Generation Rent

With the demand for social housing far outstripping demand and rocketing house prices, the Private Rented Sector has become  increasingly the only available tenure type for anyone (except the very wealthy) wanting to live in Hackney.

After an intensive review lead by Hoxton Councillors, highlighting poor management and conditions many tenants face, Hackney Council has agreed to explore tighter regulation of the Private Rented Sector.

You can read the report here.

We are please that licensing of the Private Rented Sector or best alternative forms part of Labour manifesto pledges to support hard-pressed private renters.

Christmas Services

Hackney Council has published times and dates of services during the Christmas and new year period. Click here for more details.

For information on access to medical advice during the holiday season, visit the Hackney CCG website here.

For information on contacting local police, visit the Hackney MPS website.

We wish you all a very 

Merry Christmas 

and a 

Happy New Year

Kingsland Road Fire Station will Close

Hackney Council is one of 7 local councils to lose the High Court battle over Mayor of London Boris Johnson's proposals to close 10 fire stations in the capital, including Kingland Road Fire Station.

We previously wrote about Boris Johnson's plans on this blog here and we are very disappointed to learn of this news today. 

It was only 4 years ago the flames engulfed Thomas Fairchild School. 75 fire fighters and 15 fire engines attended that blaze.

And on 30 November that police, Fire Brigade and Ambulance services attended a blaze on Wenlock Barn Estate, a short distance from the one at Thomas Fairchild School.  

Due to the swift action of the emergency services, the blaze was quickly contained and no one was hurt.  We are concerned, however, that should there be a substantial blaze again in the future, the closure of Kingsland Road Fire Station could put an unnecessary strain on Old Street Fire Station.

Hoxton Ward Forum Meeting - Tuesday 29 October

The next Hoxton Ward Forum meeting will take place on Tuesday 29 October at Carole Young (aka Cranston) Community Hall, Mintern Street, London N1 5EH

We will be discussing play provision on Hoxton and would like your comments on the quality of play provision.  What is good about current provision and what do you think can be improved?

We will also receive a presentation about the development of the Mayor of London's Central London Cycle Grid proposals for the borough that include proposed routes through Hoxton.  If you're a cyclist come along, the Transport Team would lke to hear from  you.

Send and email to sign up for information for future meetings.

Hoxton Ward Forum - 29 October, 7pm

The next Hoxton Ward Forum meeting will take place on Tuesday 29 October at Carole Young (aka Cranston) Community Hall, Mintern Street, London N1 5EH

We will be discussing play provision on Hoxton and would like your comments on the quality of play provision.  What is good about current provision and what do you think can be improved?

We will also receive a presentation about the development of the Mayor of London's Central London Cycle Grid proposals for the borough that include proposed routes through Hoxton.  If you're a cyclist come along, the Transport Team would lke to hear from  you.

Send and email to sign up for information for future meetings.

Hackney to Challenge Boris Johnson Overturning Planning Inspectorate Decision on Affordable Housing

Boris Johnson has made amendments to the London Plan prohibiting London boroughs setting their own affordable rent levels.

Under the Government's affordable rent scheme, social housing tenatns can be charged up to 80% of market rent. London boroughs want to be able to set the cap on affordable rents according to local need. Boris Johnson, however, want to set affordable rent without considering local need.

Labour Assembly Members joined forces with Lib Dem and Green Party Members to vote against the Mayor's damaging amendment, arguing that this would drive up rents and land prices and also make housing increasing unaffordable to those of low or modest incomes.

To read full details of the London Assembly meeting, read Jennette Arnold's website here.

The Mayor of Hackney, Jules Pipe, announced this week that Hackney will be joining 9 other councils to challenge Boris Johnson.

More details will be posted as soon as it is made available.

Hoxton Ward Forum

The Hoxton Ward forum will meet on Wednesay 19 June at 7pm in Provost Community Centre, Murray Grove. 

This will be an opportunity to meet your councillors, raise local issues and explore opportunities to improve Hoxton.

For further information visit www.hackney.gov.uk/hoxton-ward or email us.

