Nile Street - Proposed Permanent Public Realm Improvements

Overview

We are proposing to upgrade Nile Street, from Provost Street to Britannia Street, by making this section of Nile Street a more inviting and functional public space, making it easier and safer for people to walk and cycle. We also want to improve air quality and reduce emissions in the local area.

We are now seeking your views on the proposals.

Why are these changes being proposed?

These proposals form part of the long-term vision for streets in Hoxton West ward which reflect our aspirations for this thriving and dynamic area of London. We want to create streets that are safe, easy to walk or cycle on, reduce vehicle dominance and help to improve air quality. The Council’s Transport Strategy recognises that roads and streets in our neighbourhoods are not just places to park vehicles or drive, walk and cycle on; they make up the largest element of the public realm of the city and are the places where we socialise and live our lives. We would like to transform Hackney’s neighbourhoods into the most attractive and liveable neighbourhoods in London.

This aspiration can only be achieved by reducing the dominance of the private vehicle primarily through managing on-street parking and reducing traffic flows. We recognise the detrimental impact of air pollution in the City Fringe. Air pollution is responsible for the early death of approximately 10,000 Londoners each year and causes alarming rates of asthma and other respiratory illnesses in children. This has led to us creating a Low Emission Neighbourhood (LEN) in the City Fringe, made possible through funding partly from the Mayor’s Air Quality Fund. This scheme is part of a package of measures focussed on reducing emissions and promoting sustainable travel to improve local air quality.

The public realm scheme aims to:

• Reduce levels of pollution
• Reduce car dominance
• Reduce potential road accidents
• Make it easier and safer to walk and cycle
• Improve the character of the area for all residents and businesses
• Improve pedestrian experience by changing the way the roads feel, look and are used by planting more trees
• Resurfacing footways and carriageways with high quality material where budget allows.

What are the proposals?

Our aim is to enhance pedestrian experience and improve safety for all users, the proposals are:

• Reducing carriageway space to create a mini park space within this junction of quiet roads to aid local character and encourage pedestrian movements.
• Introducing sustainable urban drainage system (SuDS) rain gardens which will be complemented by tree planting. A SuDS mimics natural drainage and is designed to capture surface water to prevent overloading of the sewer system. A rain garden is a type of SuDS designed to capture rainfall before it enters the piped network and use the water to sustain planting and help to increase biodiversity. It can have a major impact on surface water runoff by preventing flooding, particularly in urban areas.
• A total of 19 metres of parking provision would need to be removed to allow for the implementation of two SuDS areas with pedestrian permeability in the middle as presented on the schematic diagram
• Nile Street west from its junction with Provost Street will remain closed to traffic and extended approximately 19m to the west towards Britannia Walk as presented on the design.  Access to emergency vehicles will be maintained by retaining a 4.2m gap through the proposed landscaping.
• Installation of a combination of stone cubic seats and benches with wooden tops and backrests
• Raise all pedestrian areas along Nile Street including a continuous footway at the junction with Provost Street
• Install a CCTV camera at the junction of Nile Street and Provost Street to monitor and enforce traffic restrictions 

Example of SuDS are shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3

Figure 1: Victoria Park and Skipworth Road

Figure 2: Dunloe Street

Figure 3: Wilton Way

Schematic drawing of the proposed permanent public realm improvements along Nile St (between Britannia Walk and Provost Street)

What happens next?

Your views will be taken into account as part of the detailed design process. We will publish the consultation responses as well as the decisions made at consultation.hackney.gov.uk To keep up to date with this and other plans, please visit hackney.gov.uk/street-consultations

Permanent works

If the scheme goes ahead, following consultation, we expect construction works to start in January 2026 with completion in 8 weeks. Further information regarding the works would be sent out closer to the time.

Information

For further information on this proposal, please contact the Hackney Service Centre by calling 020 8356 2897 or by emailing streetscene.consultations@hackney.gov.uk