Ufton Road - Public Realm Improvements

Overview

We are looking to improve the junction of Ufton Road and Downham Road by installing permanent features to achieve a safer and more pleasant walking environment along the street, and visually connect the two halves of Ufton Gardens (the garden on one side and the basketball court on the other).

We are now seeking your views on the proposals.

Why are these changes being proposed?

From June 2020, Ufton Road was closed to through-traffic at the junction of Ufton Road and Downham Road. Following the introduction of an experimental traffic order, a decision has been made to make the closure permanent. As part of Hackney’s ‘Connecting Green Spaces’ programme, we want to create streets that are safe, easy to walk or cycle on, reduce vehicle dominance and help to improve air quality. Where two or more green spaces are closely located we would like to create more direct, safer and attractive links.

Evidence gathered during the experimental period of closing Ufton Road indicated that vehicles using the street as a shortcut before now do not, without adverse impact on Downham Road and Southgate Road. The results of traffic surveys completed during November 2020 and May 2021 demonstrated significant decreases in traffic volumes on Southgate Grove, Downham Road and Southgate Road compared to baseline traffic counts taken before the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

What are the proposals?

The proposals cover the section of Ufton Road from its junction with Downham Road up to the end of the entrance to Ufton Garden. They include:

• Introducing a new rain garden with a combination of trees, sensory and pollinator plants to capture rain water and prevent overloading of the sewer system. Playful features would also be incorporated, such as boulders, logs and a creative pavement for children that will connect the two green spaces.
• Reducing the road width to create a more attractive entrance to the gardens and improve road safety. A gap of 3.50m would be left for Emergency Services access along the street.
• Resurfacing the road and footway where needed.
• Providing improved pedestrian facilities by introducing a continuous footway (Copenhagen crossing) with tactile paving at the junction with Downham Road, making it easier for people to cross the road.
• Planting new trees on either side of the junction and removing approximately 44 metres of parking provision to allow space for the large rain garden and tree planting while making the entrances to Ufton Gardens more visible and accessible.
• Installing new cycle parking near the entrance to Ufton Gardens (as shown in Figure 2) to encourage more people to cycle.
• Relocating the two electric vehicle charging bays from Ufton Road to Downham Road and the Car Club Bays a bit further north on Ufton Road (to the west of the street just after the park) as shown in Figure 3.

The below images show how the junction of Ufton Road/Downham Road might look if the proposed permanent scheme is to be implemented.

Figure 1: Proposed public realm improvements at the existing Ufton Road closure (looking towards Ufton Road).

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Figure 2: Proposed public realm improvements at the existing Ufton Road closure (looking towards Downham Road).

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Figure 3

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What happens next?

Your views will also 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 the middle of May 2022 with completion in six to eight weeks. Further information regarding the works would be sent out closer to the time.