Stoke Newington Church Street / Clissold Road - Improved access to Clissold Park - Proposed parallel walking and cycling crossing

Overview

We are proposing a new walking and cycling crossing at the entrance to Clissold Park on Stoke Newington Church Street, near Clissold Road, to improve road safety and accessibility for people walking and cycling.

We are now seeking your views on the proposals.

Why are we proposing changes?

The Council is committed to making our roads safer for everyone living, working and visiting the borough. 

We are proposing these changes, primarily to improve road safety and accessibility to Clissold Park at this junction and encourage residents and visitors to switch to cleaner and greener transport options, particularly walking, cycling and public transport.

Three collisions were recorded in the vicinity of this junction in a three-year period up to December 2024. Two of these collisions involved cyclists.

This location is a key gateway into Clissold Park, used daily by large numbers of pedestrians and cyclists, including families and people commuting or travelling for leisure. The area also forms part of a vibrant local hub, with independent shops, cafés and community spaces along Stoke Newington Church Street, making it a popular destination and a busy walking route.

For cyclists, this junction sits on an important alignment connecting Islington, Finsbury Park and Green Lanes to Hackney and Cycleway 1 towards Central London. However, the current layout does not provide a safe or formalised crossing for cyclists, who often use the existing pedestrian zebra crossing, leading to potential conflict and discomfort for both cyclists and pedestrians.

The proposed parallel crossing will provide a clear and safe route for cyclists while maintaining pedestrian priority. It aims to support Hackney’s wider goals for active travel and inclusive street design.

Encouraging the use of cleaner transport options and reducing non-essential private car journeys are key long-term objectives for the Council due to the wide range of benefits these transport options can bring, including:

• Reducing potential road accidents
• Creating safer, cleaner and quieter residential streets
• Improving personal mobility and health through the use of sustainable transport.

What are we proposing?

Please refer to the below drawing for details. The proposals include:

• Replacing the pedestrian zebra crossing with a parallel crossing for both pedestrians and cyclists at the park entrance, helping people move safely between Clissold Park and the surrounding streets. This would provide a clearer, more inclusive layout for all users.
• Extending the pavement at Clissold Park’s entrance to improve visibility for pedestrians and cyclists crossing Stoke Newington Church Street, enhancing sightlines for drivers and creating a safer waiting zone. Additionally, the wider pavement would narrow the road, acting as a traffic-calming measure that encourages slower vehicle speeds near the zebra crossing.
• Introducing a pedestrian and cycle shared surface treatment on the pavement area to the south of Stoke Newington Church Street, using red block paving for colour contrast. Carrying out concrete paving repairs in the surrounding area of pavement.
• Introducing tactile or granite block paving along the full edge of the shared surface, providing both colour and texture contrast to support visually impaired users. This subtle feature would help delineate the beginning of the shared space, reinforcing pedestrian priority and encouraging slower cycling speeds. 
• Installing pedestrian and cycle symbols and signage to reinforce pedestrian priority along the shared surface and entrance to the park to encourage safe and considerate behaviour.
• Reducing the eastbound bus stop cage to increase the distance between the bus stop and the proposed crossing, improving visibility for pedestrians and cyclists exiting Clissold Park.
• Introducing a rain garden to the south of the crossing with low-level planting to support climate resilience and enhance the street environment.
• Extending the raised road carriageway across Stoke Newington Church Street and Clissold Road to improve accessibility and help reduce vehicle speeds on the approach to the crossing points. 
• Relocating lighting columns to align with the new crossing layout and accommodate the introduction of the rain garden, helping maintain safe and well-lit conditions for pedestrians and cyclists, especially during evening hours.
• No parking spaces will be lost as a result of the proposed changes at the junction.

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 around early 2026 with completion in about eight weeks. Further information regarding the works will be sent out closer to the time.

Information

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

Frequently asked questions

Q. What is a Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS)?
A. A sustainable drainage system is designed to capture surface water to prevent overloading of the sewer system. The type of SuDS used at this location is a rain garden which mimics natural drainage.

Q. What is a rain garden?
A. A rain garden is a type of sustainable drainage feature. It is designed to capture rainfall and use the water to sustain planting and help to increase biodiversity. No matter how small the rain garden, it can have a major impact on surface water runoff which can contribute to flooding. A rain garden requires runoff from the carriageway, a level planting area or breaks in kerbs to enable water to drain into them. Alternatively, they can be supported by footway runoff being directed into them. In order to support the greening of the borough, the use of rain gardens should be considered especially in local streets and areas that are predominantly residential and have a medium to high risk of flooding. 

Q. Will I be able to access my home / business?
A. Yes. During construction we would aim to keep the roads open, however, some lane closures may be necessary. If you are a resident or business owner in the area and you have a motor vehicle, you would still be able to drive to your home or business. Sections of footway closures may be required. Access to private homes will be maintained at all times.