Hackney Boundary Changes

Following a ten week consultation the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) announced changes to the ward boundaries in Hackney.  The changes became  necessary to ensure that each Councillor in the Borough represents roughly the same number of voters in each ward.

There will be two new Hoxton wards:

• Hoxton West 
• Hoxton East and Shoreditch

Hoxton West is bounded by New North Road, Rushton Street, Bridport Place and Pitfield Street, Old Street.

Hoxton East and Shoreditch will be bounded by Pitfield Street, Regents Canal to the North and Kingsland Road to the East.  The southern parts of what was the old Haggerston Ward will remain the same.

A map of the new ward boundaries is available on LGBCE website.

The proposed new boundaries will be implemented by a draft order which will go before Parliament and new arrangements will come into force at the council elections 2014.

Consultation submissions and responses are available on the LGBCE website.

Proposed Closure of Kingsland Fire Station

The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority is consulting on Boris Johnson's plans to close 12 fire stations across London, reduce the number of fire engines by 18 and reduce the number of firefighters by 460.

Under his plans, the number of fire stations in London would go from 151 to 100 and Kingsland Fire Station would close.  Whitechapel, Leyton and Leytonstone Stations would also have their fire engines reduced from two to one.

You can read the full proposal here.

We believe that these reductions pose a danger for hackney as response times for the first appliance will increase by 11 second and by 23 seconds for the second appliance. 

We also believe that these plans will put the safety of our local community at risk and we oppose the measures set out in the consultation document.

We commend the efforts of fire fighters who worked hard to put out the fire that started in Thomas Fairchild School in 2009 but are concerned that, should there be a fire on the same magnitude any where in the borough at some point in the future,  fire fighters' efforts would be hindered by the closure of this crucial station.

As the consultation period comes to an end, we urge you to look at the full proposal for closing fire stations online here and take a few minutes to respond here. The consultation closes in a few days.

If like hundreds of local people, you want to back Hackney's campaign to save Kingsland Fire Station, you can sign the petition here.

Changes to Recycling and Waste Collection Days During the Holidays

Recycling and waste collection days will change during the Christmas holidays. Details can be found on the council website along with all the other changes to Council services during Christmas and New year period (http://www.hackney.gov.uk/Festive-Season-Opening-Times.htm).

Hackney Borough Commander to Host Live Webchat

Hackney Borough Commander to host first live webchat to answer questions from the public’s on Wednesday, 28 November at 6.30pm.

The webchat will provide people living and working in Hackney with an opportunity to ask Hackney’s top police officer questions on policing the borough and his vision of the future.

The webchat is part of Matt Horne’s commitment to speak directly with members of the public to find out their views on Hackney Police and how it can further improve.

You will be able to access the webchat on Wednesday 28 November at 6.30pm via the Met Police’s website at: http://www.met.police.uk/askyourlocalpolice/ The webchat will also be hosted live by the Hackney Gazette at: www.hackneygazette.co.uk

If you can’t make the webchat you can pre-submit questions in advance at: hackneypolice@met.police.uk or on Twitter using the hashtag #AskHackneyPolice

Tell Us Your Views on Hackney's Night Life

The Living in Hackney Scrutiny Commission is completing a review of how the Council manages the impact of late-night entertainment in the borough.

The ‘night time economy’ in Hackney includes pubs, bars, restaurants, cinemas, nightclubs, and live music venues. Areas like Shoreditch and Dalston have vibrant night lives, and whilst this attracts visitors and business to the area it also causes problems for local residents and pressure on public services.

The Commission is keen to hear the views of local residents as part of this review, as well as those going out in Hackney at night.

An online survey has been set up for residents to share their views to be included in this review. The online survey can be found here.

At the end of this review the Commission’s councillors will make recommendations about how services can be improved, based on the evidence they have heard.

Join the Campaign to Save Kingsland Fire Station

The London Fire Brigade is facing steep cuts due to the government cutting the fire budget by 25%.  That amounts to £29.5 million this year and by a further £35.3 million next year.  In total £65 million.

This is the biggest shake-up to the London Fire Brigade since it was created 146 years ago.

