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Dear all,

As you may be aware, since 2015, Hackney Council has worked with the Stamford Hill community to create the Stamford Hill Area Action Plan (AAP) and the Stamford Hill Design Guide. The two planning documents set out how development and changes to local spaces can be made, by ensuring they reflect the unique circumstances of Stamford Hill and the challenges the area faces now and in the future.

We now want to hear views on:

• the final version of the Stamford Hill AAP (regulation 19 consultation)

• the draft Stamford Hill Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) – an accompanying document setting out new criteria for extensions to homes

How to have your say by 28 June 2024:

Following consultation on the Draft Dalston Plan in 2021 work is underway to prepare a final plan. Over the Summer we will be holding local events in Dalston to share these updates and get your feedback, ahead of the plan being finalised.

Join the Dalston Plan team for a walking tour of the Dalston Plan, to explore and learn more about the development guidance being prepared for key sites in Dalston’s Town Centre.

Join us for the Dalston Plan Walking Tours on the following dates:

Saturday, 15th July, from 10am to 12 noon or

Tuesday, 18th July, from 6pm to 8pm

Meeting Point: Hackney CVS, located at 23-30 Dalston Lane, E8 3AZ.

Dear resident,

You have previously given us your views through the Commonplace platform and indicated that you would like to be kept informed by the Council.

From July to November 2021 we asked you how you use Hackney libraries and what would encourage you to visit the library more in the future.

Through surveys, focus groups and schools competitions we spoke to over 8500 residents and stakeholders.

Residents told us that overall they are satisfied with library services, how much they value access to good quality collections of books and reading materials, and how important libraries are to them as trusted and safe spaces to provide lifelong learning opportunities and cultural and community events for all ages.

Thank you to everyone who took part in the first phase of the Resident Engagement Strategy. Over 600 responses were received through our survey and all your feedback was collated, analysed and used to directly feed into the development of the strategy. You told us about your experiences and the problems you faced when engaging with housing services. You told us about what was important to you in terms of community projects and how you would like to be more involved. And you also told us that listening to your views and taking action as a result of your feedback was one of the main things you would like to see us improve on. We took all of that onboard and have produced a draft Resident Engagement Strategy that we feel addresses your concerns and feedback.

Now for the next phase we are holding a 12 week formal consultation and we need you to tell us if we have got the strategy right or have we missed anything important that matters to you?

Update on scheduled works to improve Shoreditch Park

A £2m project to create a greener, more biodiverse Shoreditch Park with new play and sports facilities begins this month.

The plans for the park, which were approved at the Council’s planning committee last year following two years of consultation and engagement with local people, in which 1,900 people told the Council what they would like to see, include: a refurbished children’s play area; new outdoor gym; multi-use games area; beach volleyball court; improvements to the informal sports pitch area; and, work to enhance the park’s accessibility, biodiversity and sustainability.

From 7 March, work is set to start on the northern section of the park, with the grass area next to New North Road set for reseeding and a new wildflower area planted near the playground.

Following this, work will start on refurbishing the sports pitch from 21 March, with improved drainage and reseeding. The sports pitch will be accessible from September but unavailable for use for bookings until May 2023 to ensure the grass has time to establish.

In April, work will begin to refurbish the park’s playground, with a new play area next to Rushton Street with a tower and mound, sand pit with sand play pieces, swings (including basket and accessible swings with rigid backs), slides (including a wide slide for two people), more trees, an inclusive roundabout (flush with the ground with space for wheelchair users), shade and seating areas.

The final phase, taking place between July and October 2022, will include work to refurbish Dorothy Thurtle Gardens - with new planting, pathways and a play trail. Additional benches will be provided along pathways and old benches will be replaced.

Alongside this, a new beach volleyball court, a multi-use games area, table tennis tables, new outdoor gym, trees and a seating area will be constructed to provide much-needed facilities for local people.

Throughout the park, grass will be resown to improve the informal sports pitch, Dorothy Thurtle Gardens and the play area. Relaxed grass mowing in certain areas of the park, rain gardens, permeable surfaces, hedges, log piles, a wildflower meadow and planting will all help to enhance the park's biodiversity, improve drainage and mitigate against climate change induced flash flooding.

