Hackney,
19
August
2021
|
16:33
Europe/London

Dalston Plan – more time to have your say on town centre’s future

Residents, businesses and community groups are being encouraged to join the hundreds of people who have already had their say on the future of Dalston after consultation on the Draft Dalston Plan was extended to October.

Earlier this summer the Council published its draft Dalston Plan, setting out a vision for the next 15 years of the town centre based on the views put forward by the local community in the Dalston Conversation – Hackney Council’s biggest ever local engagement exercise which saw input from more than 5,000 people.

The plan outlines new dedicated planning guidance to safeguard much-loved local places and spaces like Ridley Road street market and the Dalston Eastern Curve Garden as well as how the town centre can accommodate new homes and workspaces, whilst ensuring as much housing and workspace as possible is genuinely affordable and accessible to local residents and businesses.

This includes identifying ten opportunity sites that can accommodate over 600 new homes – a minimum of 50% of which should be genuinely affordable – as well as new workspaces for a growing town centre with some restricted to 60% of market rates for local businesses.

Over 200 people have already had their say since the Dalston Plan consultation launched in June through a series of walkabouts, drop-in sessions, pop-up stalls on Ridley Road, online and offline workshops and through a dedicated consultation website.

The extension to 1 October will allow the views of even more people who live in, work in or visit Dalston to be incorporated before the plan is adopted in 2022, with a series of engagement events being planned for August and September.

Cllr Guy Nicholson, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Housing Supply, Planning, Culture and Inclusive Economy
The proposals set out in the Dalston Plan are the result of the Council’s biggest ever engagement exercise led by a three-year discussion between the local community and the Council which saw local stakeholders, businesses and more than 5,000 residents of all ages set out their priorities for Dalston.

The Dalston Plan has clear guidance that celebrates the area;s heritage, character and local community and ensures new development works for Dalston. So that everyone has a chance to have their say the consultation period is being extended, so have your say on the Dalston Plan now.
Cllr Guy Nicholson, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Housing Supply, Planning, Culture and Inclusive Economy

Some of the key elements of the draft Dalston Plan include:

  • Safeguarding the long-term future of Ridley Road street market by improving public spaces along the street, and ensuring any new development on adjacent sites incorporates new shops and doesn’t result in the loss of market pitches
  • Protecting the long-term future of Dalston Eastern Curve Garden and ensuring that any new development close by doesn’t impact on its privacy and sunlight
  • Provide development and design guidance on 10 Council and privately-owned sites, including the redevelopment of Kingsland Shopping Centre, to deliver over 600 new genuinely affordable homes, 700sq m of additional community space and 14,000 sqm of commercial and workspace (including retail and office space) by 2033
  • Providing guidance on increasing sustainable transport, especially walking and cycling routes in the town centre
  • Protecting and celebrating Dalston’s built heritage
  • Supporting new and existing arts, cultural, evening and night-time venues and activities in the town centre

The plan will build on other improvements already being delivered in Dalston, informed by feedback from the Dalston Conversation and the Towards A Dalston Plan engagement including the Ridley Road market and Ashwin Street investment, tackling antisocial behaviour at Gillett Square, and proposals to create Hackney’s first 21st Century Street in Colvestone Crescent.


Have your say on the Dalston Plan now, or sign up to receive updates about the plan and future engagement events by emailing planmaking@hackney.gov.uk.