A group of local Cazenove Ward residents is attempting to raise awareness of environmental, health & safety, traffic and trading breaches on Oldhill Street N16.
Traffic on the street has until this month been chaotic – a case of survival of the pushiest. Shocking footage of cars driving on the pavement outside Tyssen school entrance went viral. See Hackney Gazette. Thanks to residents’ pressure, a nine-month trial School Street scheme has been introduced outside Tyssen. In addition, a section of the street is now one-way. Face-offs between drivers have now largely stopped.
What has not stopped is illegal parking. Yellow lines are ignored. More seriously, there is continuous parking across the fire gates for the Broad Common Estate – handy for the lawbreakers, less so for the Fire Brigade should ever a fire break out. After Grenfell Tower you’d think enforcing ‘no parking’ would be the priority. This month’s Hackney Citizen features an article about the situation. Read it here.
What has not stopped, either, is the abuse of public space by some shops. One displays racks of goods for sale on the narrow pavement outside its shop narrowing the footpath for pedestrians and prams. Another has turned the corner of Oldhill Street and Stamford Grove West into a dumping ground for overflowing bins and unwanted packaging. Their convenience becomes the public eyesore. Delivery vehicles regularly block the road and park on the pavement forcing pedestrians onto the street and stopping traffic.
Hackney Council knows about all these issues as do our Ward Councillors but, despite several months of intense lobbying, they have not responded effectively to local concerns, to the frustration of many local residents.
If you would like to add your concerns, please contact our local councillors and Hackney mayor.
Dawood.Akhoon@hackney.gov.uk
Abraham.Jacobson@hackney.gov.uk
Ian.Sharer@hackney.gov.uk
Philip Glanville – Mayor@hackney.gov.uk