Click the link below to see how the programme of work will affect different areas of the park.

Hackney residents are being asked to help shape ambitions for hundreds of new Council homes as part of Council plans to expand its award-winning social housing drive and deliver the new housing the borough needs.

Input from local people will be used to help shape how and where the Council will focus its efforts as part of a new programme that could deliver hundreds of genuinely affordable new homes across the borough, ensuring these are brought forward to benefit and with support from the local community.

Between October and December 2021, 1,150 comments from people who live, work and use Hackney Central, informed us of their priorities for the next ten years in Hackney Central through public events, online surveys, one-to-one conversations and small workshops. This feedback has built on the Hackney Central Conversation in 2019, which saw 2,000 people share their views for the area, and will ensure the changes needed to accommodate new homes and jobs and reflect the needs of local people first.

Help us shape the Hackney Central Plan.🍍

We're bringing together the priorities of the local community with the Council’s ambitions to ensure #afairrecovery after the pandemic.

Residents, businesses and organisations in Hackney Central are being encouraged to help turn the views of thousands of people into the Hackney Central Plan, bringing together the priorities of the local community with the Council’s ambitions to ensure a fair recovery after the pandemic.

An engagement process has launched this week, which will help the Council determine a new town centre strategy and updated planning rules for the area to create a shared vision for Hackney Central and a plan for how to get there.

Thank you to everyone who has so far provided feedback on the trial measures to reduce motor traffic and improve road safety in the Walford Road area.

We are pleased to announce that full planning permission has been granted for the Shoreditch Park Improvement Project.

Whilst work to improve the Park has been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, we are looking to start work on site in late 2021.

Following our last update and our engagement with Stoke Newington residents since 2019, we have now received approval from Transport for London to close Stoke Newington Church Street to polluting through-traffic during the daytime.

This comes after many of you identified traffic and poor air quality as significant issues in the area.

The proposals involve introducing a bus gate outside the Red Lion Pub on Stoke Newington Church Street, which will operate from 7am to 7pm, Monday to Sunday, and will permit buses, cyclists, pedestrians and emergency vehicles to pass through.

These plans are part of our ambitions to rebuild a greener Hackney in the aftermath of the pandemic, improve air quality, and help people to walk, cycle and support local businesses as the borough emerges from coronavirus restrictions.

They will help to reduce traffic, improve air quality, and improve road safety on Stoke Newington Church Street and Albion Road, including at the three primary schools on these roads.

The restriction is timed to balance the need to reduce traffic with delivery and servicing requirements of businesses on Church Street.

The gate will also be the first in the borough to allow Blue Badge holders with a registered companion badge to drive through at any time, after the Council recently revised its policy following feedback from local residents with disabilities.

A further five 24-hour traffic filters, allowing only pedestrians, cyclists, emergency and waste vehicles through, will also be introduced in the area to prevent traffic from using alternative residential routes as a shortcut. These will be introduced on:

We are hosting a Draft Dalston Plan drop-in exhibition this weekend at the Curve Garden. Officers will be on hand today until 5 to answer any questions. You do not need to sign-up for this event, simply drop-in at the following times. 

When : 

Where : Dalston Eastern Curve Garden 

Walking tour & workshops 

We are hosting a Draft Dalston Plan Drop-in Exhibition and walk-about tours and workshop in August. See more information below!

Draft Dalston Plan Drop-in Exhibition

Please come along to the drop-in exhibition to find out more about the draft Dalston Plan and share your views. Officers will be on hand at the following times to answer any questions. You do not need to sign-up for this event, simply drop-in at the following times.

When:

Where : Dalston Eastern Curve Garden

Walking tour & workshops

Dalston residents, businesses and community groups are being encouraged to have their say on new guidelines to protect the town centre’s unique character, as investment plans to secure the future of Ridley Road are revealed.

As part of ambitions to ensure a fair recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic, Hackney Council has launched a consultation on the new draft Dalston Plan, recently approved by the Council’s Cabinet, which sets out wider proposals for the town centre.

The draft Dalston Plan is the culmination of over three years of collaboration between the Council and the local community, which started with the Dalston Conversation – an engagement exercise with input from more than 5,000 people.

