Clapton Common - Spring Hill Junction - Proposed greenery and accessibility improvements

Overview

Introduction

In 2021, as part of our plans to create a greener, healthier Hackney, improve road safety and support people to walk, shop and cycle locally, the Council introduced the closure of the northern arm of Spring Hill at the Clapton Common junction. This was aimed at improving pedestrian and cycle accessibility between the refurbished Liberty Hall and the rest of Clapton Common to allow pedestrians and cyclists from the northern side of the junction to access the island without encountering motorised traffic. The closure was implemented as a trial before being made permanent in 2022.

We now have funding available to replace the temporary measures with more permanent ones and would like to hear your views on the proposals.

Why are these changes being proposed?

The existing closure of the northern arm of Spring Hill was implemented using simple materials designed to be used for a trial scheme. The disused section of the road will deteriorate into a state of disrepair if not replaced by more permanent materials. These proposals would also improve the pedestrian accessibility in the area.

What are we proposing?

Installing a raised junction table with rain garden and step-free crossings at the Clapton Common (minor) / Spring Hill junction

• Installing a raised junction table with a rain garden and step-free pedestrian crossings for improved pedestrian accessibility across the junction. A rain garden is a type of sustainable drainage system (SuDS) feature. It is designed to capture rainfall and use the water to prevent overloading of the sewer system and sustain planting to help to increase biodiversity.

Regreening the northern arm of Spring Hill to connect it to the main park

• The closure of the northern arm of Spring Hill has made it possible to extend Clapton Common to Liberty Hall. The proposal is to replace part of the closed section of the northern arm of Spring Hill with approved topsoil and new greenery.
• A new footpath would be installed on the remainder of the closed section of the road using blacktop material to match the existing footpaths in the common.

Refurbishing existing footpaths

• The footpaths at the Clapton Common / Spring Hill junction would be refurbished using standard materials to improve accessibility at the junction. Liberty Hall has remained isolated from the rest of the common. A robust network of refurbished footpaths would improve accessibility in the area.

Installing new cycle stands and an electric vehicle (EV) charging point.

• Cycle parking is highly in demand in this area. As part of the scheme, more cycle stands would be installed to add more sustainable transport infrastructure in the area. In line with the Council’s Climate Action Plan an EV charging point is proposed at the junction.

Please refer to the drawing here for further details.

What happens next?

Your views will be taken into account as part of the detailed design process. The results will be available at consultation.hackney.gov.uk and residents will be informed of the outcome of the consultation and if any works would be involved. If the scheme goes ahead, following consultation, we expect construction works to start in March 2024.

Information

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

If you need any information on this consultation in a different format please email consultation@hackney.gov.uk. We’ll consider your request and get back to you in five working days.