hackney central master plan p31-59

8/14/2019 Hackney Central Master Plan p31-59

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PART II - THE MASTERPLAN FRAMEWORK

This section establishes the over-arching urban design ramework and design

themes that underpin the proposed approach to developing the Hackney

Central Masterplan area. This section also sets out the core elements o theMasterplan in terms o a public realm strategy, land use, indicative building

heights, movement and access and community inrastructure.

The Masterplan Vision...

A thriving town centre oering a distinctive and highly memorable experience with high quality streets

and places to reect its status and civic role. The town centre will serve the needs o its users, providing a

sustainable and enhanced range o town centre services including: retail, leisure, employment, education,

community and civic acilities, as well as new homes and improved job opportunities. A high quality physical

environment will be created, that is sae, clean, and easily accessible or pedestrians and other users.

Hackney Centrals distinctive character, especially its historic environment, civic core and church gardens

will be protected and enhanced. A range o improvements to streets, spaces and transport, including

tackling congestion in the Town Centre and on the Narrow Way will enhance its attractiveness or those who

live, work or visit, both in the daytime and the evenings.


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Figure 3.1 A vision or Hackney Central

A vision or Hackney Central


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Figure 3.2 An urban design ramework underpins the vision


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3.1 The Masterplan VisionA key objective o national planning policy or town

centres is to promote their viability and vitality by:

The vision encapsulates what we aim to achieve

through the preparation o the Masterplan. This

document sets out design and detail development

objectives that will enable the town centre to

actively plan or growth and to manage change and

conservation.

The Masterplan aims to build upon HackneyCentrals strengths: its vibrant high street character;

attractive historic church and gardens; unique

shopping along the Narrow Way, civic/cultural

oci, leisure and entertainment acilities at Hackney

Empire and Ocean venue. It will improve the range

o attractions, enhancing pedestrian accessibility

so that it maintains its role as a successul district

centre with aspirations to becoming a major

town centre, whilst protecting and enhancing the

historic environment to reinorce its character and

distinctiveness.

It also aims to address its weaknesses: its trafc

domination /bus congestion and under perorming

sites/areas (e.g. bus garage, Tesco, Hackney

Central station); its key town centre access/

approaches and streetscape with environmentalimprovements; its weak defnition o character

areas and poor evening economy/restaurant

oer. Better management o the town centre will

be required to provide a broader range o visitor

attractions, especially in the early evenings.

3.2 Masterplan Themes and ObjectivesThe Masterplan has emerged around a set o

objectives and overarching themes. These have

continuously evolved throughout the Masterplan

process, initially at the baseline stage and then

tested through options development.

The 5 themes and 17 supporting specifc objectives

are used to structure Part II The Masterplan

Framework. These are set out on in Table 3.1

opposite. Importantly, the policies contained in

the London Plan (2008) have been considered

in the preparation o these themes and objectives

and a review o these overlaps can be ound

at Appendix A.

Planning or the growth and development o

existing centres by promoting and enhancing them

and by ocusing development and a wide range

o services there in a good environment which is

accessible to all (PPG15)

03 Masterplan Framework


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Theme 2: Enhancing the public realm

Objective 6: To address the lack o a consistent high quality public realm across the town centre through a

range o well designed public open spaces, street-based environmental upgrades and mutually supportive

built projects

Objective 7: To support an enhanced landscape design or key areas - St Johns gardens area - the Old

Town Hall - civic square

Objective 8: To work towards increased provision o childrens play acil ities to address current lack o

spaces or all age groups

Theme 3: Ensuring a unctional town centre or living, working and shopping

Objective 9: To ensure land uses are well integrated and incorporate mixed use models generating active

ground oors

Objective 10: To identiy and promote retail quarters or themes within the town centre that will support a

vibrant and diversifed retail oer

Objective 11: To achieve a range o high quality new dwelling types, sizes and tenures that will sustain and

attract a varied population

Objective 12: To achieve appropriate development densities that maximise the high public transport

accessibility levels and town centre amenity context

Theme 4: Establishing a coherent and attractive movement network

Objective 13: To establish a clear hierarchy o movement and access across the town centre

Objective 14: To improve the quality o the pedestrian and cycle environment addressing the dominance o

vehicular and bus movements

Objective 15: To ensure all transport inrastructure is well designed, integrated, accessible and sae

