Have you say on Hackney's Transport Strategy

How do you get around Hackney? Bike? Walking? Public Transport? It's time to have your say on transport in your local area. 

Hackney is consulting on its new transport strategy to run from 2014-2024. Transport in the borough needs to change to keep up with our growing population and the expanding local economy. To do this our vision is that:

“By 2024, Hackney’s transport system will be an exemplar for sustainable urban living in London. It will be fair, equitable, safe and responsive to the needs of its residents and businesses, facilitating the highest quality of life standards for a borough in the Capital and leading London in its approach to tackling its urban transport challenges of the 21^st Century."

The draft strategy has six parts. The first sets overall priorities, the other six focus on specific areas:

·      Cycling: Aims to encourage more people to cycle, improve access to secure bike storage and improve cycle safety.

·      Walking: Aims to promote walking and make further improvements to public spaces.

·      Public transport: Aims to maximise potential offered by Crossrail 2 running through the borough, improve access to public transport in the east of the borough and to have a fully accessible bus network.

·      Road safety: Aims to reduce the number of causalities in Hackney.

·      Liveable neighbourhoods: Aims to ensure public spaces are not dominated by cars and can be enjoyed by pedestrians, cyclists and children.

·      Sustainable transport: Aims to make sure that any transport developments or additions will continue to meet the needs of Hackney residents well into the future.

You can read the plans and give your feedback by visiting: https://consultation.hackney.gov.uk/streetscene/draft-hackney-transport-strategy/consult_view. The deadline for all responses is 24 October.

Alternatively, let us know what you think at kingsparklabour@hackney.org.uk.

Take a Walk on Hackney's Wild Side

Are you looking for a fun way to explore Hackney and its green and wild spaces? Check out these new guides to Wild Walks for children in Hackney, including one across King's Park - through Hackney Marshes and Kingsmead.

The three new guides can be downloaded here. They cover: 

• Haggerston to Hoxton to see a giant snake and a mysterious stone circle

• The Hackney Marshes and Kingsmead route to discover hidden playgrounds and the perfect spot for flying a kit

• The Woodberry Down and West Reservoir walk to encounter wizards and watery wonders

The walks were inspired by a Hackney Council worker's childhood trips to the Lake District and aim to get our children interested in exploring Hackney in an active way. You can read a bit more about their development here. 

If you enjoy the walk let us the Council know on twitter using #HackneyWildWalks or on facebook - www.facebook.com/hackneyfis

Millfields Park - Have Your Say!

The Council are planning a series of improvements to Millfields Park and we want to hear your views. What do you think about the proposed plans? 

Proposals include improvements to:

• Pathways and entrances
• Play areas
• Old paddling pool

Further detail can be found here. 

Come and have your say. The Council will be presenting proposals at an event at Millfields Park on Saturday 19 July and we want to hear your views.

It's a drop in event, between 12pm - 5pm. Millfelds Park, Lea Bridge Road, E5 0AR, located near the play area at north Millfields.

How can we improve health in Hackney?

Public Health England, the organisation responsible for helping people astray healthy and take preventative action to help tackle threats to health, have just published new information on the health profile of each area in England. Hackney's is available here. 

The information details Hackney's successes and challenges across a wide range of areas including: generally wellbeing and poverty; smoking; mental health; life expectance; obesity; and health inequalities.

It shows how Hackney is ahead of the national average in a number of important areas such as smoking when babies are born, breast feeding, and adult obesity. But it also shows the many challenges Hackney's population continues to face, including: children living in poverty, unemployment, child obesity and overall life expectancy. 

Details of Hackney's health and wellbeing board (the part of the council responsible for promoting health and working with partners in the NHS) can be found here and the work of the Council's Health Scrutiny Commission is here. All scrutiny commission meetings are open to the public; you can go along and hear more about work to improve health in Hackney. 

We want to hear from you about what more could be done in King's Park to improve the health and wellbeing of residents. Do you have an idea that can help promote healthy living? Do get in touch - kingspark@hackney-labour.org.uk. 

A Weekend of Fun, Sun, and Run(ning)

This weekend saw the Daubeney Fields Fun Day and the Run Hackney come to Kings Park. It was great to see so many people out enjoying the sun on Daubeney Fields and well done to everyone who took part in the half marathon. 

The Daubeney Fields Fun Day built on the success of last year's event with fun for young and old. Events included a market place selling all kinds of goods; the Hackney Playbus; sports including football with Leyton Orient; sumo wrestling; a large picnic area; a bouncy castle; live music; BMXing; Tug-o-War; and the painting of a new mural on the skate park by local children.  

The Fun Day was organised by members of the King's Park Ward Forum. Ward Forums are held roughly every three months to bring residents in King's Park together to discuss issues that are important to them. They also help to think of and plan local events, like the Daubeney Fields Fun Day. If you'd like to here more about the ward form do get in touch - kingspark@hackney-labour.org.uk.

Sunday was the inaugural Run Hackney half marathon, with many runners from King's Park taking part. The run set off from Hackney Marshes before heading down Homerton Road, around Hackney Downs, down Broadway Market, through Victoria Park and the Olympic Village before ending up back on Hackney Marshes, where many, despite the distance and the heat, put in sprint finishes to the end! 

It was a great day out and incredibly popular with over 12,000 runners taking part. Pre-registration is already open (here) for next year if you are tempted to take part….

King's Park CAP Meeting

Last night, Cllr Sharon Partick and residents met with members of the King’s Park Safer Neighborhoods policing team to discuss local policing priorities, as part of the police’s Community Advisory Panel meeting.

The meeting agreed that there should continue to be a focus on three issues:

• Violence against a person;
• Burglary, including work to improve the use of “SmartWater” which marks possessions and acts as a deterrent; and
• Tackling anti-social behaviour.

There was a discussion about reports of anti-social behavior on the Kingsmead Estate, with some people calling for the establishment of a resident’s association.

During our election campaign a number of people raised a range of different issues on the Kingsmead estate.  This is something we are committed to looking at further. If you’d like to help, or be involved in a discussion about the estate please get in touch – kingspark@hackney-labour.org.uk.

The next CAP meeting is on 22 September in the Kingsmead Hall, on Kingsmead Way

One week to go!

It's one week to go until the Daubeney Fields Fun Day. 

Last year was a great success, and this year looks set to be even bigger and better with:market stalls of local crafts; lots of different sports to take part in; talent shows; fund and games and much more…

All are welcome - there'll be something young and old. Bring a picnic and come down and enjoy a day on the lovely Daubeney Fields. Here's hoping the sun will be shining!

See you next Saturday, 21 June, 12 - 5pm. 


If you're interested in helping out for an hour or so on the day to help everything go smoothly then do get in touch.