Redbridge Council has given a residents group £12,000 to buy two clocks for Chadwell Heath Station.

The money was generated from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) which is a pot that developers pay contributions to when they build in the borough.

In a public post, Chadwell Heath South Residents' Association said it looks forward to regenerating the area.

"We were inspired by the architecture in famous London Undergrounds stations built by Adams, Holden and Pearson and Oliver Hill," a spokesman said.

"Specifically the distinctive roundel clocks at platform level in Gants Hill, Bethnal Green, Wanstead and Redbridge stations made by the Magneta Time Company.

"We look forward to working with Transport for London (TfL) and Crossrail on a series of community-led regeneration projects."

Jon Cruddas. Dagenham and Rainham MP, also backs the plans for the 1940s style timepieces and said Redbridge Council is looking at installing more accessories of the same ilk at stations across Ilford South.

"This is a really welcome investment for reimagining Chadwell Heath Station once the Elizabeth line opens," he added.

The clocks will be made by Transport for London and H S Walsh & Sons, who hold a Royal Warrant for the supply of horological tools and equipment for Her Majesty, the Queen. They will be contemporary replicas of the 1940s Magneta Time Company clocks.

A Redbridge Council spokesman said last year it gave away a few hundred pounds from the Cil fund for a boat in South Park and also funded defibrillators across the borough.

It encouraged more residents to bid for projects nearer to them.

"Eight-five per cent of the Cil money goes on roads, schools and bigger projects," he said.

"A smaller portion goes towards and smaller areas and residents can bid to use it.

"Whether it's for new benches or more trees - the projects are resident-led.

"At Chadwell Heath Station it is not just a clock on the wall but an architectural tribute."

The CHRSA is now exploring introducing them at Goodmayes, Seven Kings and Ilford stations and believes that if it buys the clocks as a bulk order, the cost will be reduced.

However Conservative Councillor Paul Canal said the sum of money spent on the clocks, is crazy.

"For an alleged cash strapped council to give £12,000 for two clocks at a TfL rail station yet fail to fix potholes, cut verges and maintain the borough is an act of utter madness which defies description."

Meenakshi Sharma, of Ilford Lives Matter, said it seems like a lot of money to spend on two clocks and is calling for "more transparency about the Cil funding process".

"More people need to know that they can apply for Cil money," she said.

"We also need to know how much Cil money there is.

"We want proposals on there that residents can vote on - it shouldn't be a few people choosing where this precious money goes, it should be a community decision."

To find out more about Cil funding visit redbridge.gov.uk