Theme 5: Promoting orward thinking sustainable regeneration

Objective 16: To maximise energy efciency, promote dierent orms o sustainable energy production,

minimise CO2 emissions and to recycle water. To achieve high quality design and CSH Level 3+ utilising

sustainable construction techniques

Objective 17: To ensure that regeneration is economically viable and enables town centre-wide

improvements beneftting existing residents and businesses

Table 3.1 Masterplan Themes and Objectives

Theme 1: Promoting high quality urban design or Hackney Central

Objective 1: To reinorce a distinctive character and identity or the town centre

Objective 2: To promote the legibil ity o the town centre, ensuring it is easy to get aroundObjective 3: To address the severance and minimise barriers to access

Objective 4: To careully locate tall buildings such that they support town-wide character, legibility and

stimulate economic growth and investment

Objective 5: To maximise the town centre benefts o key opportunity areas


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04 THEME 1 - Promoting High Quality UrbanDesign or Hackney Central

4.1 Reinorcing character and identityThe Masterplan or Hackney Central town centre

proposes signifcant new growth supported by

civic amenities and services, retail and employment.

These will sustain a balance o both economic and

population growth to enable Hackney Central

to meet the challenges o today and the uture.

O equal importance is how residents and

visitors perceive the current and emerging town

centre. In this regard local distinctiveness plays

an important role and is a key characteristic o

successul places. Distinctiveness is achievedthrough identiying the predominant land use

character o specifc areas/neighbourhoods

within a place (i.e. retail themes) and through

strengthening overall identity. This assists in

tailoring uture intervention.

4.1.1 Defning areas o predominant characterHackney Central currently includes a range o

more or less defned areas o dominant character.

These have been described at the Baseline stage

as indicated in Figure 4.1. In order to consolidate

local dierentiation across areas and steer uturedevelopment, the diagram in Figure 4.2 proposes

a Character Areas Framework or the town centre.

This describes 12 character areas as ollows:

Character Area 1: Mare Street East -new urban quarter

Character Area 2: Amhurst Road

Character Area 3: Mare Street

Character Area 4: St John-at-Hackney

Church Gardens

Character Area 5: Civic Heart

Character Area 6: Mixed Employment

Character Area 7: Traditional Streets

Character Area 8: Kenmure Triangle

Character Area 9: Horton Road

Character Area 10: Clarence MewsCharacter Area 11: Clarence Road

Character Area 12: Residential Estate

Several o these character areas already unction

reasonably well and display consistent land use,

development type and spatial patterns (e.g.

Character Areas 4 and 8). Others are less coherent

and would beneft rom dierent levels o intervention

/ remodelling to reinorce a dominant character.

These levels vary rom considerable intervention (e.g.

Character Areas 1 and 2) to moderate intervention

(e.g. Character Areas 7 and 9 and so on). Thevarying degrees o intervention to support the

respective Character Areas are described in the

Appendix report and urther elaborated below.


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Figure 4.1 Character areas


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Policy/Design Principles

4.2 Enhancing Town Centre Legibility:

1. Enhancing gateways and nodes

Principal gateways and minor arrival points should

be identifed as notable events in the townscape,

through:

Streetscape and landscape treatments that will

emphasis each location and will use a consistent

set o high quality materials that will signiy the

town centre.

Notable architecture including distinctive corner

eatures on adjacent buildings.

New/improved pedestrian crossings and access.

2. Landmark buildings and structures

Proposed new local landmarks should:

Be located above and/or adjacent to theTesco redevelopment site along Morning Lane,

emphasising the new Mare Street East urban

quarter.

Be reected in new the building(s) ronting the bus

station site onto Mare Street.

Include accents on key corners to help rame

important public spaces and may comprise,

distinctive architectural treatment, additional

height or emphasis with public art.

3. Key Views

Proposals should retain and respect strategic, local

views or view settings by:

Maintaining views with new buildings or

structures ensuring that all new development

works to rame these views where possible.

Enhance local landmarks and their settings by

respecting their height, mass and visibility as to not

overshadow or overpower the existing landmarks

and should urther improve their settings.

4. Building Frontages

Promote active rontages, ensuring new primarybuilding rontages are located along principal

routes and spaces with secondary rontages on

secondary streets.