The plan formally sets out how development in the area will be managed to protect and enhance what local residents and businesses value most about Dalston, from the unique shopping offer to the thriving cultural and nighttime economies and much-loved local institutions such as Ridley Road Market and the Dalston Eastern Curve Garden.

It also establishes how changes that are needed to accommodate new homes and workspaces can be delivered in line with the priorities set by the community and the Council’s commitment to ensure a fair recovery from the pandemic, in which local residents and businesses are the first to benefit. Site proposals for the town centre set out a clear delivery plan on how and when developments will happen.

Over recent years, Hackney Central has welcomed more new homes and employment opportunities, shoppers, businesses and places to visit, workspaces, and a bustling evening economy. Pedestrianisation of the Narrow Way has supported a new market, local traders and shoppers, and new cultural offers and opportunities. Building on this, the Council aims to create 3,000 new jobs and 1,000 new homes in Hackney Central, centred around investment in transport infrastructure, key sites and improving public spaces. This transformation must happen in a way that is shaped by the priorities of local people, businesses and groups, collaboratively building on what’s important and unique about Hackney Central, whilst addressing some of the area’s challenges.

We’re committed to ensuring a fair recovery from the pandemic and rebuilding a cleaner, greener and more accessible Hackney Central. As the town centre grows, we will work with partners to safeguard what local people value most, support local businesses to continue thriving in a changing economy, and ensure local people are the first to benefit from the changes taking place.

This is why we are establishing The Hackney Central Community Panel , a group of local residents, organisations, businesses and other stakeholders, who will meet every two months to discuss projects and ambitions for the local area.

We hope that the Panel will act as a mechanism for conversation, idea development and updates, and inspire a collective sense of custodianship for the future for Hackney Central. The ambition for the Panel is to support the Council in ensuring forthcoming changes around Hackney Central – including initiatives to help people get around, the future of important Council-owned sites in the town centre, and changes to local planning rules to control new developments – meet the priorities of the local community.

Shoreditch Park Improvement Project Update

Over 1,900 local people and Park users took part in our public consultations, providing ideas to shape the designs for the Park and feedback on the proposals, which include improvements made to the grassed areas and biodiversity across the Park, new benches and bins, more trees and plants, and a new sports hub, play trail and play area.

Hackney Council launched the Hackney Central Conversation in July 2019 so local people could tell us what they love about Hackney Central, the challenges they experience, and what changes they would like to see the Council make in the area. The approach for the project was about early, ongoing and honest dialogue with those who live, work and visit the area so that they can influence change in their community.

Over 2,000 people visited the commonplace website, and shared over 2,000 comments or added agreements or likes to these. This online engagement was supplemented through workshops, community meetings, and stalls on the Narrow Way and at Hackney Carnival.

The newly published Hackney Central Conversation report captures the Conversation’s findings and sets out the key local issues and priorities commented on by those who participated. These included:

On Monday 22 March, we held an event for young people from Hackney between the ages of 16-25 on Review, Rename, Reclaim. This space sought to give context to the Review, give an update on progress so far and gain the insight of young people on the project and how the Council can improve engagement with young people.

The event had a great turnout with thought-provoking and inspiring discussion along with practical solutions. Below are some comments which were made in response to why the Review, Rename, Reclaim project is important.

We were delighted with how engaged our attendees were and how much we learned from sharing each other's thoughts.

Engagement periods extended

We’ve extended engagement periods on the trial low traffic neighbourhoods and School Streets we’ve introduced over the last year. This is so as many people as possible can have their say on whether they'd like to see them made permanent and so you can see how they work as we emerge from lockdown. It’s really important that you have your say - whether you walk, cycle, take public transport or use a car - so we can make sure all the views of Hackney’s diverse communities are heard. Have your say on this Commonplace page.

Traffic down after London Fields low traffic neighbourhood

An initial analysis of traffic counts around Hackney’s London Fields low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) shows early signs of traffic reduction, with traffic down both in the neighbourhood itself and on boundary main roads. Traffic inside London Fields LTN was down by an average of 44%, with traffic on boundary roads around the LTN also down by 21%, showing promising early indications of the ability of low traffic neighbourhoods to reduce traffic and support people to walk, shop and cycle locally.

Happy International Women's Day!

