This article was updated on 13 November to better represent the views of the council on this issue.
Businesses say they have been left in the dark over Council plans to develop the Narrow Way, a historic commercial street in the heart of the borough.
Hackney Council is proposing to make it a pedestrian-friendly street, complete with street furniture, trees, and more lighting. In 2014 the street was permanently pedestrianised following a seven month trial, however it still has the conventional road layout.
The council website explains that such changes will help create a “more attractive, social, accessible and functional public space”.
The consultation period ends on 30 November and work is expected to begin in summer 2016.
However, six out of the eight businesses contacted by Hackney Post were unaware of the proposals, saying that they had not been sent any information about the consultation. This comes two weeks after Hackney Post found only one out of ten businesses had heard of a council-led bootcamp to help local businesses.
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Mercedes Workman thinks that the council is ‘out of sync with local people’. Picture: Phoebe Weston - Mercedes Workman, 27, a PR consultant living just off the Narrow Way, said that the fact no one knows about the plan was typical of an authority out of touch with the local population.
“The council are trying to make the street look like something that doesn’t reflect Hackney people. If you had the right shops, you wouldn’t need trees and concrete carpets.
“They are anonymous regenerations that they just do without really coming and talking to us about what we want.”
Ms Workman has lived in Hackney Central for 10 years, and is moving to Margate because she can no longer afford rent in Hackney.
“The stuff about them making it more sociable is complete rubbish. Who’s going to see a tree and a seat and think, oh yeah, I’ll go and sit outside the 02 shop, or Santander?
“Hackney Central is special because it’s actually got an awesome diverse collection of people and the council is massively out of sync with the very people they’re meant to cater for.”
A spokesperson for Hackney Council said: “We’re disappointed some residents and businesses do not feel they have been consulted, however, we have further face-to-face engagement planned for the coming days and our proposals remain online for viewing and feedback until the consultation closes on 30 November.”
The council listed methods used in the consultation process which including visits to businesses, town centre partnership meetings, social research reports and consultation documents hand-delivered to local residents and businesses.
Picture, The Narrow Way: Hackney Council