4.2 Enhancing town centre legibilityA network o memorable places and spaces,

supported by a well-defned system o strategic and

local views, landmarks and edges is proposed to

make the area more legible. Legibility is essential

to ensuring a place is well understood and thereoreusable, i.e. allowing the resident and visitor to easily

access the choices on oer. At present, the dual

railway alignments, under-used arches, impermeable

blocks east o Mare Street (bus garage/Tesco site)

and introverted Housing Estate layouts provide

major barriers to pedestrian movements through

the core o the area. High levels o trafc congestion

are also a barrier to movement, particularly on the

Narrow Way. The Masterplan seeks to overcome

these barriers, to make it much more pleasant and

convenient to get around.

Figure 4.2 illustrates some o the key organising

principles that underpin the Masterplan and aid

legibility. These are reected in individual opportunity

area proposals and should inorm more specifc site

based proposals.

4.2.1 Enhancing gateways and nodes

The Masterplan defnes a number o gateways(points o arrival) and nodes and these are

described below. It is proposed to emphasise

the 4 principal gateways and 8 minor points o

arrival, both in terms o public realm improvements

and the design o adjacent corner buildings.

These comprise:

Principle gateways North-western gateway: the junction o Pembury

Road / Dalston Lane / Amhurst Road with

the signifcant building on the southern side o

Institute Place and Pembury Tavern on Amhurst

/ Dalston lane orming the principal welcoming

landmarks. These will be potentially accompanied

by a new building on the vacant Pembury Estate

corner site;

Northern Narrow Way gateway: the junction

o Clarence Road / Dalston Lane / Mare Street

(Narrow Way) / Lower Clapton Road strong

Victorian terraced mixed use rontage to the

south eastern corner, proposed redeveloped

opportunity area to the north eastern corneralong with potential incorporation o the under-

used Pembury Estate south-eastern edge;

Southern civic gateway: the intersection and

ocus o the cluster o civic, cultural and learning

acilities including the Town Hall, Ocean building,

Library, Hackney Empire this location orms

a strong point o orientation or visitors and

landmarks the town centre core area. To be

enhanced through Town Hall square landscape

and highways upgrading and through addressingthe largely inactive rontage along the section o

Mare Street ronting the square;


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Figure 4.2 Legibility


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Hackney Central Station gateway: the principal

public transport access including the junction

o Mare Street / Amhurst Road and urther

defned by the railway viaduct. This is a central

gateway rom which many parts o the town

centre are accessible, though this point is very

poorly defned. Facing the entry to St John-at-

Hackney church gardens and the new Tesco

and bus garage development area will make

considerable improvements to the perception o

this location. Major improvements to the public

realm, including the arches access, junction

design, pedestrian crossings, and potential

redevelopment o the ormer station ticket

building in conjunction with the gateway upgrade

will reinorce this as a central point.

These our existing gateway points defne theprincipal entry and departure points o the

town centre. The application o this strategy to

architectural, landscape and inrastructure design will

combine to create a series o major events or points

o distinction in the overall townscape experience.

In addition, the ollowing 8 minor arrival points and 6

nodes/crossings should be acknowledged:

Minor arrival points:

The crossing o the western railway viaduct with

Marcon Place;

the crossing o the western railway viaduct with

Graham Road;


Wilton Way;


Reading Lane;


Richmond Road;

the entrance point at the eastern end o the

redeveloped Tesco site and Morning Lane;

the entrance point at the eastern edge o StJohn-at-Hackney church gardens at the junction

with Sutton Place; and,

the entrance point where Lower Clapton Road

intersects with St John-at-Hackney churchyard

and gardens.

Minor nodes/crossing points:

the junction o Marcon Road / Amhurst Road;

the junction o Kenmure Road / Amhurst Road;

the new access point into Hackney Central

station environs o Amhurst Road; the junction o Graham Road / Mare Street;

the junction o Morning Lane / Mare Street; and,

the new crossing point o Morning Lane north

into the Tesco site.