Since November, you've been sharing some of the names from Hackney's history and community you feel deserve to be recognised in our public spaces. This #WomensHistoryMonth we're highlighting just some of the great women suggested. Keep them coming!

Christina Oree is one of Hackney's carnival pioneers. The 1979 Notting Hill carnival queen, she went on to set up Beeraahaar Sweet Combination band in 1993 with David Grant to develop a spirit of unity between all different ages, cultures and backgrounds. She was Notting Hill carnival queen in 1979, and remembers her first carnival in Hackney 23 years ago. Speaking to the Hackney Gazette she said: “We had the road to ourselves. There was no fighting or riots. Everyone enjoyed themselves and had a good time.”

Hannah Woolley (b.1623) was one of the earliest and most vocal champions of women’s education, and an internationally successful author.

After the death of her parents, Woolley became a teacher aged only 14. She later ran a school in Hackney with as many as sixty pupils.

Fatou Diallo was a secondary school teacher who petitioned to bridge inequality within free school meals. Their nominator describes them as ‘a role model who has played an important role to many young kids in Hackney and London…Hackney should recognise these types of people while alive.'

Happy International Women's Day!

Since November, you've been sharing some of the names from Hackney's history and community you feel deserve to be recognised in our public spaces. This #WomensHistoryMonth we're highlighting just some of the great women suggested. Keep them coming!

Christina Oree is one of Hackney's carnival pioneers. The 1979 Notting Hill carnival queen, she went on to set up Beeraahaar Sweet Combination band in 1993 with David Grant to develop a spirit of unity between all different ages, cultures and backgrounds. She was Notting Hill carnival queen in 1979, and remembers her first carnival in Hackney 23 years ago. Speaking to the Hackney Gazette she said: “We had the road to ourselves. There was no fighting or riots. Everyone enjoyed themselves and had a good time.”

Hannah Woolley (b.1623) was one of the earliest and most vocal champions of women’s education, and an internationally successful author.

After the death of her parents, Woolley became a teacher aged only 14. She later ran a school in Hackney with as many as sixty pupils.

Fatou Diallo was a secondary school teacher who petitioned to bridge inequality within free school meals. Their nominator describes them as ‘a role model who has played an important role to many young kids in Hackney and London…Hackney should recognise these types of people while alive.'

📣 Revealed! Four new names, as suggested by local residents, have now been shortlisted to rename Cassland Road Gardens .

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to contribute to what is the first public location to be renamed as part of Review, Rename, Reclaim. You're helping to make history!

We’re pleased to now reveal the following names now up for the public vote:

🗳 Celestine Gardens

🗳 Crowley Gardens

🗳 Owausu Gardens

🗳 Straker Gardens

Each of the four shortlisted names reflects the story of an influential individual in Hackney's history and the anti-racist values we stand for as a borough.

This week we installed a temporary welcome sign in the park formerly known as Cassland Road Gardens in Hackney Wick. This is another important stage in our ongoing work to remove the names of enslavers from our public spaces and to replace them with names that better reflect Hackney's values of inclusivity, equality and justice.

Thank you for signing up for the Hackney Naming Hub Newsletter. Since we launched in December we have had over 70 locally significant names submitted to the hub. We are currently reviewing and researching these suggestions with our heritage and engagement teams to compile a long-list of alternative names for the gardens ready for consultation with local residents in the Spring.

Cassland Road Gardens is the first in a long list of Hackney streets, buildings and public spaces that are being reviewed during 2021, so there is still time to get involved and suggest names, and to help us to spread the word.

Watch: A historic moment as Cassland Road Gardens signs are removed

On Saturday 8 December 2020, the Cassland Road Gardens signs were removed in the historic first action of our review into public spaces named after slave owners. Cassland Road Gardens was formerly named after Sir John Cass – a politician and director of the Royal African Company making substantial profits from the enslavement of African people in the 16th and 17th centuries.

The removal of the signs was in the presence of Mayor of Hackney Philip Glanville, Cllr Carole Williams, Cabinet Member for Employment, Skills and Human Resources, and members of the community steering group set up by the Council to oversee the review. The signs will now live as a historical artefact in the Hackney Museum.

The Council will start a process with local residents in January to consider a new name for the park. Details to be announced.

