Hackney,
15
March
2019
|
11:27
Europe/London

Making Hackney Wick cleaner, safer and more accessible

We’re committed to providing excellent services for residents in our borough, but you have told us that there are a number of problems with public spaces in Hackney Wick. We’re working hard to respond and improve.

Hackney Wick is a complex area undergoing significant change. Hackney Wick falls under the planning jurisdiction of the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) and sits across the Borough boundaries of Hackney and Tower Hamlets. Hackney Wick Station’s current South entrance is within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets (LBTH) and the new North entrance which will open in a few years will be within the London Borough of Hackney (LBH). Many of the developments are owned by private owners and the highways are managed by the two Councils.

We’ll continue to respond to your feedback, but here’s what we’re currently working on:

Hackney Wick Station

Hackney businesses are telling us that not having an entrance on the Hackney side of the station is having a negative impact on trade. The North entrance is currently due to open in 2021 once the nearby development is complete.

The Mayor, officers and local councillors are working together to ensure that London Overground and the LLDC fully explore how best to open the station, including looking at opening an existing fire exit route that is not currently open to the public.

We are also:

  • carrying out safety audits and exploring CCTV options for this proposed route

  • working with LBTH and LLDC to improve the area around the station including cleaning graffiti and increasing litter sweeps

Road and pedestrian safety

We know that development in the area is causing road safety issues for pedestrians.

To improve safety, we have:

  • introduced temporary traffic calming measures and we will look at a more permanent solution to reduce speeding and careless driving (Wallis Road / Berkshire Road junction)

  • jointly established a Construction Management Group with the LLDC, LBTH and local developers to review and monitor the number and use of construction vehicles in the area

  • worked with LBTH to install dropped kerbs on White Post Lane to improve wheelchair access

We are also:

  • looking at pedestrian crossing options for the Wallis Road/ Berkshire Road junction as a matter of priority

  • looking at employing a lollipop person during peak school runtimes at the Wallis Road/ Berkshire Road junction, and adding signage to make drivers aware of children crossing

  • assessing safety barrier options designed to protect pedestrians from narrowed pavements as a result of development (Wallis Road)

  • stepping up parking enforcement to combat vehicles parked on yellow lines and blind spots (Wallis Road)

  • removing railings from near the railway bridge to increase the footpath width (Wallis Road)

Better streets:

We know there is a wider issue around the whole area with litter and cleanliness, as well as clear and accurate signage to ensure visitors can find their way around.

We are pleased to announce that we have amended our existing cleaning schedule to ensure that an earlier sweep is made in the mornings to pick up litter generated overnight.  

We are also:

  • assessing locations for new bins and we are amending our existing cleaning schedule to ensure an earlier sweep in the mornings to pick up litter generated overnight

  • working with LLDC to install new, and improve existing, signage across Hackney Wick to ensure visitors know where to find Hackney’s businesses