A bicycle bay outside of a free school in Hackney has been converted into car parking, sparking a referral to planning enforcement. As many as 20 bike parking spaces have been lost to create three car parking spaces outside the school.
Hackney New School’s planning application from 2013 states, “given the highly accessible location the proposal does not include car-parking for staff other than a disabled parking space. However, secure cycle parking is provided within the proposals for both staff and pupils at a ratio of 1 space per 10 students and staff.”
Councillor Jon Burke, Cabinet Member of Energy, Waste, Transport and Public Realm, who is leading Hackney Council’s efforts to tackle climate change, said on Tuesday that the issue had been referred to planning enforcement.
“This is pretty disgraceful and goes against everything @hackneycouncil is trying to achieve on air quality and active travel. It’s also exactly the kind of problem that occurs when local authorities don’t run schools” he tweeted.
This is pretty disgraceful and goes against everything @hackneycouncil is trying to achieve on air quality and active travel. It's also exactly the kind of problem that occurs when local authorities don't run schools. I'll be taking this up immediately. https://t.co/yAL885jrlg
— Cllr Jon Burke (@jonburkeUK) November 5, 2019
Hackney New School’s parking spot had been a bicycle bay as recently as 2017 when the Downham Road site also housed children from Hackney New Primary School.
The move stands in contrast with Hackney Council’s efforts to tackle climate change. Last week, Cllr. Burke announced plans to ban traffic outside all primary schools in the borough by 2022. Four schools piloting the “school street” scheme have already seen a 74% reduction in vehicle emissions outside school gates since 2018.
Hackney New School declined to comment to the Post but wrote on Twitter, “We have been made aware that the current arrangement, put in place by the previous administration, may be in breach of our planning condition. We will work with the council to ensure any issues are quickly rectified.”
The school also emphasised that children wishing to cycle to school were fully catered for, saying “we currently have over 100 cycle racks available to students which are close to full most school days.”
We have been made aware that the current arrangement, put in place by the previous administration, may be in breach of our planning condition. We will work with the council to ensure any issues are quickly rectified.
— Hackney New School (@hackneynewsch) November 6, 2019
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