Hackney Council to adopt strict new limits on pollution

We’re set to adopt strict new limits as part of an ambitious new draft air quality action plan that has gone out to consultation this week.

The limits will see World Health Organisation guidelines adopted for particulate matter pollution - known to stunt lung growth in children and cause respiratory and cardiovascular problems among all groups - by 2030, going beyond current National Air Quality Objectives.

School Streets - Benthal Primary and St Scholastica’s

New School Streets have been launched this week at Benthal and St Scholastica’s primary schools to help children walk and cycle to school and improve road safety at the school gates.

With the school-run accounting for a fifth of London’s morning traffic, the new School Streets will also help more parents leave their cars at home, improving air quality in the morning.

Banned turns removed after introduction of low traffic neighbourhoods

A series of banned turns into Richmond Road, Queensbridge Road and the A10 have been removed after we wrote to Transport for London to request the changes.

We have been listening to feedback from residents and businesses throughout the roll out of plans to rebuild a greener Hackney to see what additional changes to improve the local road network can be implemented.

Following the introduction of the London Fields low traffic neighbourhood, the banned turns are no longer required as traffic reduction measures. Not all of the banned turns were enforced by cameras, but where they were, drivers will no longer face fines for breaching the restrictions.

The northbound banned left turn from Mare Street into Richmond Road, the banned turns at the Queensbridge Road/Richmond Road junction and the westbound banned right turn from Whiston Road to the A10 have all been removed.

Shepherdess Walk camera enforcement

Camera enforcement of the filter in Shepherdess Walk is due to start this week, which will help to further reduce traffic in the area and support people to walk, shop and cycle locally.

New traffic filter at Clissold Crescent

A new traffic filter was installed last week at Clissold Crescent, which will help support people living in and around the area to walk, shop and cycle locally. We’ll be planting trees in the planters in the next couple of weeks.

New protected cycle lanes

Construction has started on new protected cycle lanes on Queensbridge Road and Balls Pond Road, as part of our plans to rebuild a greener Hackney in the wake of the pandemic.

The new protected cycle lanes on Queensbridge Road are being introduced between Whiston Road and Albion Drive, joining protected cycle lanes installed on Queensbridge Road between Hackney Road and Whiston Road earlier this year.

Together, this will support residents in Haggerston to join Quietway 2, improving cycle links to Lea Bridge, Leyton and Islington, and supporting residents in Hackney Central.

Plans to introduce cycle lanes on the section of Cycle Superhighway 1 along Balls Pond Road pre-date the pandemic, and were supported by 67% of respondents in consultation in 2018.

They will see a two-way protected cycle lane introduced between Culford Road and Kingsbury Road, with a traffic signal at the junction with Culford Road to allow the cycle route to cross Balls Pond Road.

Construction at both sites started this week, and is expected to last into next week at Queensbridge Road. Construction at Balls Pond Road is expected to last seven weeks.

Thank you to everyone who has provided feedback on our measures to Rebuild a Greener Hackney so far. The Hoxton West and Hackney Downs low traffic neighbourhoods have now been in place for four weeks - with each experiencing significantly reduced volumes of traffic, helping people to walk and cycle locally.

All of the measures in London Fields have now been in place for a week in their entirety, with reduced traffic in the area supporting people to walk and cycle.

We’d like to thank residents for their patience while these schemes are introduced - we know that there has been some disruption, particularly on main roads like Graham Road, Queensbridge Road and Northwold Road. It can sometimes take a number of weeks before drivers get used to the changes and sat nav apps adjust but you can find out more about what we’re doing in response below.

It’s also worth noting that there have been TfL and Thames Water roadworks on the A10, in Stoke Newington (now nearing completion) and on Hackney Road that are affecting traffic levels across the borough at the moment, and a blocked bus lane on Graham Road has also been causing delays. Roadworks on Hackney Road are expected to finish on 7 October.

Please do continue to have your say using the Commonplace page. We have already made changes to the Hoxton West Low Traffic Neighbourhood as a result of feedback and will make changes to other schemes, if monitoring and feedback from residents shows it is necessary.

