaged paving on the roads.

The site will be more secure with less gates. This will eradicate constant emails and letters of complaint to the council and agents of Brett Tarmac.

I am sure the majority of the tenants living in the area would love to see the end of this campaign because it’s now turning into a ridiculous farce.

Event marred by parking confusion

Alan Banner, Trinity Road, Ilford, writes:

The Fairlop Heritage Group on the November 11, had a Remembrance Service at Fairlop Waters Country Park to commemorate the sacrifice of the airmen who flew from Fairlop and surrounding airfields

A number of dignitaries and members of the public attended.

We were told by the organisers that there would be free parking for this event and there would be notices on the machines. As there are no machines no notices were visible.

Also there was nothing else to indicate free parking.

As the only means of paying for the car park was to use a credit/debit card via RingGo and as some attendees never had a bank card on them or a mobile phone they were unable to pay for parking.

Some said that they would “chance it” and hope they didn’t get a ticket and other members of the public, mainly older people, drove away again not willing to take the risk.

It is shameful that an important occasion like this was spoilt by

lack of available cash parking machines.

November a great time to go vegan

Mark Dawes, campaigns officer, Waltham Forest & Redbridge Green Party, writes:

November is World Vegan Month and represents a great opportunity for people to go vegan.

Veganism is on the rise and there has never been a better time to be vegan with supermarkets and health food shops offering plenty of choices and restaurants more commonly providing vegan options.

And there are positive reasons to go vegan – reducing and ending the suffering of animals who are slaughtered in their billions for food and kept in very cruel conditions all their lives.

A vegan diet is also one of healthiest diets there is for anyone as meat and dairy products lead to diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

A recent report by the world’s leading climate scientists has warned there is only a dozen years to stop the worst effects of climate change and switching to a vegan diet is one of the most effective individual actions that can be taken to help as the meat and dairy industry is a major contributor to climate change – as well leading to environmental destruction like deforestation, pollution and poisoning of the water supply.

If you have asthma have flu jab now

Dr Andy Whittamore, clinical lead, Asthma UK, writes:

As we move into “flu season” it’s time for people with asthma to protect themselves against the flu virus.

New analysis by Asthma UK reveals that around one million Brits with asthma are at risk because they’re not planning to get the flu vaccine – even though eight in 10 people with asthma say flu is a top trigger for life-threatening asthma attacks.

That’s why Asthma UK is urging people with asthma to get the flu vaccine as soon as possible to reduce their risk of catching the virus and prevent a life-threatening asthma attack.

The flu virus can increase the inflammation in the airways so they can become narrow, leaving people coughing, wheezing and gasping for breath.

This increased inflammation also means people are more likely to react to other triggers, such as pollen or pollution, increasing the chance of an asthma attack. Every asthma attack is potentially life-threatening with around three people dying from one in the UK every day.

Unfortunately, there are lots of myths about the flu jab. But the vaccine can’t give you flu, the potential side effects are minimal and it could save people’s lives by preventing a life-threatening asthma attack.

Asthma UK’s website provides all the information you need about flu – visit asthma.org.uk

The flu vaccine is available free of charge to anyone with asthma who meets any of the following criteria:

• they have been using preventer medicine

• they have needed a course of oral or systemic steroids

• they have had a previous hospital admission because of their asthma.

It can take up to two weeks for the vaccine to be fully effective, so we are urging people to get it as soon as possible.