Children of Hoxton want a giant ice cream parlour and a candy-themed adventure playground, according to new survey.
‘Future Hoxton,’ a recent interactive project by University College London researcher William Hodgson, asked local residents and schoolchildren what improvements they would like to see in the area.
Children from local primary schools demanded a candy-themed adventure playground and a giant tree house at Old Street station. One imaginative entrant also suggested the opening of a giant ice cream parlour.
The study also highlighted numerous local housing concerns, with nearly 30% of participants saying they would like to see more affordable flats in Hoxton, as well as improvements to existing council estates.
Hackney Council is currently embroiled in a dispute with campaigners over plans to demolish Britannia Leisure Centre and rebuild it, replacing the site with 400 luxury flats. Nearly a quarter of respondents voiced a desire for better public services, particularly the creation of new spaces dedicated to sport and leisure.
Mr Hodgson said he ‘wanted Hoxtonians of all ages and backgrounds to have their say on how to improve Hoxton’, and that the project was ‘a good way to make residents and workers understand their neighbourhood.”
The information gathered will be submitted as part of Future Shoreditch and the borough-wide plan Hackney LP33, plans which will set out a vision for what the area will look like in 2033.