Graham Road

We know that there has been increased traffic on Graham Road, partly caused by roadworks in other areas of the borough, and a blocked bus lane on the road. The London Fields low traffic neighbourhood has also caused some disruption, but we do expect this to reduce as drivers get used to the changes and sat nav apps adjust. We are continuing to monitor traffic levels in the area. We have also asked TfL to adjust the traffic signals at the Mare Street junction to allow more time for traffic to exit onto Mare Street, helping to reduce congestion on Graham Road.

Queensbridge Road

Queensbridge Road has experienced increased traffic during the past week, which is partly as a result of drivers who cannot now pass through the London Fields area returning and using Queensbridge Road to get to Graham Road or Hackney Road. We expect this to reduce as sat nav apps update and drivers avoid the area completely. We are continuing to monitor traffic levels in the area and will also be installing cycle lanes along the road between Whiston Road and Albion Drive to make the road safer for cyclists.

Northwold Road

There had been an increase in traffic on Northwold Road as drivers got used to the changes in the Hackney Downs area, however this has now reduced slightly as part of the Thames Water roadworks in Stoke Newington have been completed. We are continuing to monitor traffic levels in the area.

We’ve had a number of questions over the last week, some of which are answered in our FAQs, but we wanted to elaborate on a few of them here.

Access for residents - route maps

We do not want to make residents’ lives harder. All residents can continue to drive to their properties, as shown by the maps below, which may be via alternative routes.

Congestion on main roads - how we expect this to reduce over time

While there are some increases in traffic on roads in the area at the moment, evidence from similar schemes, such as the Waltham Forest mini-Holland scheme where similar changes were introduced across a neighbourhood, point to an overall reduction in through-traffic over time.

Low traffic neighbourhoods also help to reduce the congestion caused by vehicles turning into side-streets. Fewer turning movements into side-streets are also shown to improve road safety, because there is less risk of collisions at junctions.

Effect on businesses

Our low traffic neighbourhoods do not prohibit delivery access to businesses, and can help to enhance footfall. Transport for London research shows that pedestrians and cyclists spend 40% more at local businesses than drivers.

Vandalism

Sadly, a number of traffic filters continued to be vandalised. We will continue to repair and replace anything that’s damaged, and will increase CCTV monitoring of sites to prevent this from happening. We will work with the police to prosecute anyone caught committing criminal damage.

During October 2019 over 1,600 local people and park users took part in the public consultation to improve Shoreditch Park.

You told us what to protect, what to change and improve, and how to create a park that works for the local community. We listened to what you told us and your ideas and feedback helped shape our designs proposals to improve Shoreditch Park.

We hope you enjoy seeing the designs for your improved park. We’d love to hear what you think of them and whether you think we have created a park that works for the whole community.

We’re committed to listening to local people’s views for all of our rebuilding a greener Hackney measures. Please do take the time to feed back on this Commonplace site so we can improve schemes if necessary and take your views into account, alongside traffic monitoring, before any decision is made on whether or not to make schemes permanent.

Hoxton West low traffic neighbourhood

Following feedback from local residents and as a result of traffic monitoring in the area, the Council is making a change to the Hoxton West low traffic neighbourhood. This will move the traffic filter on Nile Street, close to the junction with Vestry Street, further westwards along Nile Street past the junction with Provost Street. This will help prevent non-local traffic from using Nile Street and Provost Street as a rat run. This work will take place on Saturday 19 September. All residents and businesses will continue to be able to access their properties by car.

London Fields Low Traffic Neighbourhood

As of yesterday, all measures in the London Fields Low Traffic Neighbourhood are fully implemented. As with any transport scheme, it can take a number of weeks for drivers to get used to the changes and sat nav apps to adjust. As with all of our schemes to Rebuild a Greener Hackney, we are monitoring traffic levels in the area and will make adjustments where necessary.

Transport for London is also carrying out roadworks to traffic signals on Hackney Road, which are causing delays in the area. This is expected to be completed on 7 October.

Camera enforcement at the Cat & Mutton bridge filter is set to begin on 12 October, following a one-month period to allow drivers to get used to the changes. This will join temporary and permanent cameras already in place at other filters in the borough, and support the new London Fields Low Traffic Neighbourhood.

Hackney Downs low traffic neighbourhood

We have started camera enforcement at the Brooke Road/Evering Road traffic filters, helping to reduce through-traffic in the area. We will be monitoring compliance at other sites and introducing cameras where appropriate.

