Businesses, homeowners and workers in Hackney are petitioning the council this week to use a funding boost to level up the area around the ‘dangerous’ Pembury Circus junction.
‘More Pembury: Less Circus'(MP:LC) is a community partnership which aims to rid the junction of its reputation as an accident hotspot by mounting pressure on the council.
Georgia Carey, co-founder of MP:LC, described the junction as ‘one of the most dangerous in London’ for pedestrians.
Ms Carey said: “They don’t allow enough crossing time. You have to wait for a long time and you’re also sat within streams of traffic on these precarious traffic islands”.
The group are petitioning Hackney Council to fulfil its commitment to improve the junction using the £19million in funds acquired from the governments Levelling Up Scheme in 2023.
According to TFL, over 450 collisions occurred in Pembury Circus from 2013 to 2022.
25 of these collisions have been described as having caused severe injuries, along with a number of fatalities reported.
Hackney Council have been approached for comment.
Pedestrian safety concerns make up an important part of the petition. Credit: More Pembury, Less Circus
The area also qualifies as one of the worst for air quality and pollution in the whole of London, with nitrogen dioxide gas produced by stationary vehicles being measured at twice the UK legal limit of 40ug/m3 in the last month, according to data published by Breathe London.
The proposed redevelopments outlined by Hackney Council involves placing a traffic restriction on Amhurst Road, one of the five roads which feed into the junction.
A ‘Green Corridor’ is also proposed on Amhurst, with up to 270 new trees being planted to combat air pollution.
This is estimated to reduce the demand on the junction by up to 30 per cent, whilst freeing up 23,000 square metres of space for pedestrians.
The new Green Corridor is an environmental initiative to improve health and wellbeing in the area. Credit: More Pembury:Less Circus
Hackney Councillor Mete Coban said the proposed developments ‘set a benchmark for what our streets can look like’.
But MP:LC are concerned that the proposed upgrades are limited with regards to improving safety facilities for pedestrians and cyclists.
The funding from the Levelling Up Scheme expires in March 2025. The petition will be presented to the council in person later on this week, in the hopes of galvanising the council to keep their promises to the local community.
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HeadlinePetition to redesign ‘dangerous’ junction to be submitted to Hackney council
Short HeadlineCampaigners to submit petition to redesign Pembury Circus
Standfirst450 collisions occurred on the Hackney junction in the last nine years resulting in two deaths according to TfL
Businesses, homeowners and workers in Hackney are petitioning the council this week to use a funding boost to level up the area around the ‘dangerous’ Pembury Circus junction.
‘More Pembury: Less Circus'(MP:LC) is a community partnership which aims to rid the junction of its reputation as an accident hotspot by mounting pressure on the council.
Georgia Carey, co-founder of MP:LC, described the junction as ‘one of the most dangerous in London’ for pedestrians.
Ms Carey said: “They don’t allow enough crossing time. You have to wait for a long time and you’re also sat within streams of traffic on these precarious traffic islands”.
The group are petitioning Hackney Council to fulfil its commitment to improve the junction using the £19million in funds acquired from the governments Levelling Up Scheme in 2023.
According to TFL, over 450 collisions occurred in Pembury Circus from 2013 to 2022.
25 of these collisions have been described as having caused severe injuries, along with a number of fatalities reported.
Hackney Council have been approached for comment.
Pedestrian safety concerns make up an important part of the petition. Credit: More Pembury, Less Circus
The area also qualifies as one of the worst for air quality and pollution in the whole of London, with nitrogen dioxide gas produced by stationary vehicles being measured at twice the UK legal limit of 40ug/m3 in the last month, according to data published by Breathe London.
The proposed redevelopments outlined by Hackney Council involves placing a traffic restriction on Amhurst Road, one of the five roads which feed into the junction.
A ‘Green Corridor’ is also proposed on Amhurst, with up to 270 new trees being planted to combat air pollution.
This is estimated to reduce the demand on the junction by up to 30 per cent, whilst freeing up 23,000 square metres of space for pedestrians.
The new Green Corridor is an environmental initiative to improve health and wellbeing in the area. Credit: More Pembury:Less Circus
Hackney Councillor Mete Coban said the proposed developments ‘set a benchmark for what our streets can look like’.
But MP:LC are concerned that the proposed upgrades are limited with regards to improving safety facilities for pedestrians and cyclists.
The funding from the Levelling Up Scheme expires in March 2025. The petition will be presented to the council in person later on this week, in the hopes of galvanising the council to keep their promises to the local community.
Traders are complaining about a lack of compensation after building works have forced them to relocate their stalls to the road and decreased the customer footfall to local shops.