Earlier this month the BBC saw sight of a document that earmarked a total of 17 of the 113 fire stations in London for closure, which would see a loss of 600 jobs.

The stations include Kingsland Road fire station in Hackney along with fire stations in Action, Belsize, Bow, Clapham, Clerkenwell, Downham, Islington, Kensington, Knightsbridge, New Cross, Peckham, Silvertown, Southwark, Westminseter, Whitechapel and Woolwich. 

The following figures demonstrate the urgency of calling on the Mayor of London to reconsider plans to close Kingsland fire station:

• The fire brigade attended around 4,500 incidents in Hackney in the last 12 months – 35% higher than the London borough average of 3,328.
• The number of incidents is much higher in the south of the borough, surrounding Kingsland station.  471 of the incidents in the borough in the last 12 months were in Haggerston alone.
• Kingsland fire station attended to 720 incidents across Hackney in the last 12 months, 658 of which were real incidents, and 52 false alarms.  This included 309 actual fires (plus 56 false alarms re fire).
• Islington fire station, another station at risk of closure, has attended 71 incidents in Hackney in the last 12 months, when a call was received and the nearest Hackney fire station was unavailable.

You can read more about what you can do to join with the Hackney Labour Group to call on the Mayor of London to save Kingsland Fire Station here.

You can:

• sign our petition online here
• Download a petition here and collect signatures from your neighbours and friends
• Join our Facebook group to keep updated on the campaign
• Download a poster to put in your window

One Hackney Festival and the Olympic Torch Relay

There are just seven days until the Olympic Games start and there is one more day before the One Hackney festival when Hackney will welcome the Olympic Torch to the borough.

The parade will kick off at 10.30am in Hoxton at Pitfield Street before it heads off up Whitemore Road and Stamford Road to Kingsland Road.

The parade will then continue north to Stoke Newington Road and Stoke Newington High Street before turning left into Stoke Newington Church Street at around 12.30.

The Olympic Torch is then expected to arrive in the borough at 15.50 in Shoreditch.  It will then travel up to Dalston, onto Stoke Newington before going onto Hackney Central, and along Homerton Road, past Mabley Green and Hackney Marshes.

Please remember that buses will be suspended outside Hackney Town Hall as large crowds will be expected there.

Road will also be closed to allow the One Hackney parade and the Olympic Torch to pass through the borough.  The following roads will be closed for the parade from 10.30am:

• Pitfield Street
• Whitemore Road
• De Beauvoir Road
• Stamford Road
• A10 Junction with Richmond Road to Stoke Newington Church Street (northbound)

Due to the One Hackeny Parade, the following parking bays will also be suspended from 00.01 until 19.00 on 21 July.

• Pitfield Street - All bays on the western side on the section between junction with Mintern Street and Hoxton Street. 
• Whitmore Road - All bays on western side entire length 
• De Beauvoir Road - All bays on western side from Whitmore Road up to junction with Englefield Road 
• Stamford Road - All bays on western side between Englefield Road and A10 Kingsland Road. 
• Stoke Newington Church Street -Parking on Stoke Newington Church Street will be suspended from 9:00 to 17:00 

For further information on the One Hackney Festival, please read FAQs about the festival.

If you were planning to attend the event at Clissold Park, please not that this will not now take place as the event site is waterlogged and has been deemed unsafe. Anyone who booked tickets for this event is being contacted. The Parade will run as planned along the same 2.8 mile route, ending at Stoke Newington.

Travel in Hackney During the London 2012 Games

The London 2012 Games start in less then two weeks and 1 million visitors are expected in London throughout the duration of the Games.

Roads and public transport will be busy across the capital and The Olympic and Paralympic Route Network and Games Lanes will connect venues, accommodation and transport hubs.

Although there will be significant changes will be to Homerton Road and the Eastway, other areas of the borough will also be affected.

There will be a number of road events during the Olympic and Paralympic Games and streets will be closed.  Although events will not take place in Hackney, City Road, Old Street and Great Eastern Street will be used as an alternative route for athletes, officials, workers and media when road events take place on the Olympic Route Network.  These will take place on 28 and 29 July and 4,5,7,11 and 12 August.  When the road events are in operation, changes to the roads will include longer parking and stopping restrictions and switching off some pedestrian crossing signals.

