Albion Road Between Newington Green and Stoke Newington Church Street - Proposed road safety and public realm improvements

Overview

We are proposing to introduce new road safety measures along Albion Road. This includes introducing wider pavements, blended crossings and a new rain garden by Carysfort Road.

This is part of our plans to rebuild a greener Hackney, improve road safety and support people to walk, shop and cycle locally.

Background

While traffic volumes on Albion Road have decreased since Stoke Newington’s trial low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) was introduced, there are still reported issues with vehicles speeding.

Between January 2017 and December 2021 a total of 20 collisions which resulted in personal injuries, were recorded by the police on Albion Road between Newington Green and Stoke Newington Church Street. There were 20 casualties, of which five serious injury accidents and 15 slight injury accidents. Records indicate two of the casualties were pedestrians, seven cyclists, eight motorcycle riders, with the remaining three being vehicle drivers and passengers. This is despite the road being subject to existing traffic calming measures.

In developing the proposals, the Council has spoken with the Albion Road Resident Association (ARRA) to obtain feedback on current road safety concerns. This engagement has found that speeding traffic is a risk to pedestrians and cyclists, especially to those travelling to and from local businesses and Grasmere Primary School.

We have developed a set of proposals that aims to improve road safety for all road users. This would contribute to reducing the traffic speed and reduce road collisions along the road.

This scheme is intended to complement the trial Stoke Newington LTN filters that have been introduced in surrounding streets on an experimental basis. These were installed in order to deter through traffic from using residential roads as a shortcut, to avoid traffic congestion on the main roads (east-west direction from Kingsland High Street (A10) to Green Lanes (A105). Please note that the proposed scheme below does not prejudge the outcome of the trial Stoke Newington LTN.

Furthermore, a target of 40% increase in tree canopy cover on the highways has been set for the Borough and every opportunity is being taken to meet this. There is significant potential for increased urban greening along Albion Road to improve the public realm.

We also propose to install Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) along Albion Road, to reduce the amount of rain water being transmitted into the main sewer system, whilst eradicating potential surface water ponding.

What is the proposed scheme?

Please click this link for drawings of these proposals. The following measures form the core of the proposed scheme:

• Introduce an additional set of traffic calming measures along Albion Road to reduce traffic speeds for vehicles that do not adhere to the existing 20mph speed limit. The additional speed cushions would ensure that the traffic calming features are spaced out at an equal distance, thereby achieving lower speeds throughout the road.

• A build-out opposite Carysfort Road, to realign and reduce the carriageway width. This would also accommodate urban greening such as trees and low level plants and sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS).

• Several build-outs (urban greening) are proposed, to be introduced at the edge of existing parking bays along the entire length of Albion Road, on both sides of the road. This would change the look and feel of the environment, to influence driver behaviour.

• Albion Road would have five parking bay spaces removed, equating to 25 metres in total. However, it is considered that there is adequate parking space within parking zone M to offset this loss of parking.

• Install urban greening by the zebra crossing adjacent Hawksley Court, to change the look and feel of the environment, and to influence driver behaviour.

• Close one arm of the Clissold Crescent junction with Albion Road (Triangle Park) whilst providing a continuous footway.

• New blended crossings at the junction of Clissold Crescent and Carysfort Road to provide continuous footways with urban greening that prioritise pedestrians and slow traffic down (subject to funding).

• Clissold Crescent would have one parking bay removed, equating to four metres in total.

What impact would this scheme have?

The proposed scheme aims to improve road safety by providing additional traffic calming measures to reduce traffic speeds and improve road safety for all road users.

The scheme would improve biodiversity and visual amenity in the area due to urban greening and provide further benefits through greater tree canopy cover and help to increase climate resilience.

The introduction of SuDS features to Albion Road would reduce the amount of rainwater being transmitted into main sewers and reduce the potential risk of surface water flooding.

What happens next?

The feedback we receive by post and online will be recorded, analysed and considered carefully. We will publish the consultation responses as well as the decision made at: consultation.hackney.gov.uk

Subject to a positive consultation outcome, the Council would be required to carry out its legal statutory consultation, at which point you would be entitled to make further comments and representations.

To keep up to date with this and other plans, please visit: hackney.gov.uk/street-consultations

Permanent works

If the scheme proceeds following consultation, we propose to implement this scheme in February 2023.

We would also inform local people nearer the time as and when any works are programmed to take place.