Sadly, bollards at some sites have been repeatedly removed. We will continue to replace these and will start CCTV monitoring of sites if this continues to be a problem.

School Streets

The first of 40 new School Streets were introduced last week, supporting children to walk and cycle to school and maintain social distancing at the school gates. Collectively, over 14,000 children will benefit from cleaner air and improved road safety at the school gates as part of the plans.

Construction begins on measures to create quieter, safer streets in the London Fields area today, as part of our plans to rebuild a greener Hackney after lockdown, supporting people to walk, shop and cycle as public transport capacity remains low.

This construction in the London Fields area is expected to take up to two weeks. As with any scheme that makes changes to roads, there may be some disruption while drivers get used to the changes and sat nav apps adjust.

From today, we’re also rolling out new School Streets to 30 schools, supporting children to walk and cycle to school and maintain social distancing at the school gates. These are the first School Streets of 40 set to be introduced this autumn. Collectively, this will help over 14,000 children walk and cycle to school and help them maintain social distancing at the school gates.

Low traffic neighbourhoods in Hoxton West and Hackney Downs have been in place for roughly a week. While we expect disruption to continue for a number of weeks as drivers get used to the changes, these measures are already seeing reduced traffic in each area. Additional signage is being installed in each area to remind drivers of the changes, and outline how you can have your say.

As with all of our measures to rebuild a greener Hackney, you can have your say on this Commonplace page. We will consider all comments before making a decision on whether or not to make each scheme permanent. If there are issues raised by residents that need to be resolved sooner - and that our traffic monitoring supports - we will introduce mitigation measures.

Understandably, lots of you have questions about the new low traffic neighbourhoods. We want to work with you to make sure that the changes are working as well as possible so here are some of your questions answered.

Drivers are continuing to ignore the restrictions

Much of the traffic in the area will reduce as drivers get used to changes and sat nav apps adjust, however this can take a number of weeks. Unfortunately, there are some drivers who will continue to ignore the restrictions. We’ve already introduced camera enforcement at some sites, and there are bollards at others. This mix is to ensure that emergency services are still able to access each area quickly.

All other filters will be enforced randomly by mobile cameras. While we would have liked to guarantee 100% compliance with all the measures from day one, we are moving quickly to radically reduce traffic and improve conditions for walking and cycling at tens of locations across the borough so this hasn’t always been possible. However, most of this reduction in traffic we are aiming for in each neighbourhood will be achieved by the enforcement measures we have outlined.

What about access for local residents and businesses?

Residents and businesses can still access properties within the new low traffic neighbourhoods by motor vehicle, however this may be via different routes to avoid the filters, which you will not be able to drive through.

This may result in a small increase in journey time. In return, all residents in each area will see quieter, safer streets as through-traffic is removed. We also hope that this will encourage more residents to make short journeys on foot or by bike, further increasing the benefits to air quality and health.

Jenner Road in the Hackney Downs Low Traffic Neighbourhood

Residents have told us that they are concerned that Jenner Road will become a new rat-run as a result of the changes. While we think traffic on Jenner Road will reduce overall as drivers get used to the changes and through-traffic avoids the area completely, we will monitor traffic levels and make changes if necessary. We are happy to discuss residents’ concerns further.

Provost Street in the Hoxton West Low Traffic Neighbourhood

Some of you have reported significant levels of increased traffic on Provost Street as a result of the changes. We are looking at this, monitoring traffic and working up potential solutions. We will share more details soon.

‘Low traffic neighbourhoods only benefit wealthy residents’

This is not true. 70% of Hackney households do not own a car (with car ownership linked to higher income levels), but there is a risk that as public transport capacity remains low, the through-traffic that doesn’t start or end in the borough - which usually makes up 40% of traffic on Hackney’s roads - will increase. Meanwhile, the risk of road injury is also related to income. One study found that living in a household earning below £25,000 was associated with more than double the odds of injury*.

We have to stop this traffic from using our neighbourhoods as a cut-through, helping to create quieter, safer streets for everyone and supporting people to walk and cycle. We're implementing new traffic filters across the borough - in Homerton, Hackney Downs, Hoxton and London Fields, which improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists, benefiting those on lower incomes who are more likely to walk and cycle - and more likely to be injured doing so.

