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Between October and December 2021, 1,150 comments from people who live, work and use Hackney Central, informed us of their priorities for the next ten years in Hackney Central through public events, online surveys, one-to-one conversations and small workshops. This feedback has built on the Hackney Central Conversation in 2019, which saw 2,000 people share their views for the area, and will ensure the changes needed to accommodate new homes and jobs and reflect the needs of local people first.

Help us shape the Hackney Central Plan.🍍

We're bringing together the priorities of the local community with the Council’s ambitions to ensure #afairrecovery after the pandemic.

Residents, businesses and organisations in Hackney Central are being encouraged to help turn the views of thousands of people into the Hackney Central Plan, bringing together the priorities of the local community with the Council’s ambitions to ensure a fair recovery after the pandemic.

An engagement process has launched this week, which will help the Council determine a new town centre strategy and updated planning rules for the area to create a shared vision for Hackney Central and a plan for how to get there.

Over recent years, Hackney Central has welcomed more new homes and employment opportunities, shoppers, businesses and places to visit, workspaces, and a bustling evening economy. Pedestrianisation of the Narrow Way has supported a new market, local traders and shoppers, and new cultural offers and opportunities. Building on this, the Council aims to create 3,000 new jobs and 1,000 new homes in Hackney Central, centred around investment in transport infrastructure, key sites and improving public spaces. This transformation must happen in a way that is shaped by the priorities of local people, businesses and groups, collaboratively building on what’s important and unique about Hackney Central, whilst addressing some of the area’s challenges.

We’re committed to ensuring a fair recovery from the pandemic and rebuilding a cleaner, greener and more accessible Hackney Central. As the town centre grows, we will work with partners to safeguard what local people value most, support local businesses to continue thriving in a changing economy, and ensure local people are the first to benefit from the changes taking place.

This is why we are establishing The Hackney Central Community Panel , a group of local residents, organisations, businesses and other stakeholders, who will meet every two months to discuss projects and ambitions for the local area.

We hope that the Panel will act as a mechanism for conversation, idea development and updates, and inspire a collective sense of custodianship for the future for Hackney Central. The ambition for the Panel is to support the Council in ensuring forthcoming changes around Hackney Central – including initiatives to help people get around, the future of important Council-owned sites in the town centre, and changes to local planning rules to control new developments – meet the priorities of the local community.

Hackney Council launched the Hackney Central Conversation in July 2019 so local people could tell us what they love about Hackney Central, the challenges they experience, and what changes they would like to see the Council make in the area. The approach for the project was about early, ongoing and honest dialogue with those who live, work and visit the area so that they can influence change in their community.

Over 2,000 people visited the commonplace website, and shared over 2,000 comments or added agreements or likes to these. This online engagement was supplemented through workshops, community meetings, and stalls on the Narrow Way and at Hackney Carnival.

The newly published Hackney Central Conversation report captures the Conversation’s findings and sets out the key local issues and priorities commented on by those who participated. These included:

Hackney is commissioning a major new public artwork to celebrate and honour Hackney’s Windrush Generation. It will act as a permanent expression of the Windrush Generation’s contribution to the life of Hackney and the UK and symbolise our ongoing commitment to provide refuge and welcome to migrants from all countries.

With the support of Autograph ABP, the Genesis Foundation and Create London, we invited artists of national significance and with African-Caribbean heritage to put forward proposals for a permanent public artwork to be placed in Hackney Town Hall Square.

On Monday 13 January from 12-3pm we’re inviting residents to have their say on the final 3 proposals and play their part in this important part of Hackney history. Come down to the Town Hall Square to view and comment on the final proposals and meet with representatives from Hackney Council and Autograph who will be delighted to discuss the artworks and take your comments.

Last week at Hackney Town Hall we held our first community workshop about moving around in Hackney Central. The event asked participants about their experiences as pedestrians, cyclists, users of public transport or motorists about Hackney Central and what key challenges need to be addressed in the area to make it safer, cleaner and greener.

Over 50 local residents and businesses attended the event to share their thoughts and look for solutions on issues such as dangerous junctions and congestion around Pembury Junction, Amhurst Road and Mare Street. 

We will publish our insights report shortly.

Land at 55 Morning Lane, a key part of the town centre, has the potential to become a new and exciting destination for Hackney, providing new homes, jobs, opportunities, and green public spaces. A new development could also include shops, restaurants and cafes, alongside offices and workspace for local businesses and a new Tesco store.

The developer (not Hackney Council) is still developing its proposals, and is currently running consultation events for local people to share their ideas about what they would like to see as part of any redevelopment.