Marvin Street pocket park

Overview

Consultation for this project has been completed. this page is informational only.

What we’re doing

While we’re proposing transformational changes to public spaces across Hackney Central, we also want to make small-scale improvements that can make a big difference quickly.

One of these is Marvin Street – a small cul-de-sac off Graham Road, where there’s an opportunity to replace a space dominated by car parking with a new pocket park for Hackney Central. 

Why we’re doing it

One of the key messages we heard from residents and businesses in the Hackney Central Conversation in 2020 was the importance of the arrival points into the town centre and use of greenspace to help establish the character of a place and encourage walking and social interaction. 

Local residents have long championed a pocket park for Marvin Street and first sparked the conversation with officers by submitting concept drawings for the street in 2019. The potential of Marvin Street was also mentioned by residents in the Hackney Central Conversation. Here is an extract from one resident’s response:

"We think Marvin Street could be transformed into a beautiful small park, or grove, integrated at the Graham Road end with the bus stop and with bicycle storage facilities and an electric vehicle charger at the Sylvester Road end. An innovative natural space with trees and seating. It might help redress the traffic pollution and could be London's most beautiful bus stop. It could eventually connect with a new similarly landscaped southern entrance to Hackney Central Station."

Transforming this space provides the opportunity to provide a quieter route connecting Hackney Central Station with Hackney Town Hall Square and Wilton Way, and deliver on our commitment to increase the amount of green space in the town centre. 

How we’re doing it

We’re putting together early proposals for changes, as well as speaking to local businesses that currently use the space for loading. We’ll share plans to develop alongside local people, which could include:

• Planting with opportunities for community growing
• Smallscale play facilities
• Seating
• Wayfinding 
• Cycle hire parking bays
• Sheffield bicycle stands 
• Cargo bike hire
• Use of lighting to animate and transform the space 
• Electric vehicle chargers
• Bookable loading bays