Dear All,

We are writing to provide you with an update regarding the proposed Stoke Newington Low Emissions Neighbourhood, following a community workshop in January 2020 and an online Commonplace exercise in January/February 2020 where local residents, businesses and community groups discussed issues and ideas for enhancing the local conditions to promote walking and cycling, reducing traffic on the road and improving local air quality.

Thank you for taking part in the Shoreditch Park consultation. During October 2019 over 1600 local residents and park users provided ideas and feedback about the Park and the design proposals are now coming together nicely.

We had planned to share the designs with you during May 2020, but due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, we have taken the decision to conduct the consultation later in the year when everyone will be able to take part. We are really keen to have feedback on the designs from the whole community, not just those who have online access, so we will be in touch when we know more about when the consultation will take place.

As part of the Dalston Plan and Good Growth Fund public realm improvements to Dalston Town Centre, we are hosting a consultation workshop at Ridley Road Market Bar on Thursday 5th March between 6-8pm.

Drop by to have your say and share your ideas for Ridley Road Market and Ashwin Street:

This week we are holding public exhibitions on the Key Issues and Objectives for the first stage of creating a Dalston Plan.

Feedback on the issues and objectives will help shape detailed planning and regeneration guidance for Dalston which will be in the form of a supplementary planning document, called the Dalston Plan. The Dalston Plan will guide Dalston’s future as a place to live, work and visit over the next 15 years.

To find out more about the project you can attend one of our events

CLR James Library, Dalston Square, Dalston, London E8 3BQ

– Tuesday 11 February, 4pm – 8pm

– Wednesday 12 February, 4pm – 8pm

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Dalston Eastern Curve Garden, 13 Dalston Lane, Dalston, London E8 3DF – Saturday 15 February, 12am – 3pm

Hackney is commissioning a major new public artwork to celebrate and honour Hackney’s Windrush Generation. It will act as a permanent expression of the Windrush Generation’s contribution to the life of Hackney and the UK and symbolise our ongoing commitment to provide refuge and welcome to migrants from all countries.

With the support of Autograph ABP, the Genesis Foundation and Create London, we invited artists of national significance and with African-Caribbean heritage to put forward proposals for a permanent public artwork to be placed in Hackney Town Hall Square.

On Monday 13 January from 12-3pm we’re inviting residents to have their say on the final 3 proposals and play their part in this important part of Hackney history. Come down to the Town Hall Square to view and comment on the final proposals and meet with representatives from Hackney Council and Autograph who will be delighted to discuss the artworks and take your comments.

Hackney Council wants to create a park that continues to work for the community. We’d love to hear your ideas and for you to work with us to help make it happen!

If you picnic or play in Shoreditch Park, live locally, run a business in the area, or simply walk through the park on your way to work, you should get involved.

Last week at Hackney Town Hall we held our first community workshop about moving around in Hackney Central. The event asked participants about their experiences as pedestrians, cyclists, users of public transport or motorists about Hackney Central and what key challenges need to be addressed in the area to make it safer, cleaner and greener.

Over 50 local residents and businesses attended the event to share their thoughts and look for solutions on issues such as dangerous junctions and congestion around Pembury Junction, Amhurst Road and Mare Street. 

We will publish our insights report shortly.

Land at 55 Morning Lane, a key part of the town centre, has the potential to become a new and exciting destination for Hackney, providing new homes, jobs, opportunities, and green public spaces. A new development could also include shops, restaurants and cafes, alongside offices and workspace for local businesses and a new Tesco store.

The developer (not Hackney Council) is still developing its proposals, and is currently running consultation events for local people to share their ideas about what they would like to see as part of any redevelopment.

Join the Future Shoreditch project team at the second information drop-in session on Tuesday 21st May at the  Hackney Opportunity Hub , 139 Bowling Green Walk Corner of, Pitfield St, London N1 6AL.

The team will be on hand from 5pm-8pm to discuss the draft Plan policies, take you through exhibition boards and showcase the 3D virtual model of development sites.

Can't make tomorrow? 

We'll be holding the last of the information drop-in sessions on  Friday 7th June 11am - 3pm, at Hackney House, 27 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3LT.