The Olympic Route Network will generally be in operation and enforced between 6am and midnight though there will be some changes to times of operation. Transport for London have warned that any vehicles that are driven, load, park or stop illegally on ORN/PRN will be removed and will face £130 Penalty Charge Notice.  I have spoken to transport for London and have been informed that cyclists will also receive PCN if they cycle in the ORN/PRN during times of operation.

For more information on how transport will be affected during the Games, please visit the Get Ahead of the Games website where you can sign up for email alerts at Games time.  You can also follow @GAOTG on Twitter or call 0843 222 1234 for details.

We Love Hoxton Newsletter - Olympic Special

We have published our latest We Love Hoxton e-newsletter full of news and information on the London 2012 Games.

To find out more about how the Games will affect parking, driving and waste collection services, click here.

You can read previous versions of our e-newsletter here.

If you would like to sign up to receive future newsletters direct to you inbox, click here.

One Hackney Festival

Hackney will welcome the Olympic Torch on Saturday 12 July and everyone is invited to take part in the celebrations planned for the day.

There will be a parade starting at 10.30 the junction of Pitfield Street and Whitmore Road.  The parade will travel through along Kingsland Road, before travelling on to Clissold Park in Stoke Newington where the Olympic Torch will be welcomed.

The Torch will pass several hotspots along the One Hackney Festival parade route.

15.54 the Torch arrives in Hackney at Shoreditch High Street
16.02 it will enter Kingsland Road
16.06 the Torch will pass by the Shoreditch Festival
16.20 passes Gillet Square
16.34 Turns into Stoke Newington Church Street
16.47 Torch Moment in Clissold Park
17.54 arrives at Hackney Town Hall
18.20 passes Mabley Green
18.28 leaves Hackney via Eastway

Times have been supplied by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and are approximate.

Shoreditch Festival will be a programme of free live music and entertainment alongside the Regents Canal.  More details are available on the festival website.

For more details on the One Hackney Festival, visit the council website or the One Hackney page on Facebook.

Waste Collections During London 2012 Games

The times of waste collections will be changed during the London 2012 Games.  Collection days will remain the same throughout the Games but, in order to keep the streets clear, collections will start at 6am.

Residents are being asked to ensure that waste is place outside so crews can clear waste and recycling quickly.

For more information on council services during London 2012, please visit the council website.

Hoxton Ward Forum

The new Hoxton Ward forum will meet for the first time on Wednesday 4 July in Arden Community Hall on Arden Estate.


The new forums replace the old neighbourhood committee system focussing on local issues. The agenda will be developed as a partnership between residents and councillors with the aim of improving the local area.

Put the date in your diary and and email our new Hoxton forum email account for further details. (For casework and other matters, continue to use our Hackney email addresses.)

Student Housing in Shoreditch

Earlier this year I asked Hackney's Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Guy Nicholson about the number of student halls of residence that have been opening in Hoxton as well as across Shoreditch.
Residents have contacted Hoxton Councillors to register their concerns about the impact that a large number of students will have on Hoxton.  In March, Councillor Carole Williams spoke at a planning committee against an application for yet another halls of residence on Corsham Street.

As the planning application sat within the council's own planning guidance, the application was accepted by the Committee.

However, the concerns of residents have been heard and ward Councillors have taken these on board.

You can see the letter from Councillor Nicholson here.  In summary the response states that Hackney's Core Strategy has no specific policy on student housing but that it states Hackney will  seek 'to provide a mix of housing to meet the identified needs of different types of households within the borough'.  The letter also makes reference to the London Plan which requires boroughs to work with the Mayor of London and local communities ensuring that  'strategic and local requirements for student housing meeting a demonstrable need are addressed.'

Officers are currently working on the Development Management Development Plan will will include detailed criteria based policies for the assessment of planning applications that relate to student accommodation.  At the time of writing the letter, that document was due to go to this month's Cabinet meeting scheduled for 25 April.

We will continue to update this blog with more information as it is received.