A greener Hackney Central – Amhurst Road and Pembury Circus transformation agreed
Local residents and businesses will have the chance to help create a new green corridor through the heart of Hackney Central after proposals to redesign one of the borough’s most dangerous junctions and cut traffic through one its most polluted roads were agreed by the Council’s Cabinet.
From early next year the Council will work with the community on plans to create a new Hackney Central green corridor along Amhurst Road – currently a busy road linking Pembury Circus with Hackney Central station – that could see 10 tennis courts worth of space reclaimed from cars for people.
This will be made possible after the Council agreed to redesign the Pembury Circus junction – which has seen 66 collisions involving injuries in the five years up to 2022 – to create a safer junction for pedestrians and cyclists.
Further changes approved will see traffic restricted along Amhurst Road between 7am to 7pm – except for buses, emergency services, blue badge holders with e-companion badges, and deliveries to certain properties – helping to reduce car traffic passing through the wider town centre.
Together these plans will enable the council and the community to work together to design how a new green corridor could look. This includes opportunities for new pocket parks, greenery and seating along Amhurst Road, and a new public space in the heart of Hackney Central connecting Amhurst Road with the high street along the Narrow Way and the bars and shops at Bohemia Place.
The project will be funded by direct investment secured by the Council from the government’s Levelling Up Fund, as well as contributions from new developments in the area.
Across the borough we’ve made huge steps in removing traffic, reducing pollution and greening our neighbourhoods, but Hackney Central remains blighted by poor air quality, high traffic and a lack of green space.
This new green corridor sets a new benchmark for what our streets can look like, and delivers a greener, healthier borough that the people of Hackney deserve.
Hackney Central is changing, and this first project from £19million of investment will not just be a focal point in creating a more accessible, liveable town centre, but a catalyst for a wider transformation that delivers on the priorities identified by the local community.
That includes addressing community safety issues, working with the local businesses to create a thriving and inclusive local economy, supporting Hackney Central’s renowned cultural institutions and ensuring new developments in the town centre will provide new homes and workspaces in the years ahead.
The proposals are part of wider plans to ensure local people benefit from the growth of Hackney Central, informed by the priorities set out by thousands of local people through the Hackney Central Conversation and the new Hackney Central Town Centre Strategy developed in partnership with the local community.
Find out more about the plans, including how you can help shape the changes and how the council will monitor the impact on traffic in the wider area and disruption during construction.
To get involved in the plans, sign up now.