4.2.2 Landmark buildings and structuresWithin the Masterplan area, the ollowing existing

architecturally distinctive buildings and structures are

identifed as local landmarks:

Local landmarks

Hackney Empire music hall;

Hackney Town Hall;

Learning and Technology Centre/Hackney

Central Library;

Ocean Music Hall (ormerly Central library/

Methodist Hall);

Hackney Central station ormer ticket ofce;

Old Town Hall;

St Augustines Tower;

St John-at-Hackney Church;

Pembury Tavern; and,

The 3 residential towers south o Morning Lane.

Development proposed in the Masterplan would

create new local landmarks in appropriate locations

and emphasise key corners to assist legibility.

4.2.3 Key viewsImportant views operate at both the strategic (study

area-wide) and local level. At the local level view

cones/settings are also identifed where important

buildings (i.e. the view termination) are located in

open space and not viewed simply along a corridor.

The ollowing views are important inuences

on the Masterplan:

Development must respect the ollowing views

to ensure the views are retained to protect the

character and legibility o Hackney Central.

Strategic views

SV1 rom lower Mare Street to Hackney Empire;

SV2 rom Hackney Central station platorms to

St Augustines Tower and St John-at-Hackney

Church;SV3 rom Valette Street to St Augustines Tower;

SV4 rom Valette Street to St John-at-Hackney

Church spire;

SV5 rom the northern edge o Clapton Square to

St John-at-Hackney Church; and,

SV6 rom Morning Lane to both St Augustines

Tower and St John-at-Hackney Church.

Local street contained views

LV1 along Graham Road strong linear view into

Mare Street terminating on quality Mare Streetrontage;

LV2 along Mare Street rom south to railway

viaduct;

LV3 rom Paragon Road north to new Tesco

development on Morning Lane;


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LV3 along Amhurst Road into Mare Street;

LV4 along the back lane o Sylvester Road to

the Town Hall;

LV5,6 along the new north south links to St

Augustines Tower and St John-at-Hackney

Church respectively;

LV7- sequential view revealed along Narrow

Way; and,

LV8 - sequential view revealed along Kenmure

Road.

Sequential Views

SQV1 along the Narrow Way.

SQV2 along Kenmure Road.

View settings

VS1 surrounding St John-at-Hackney Church;

VS2 to the eastern area surrounding StAugustines Tower; and,

VS3 containing the Town Hall / Library and

Hackney Empire cluster.

4.2.4 Building rontagesFigure 4.2 indicates the proposed building

rontage structure or Hackney Central. This has

been described in terms o 3 basic types o

rontage and that should be reected in any

uture site proposal.

Primary building rontage:

Delineates the principal public realm structure

or backbone.

They are defned by high quality and/or

architecturally distinctive buildings that

create a direct and positive relationship to the

adjacent street and open space network;

Secondary building rontage:

Defnes the public realm network o lower order

routes and spaces, perhaps residential streets

and the like. A strong public/private building boundary is still

desirable, though ully active edges are

not required;

Intermittent rontage:

Includes areas where a degree o natural

surveillance is necessary but the type o location

(e.g. arches re-use, minor pedestrian routes

etc.) would not enable the same level o public

realm investment as more important / connecting

routes and spaces.


4.3 Addressing Severance:

1. New developments and proposals or identifed

opportunity sites should seek to reduce existing

severance issues and support the evolution o aclear connected urban structure. This structure

should ensure that:

All streets lead somewhere.

That places can connect with places;

That intermediary ocal points are generated and

supported by activities (e.g. railway stations,

community acilities etc.).

These ocal points are interlinked via high quality

pedestrian routes; and are

Further announced with landmark or key corner

buildings

4.3 Addressing severanceVarious types o severance are experienced across

the Masterplan area. These oten result in physical

barriers to pedestrian movement or visual/perceived

barriers. The latter oten reduce the perception

o saety and thereby inhibit movement and the

accessing o what the area has to oer. Both

physical and visual/perceived barriers need to be

overcome in Hackney Central.

The principal types o severance in the town centreinclude:

High level railway inrastructure oten

impermeable at ground level or movement;

Trafc dominated highways inrastructure,

particularly bus congestion on the Narrow Way;

Threatening and unsae locations with lack o

visual connection that inhibit pedestrian/cycle

access.

The Masterplan seeks to address each o these

types o severance through putting orward a clearand mutually reinorcing urban structure (Figure 4.3)


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Figure 4.3 Barriers to movement


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4.4 Locating Tall BuildingsOverall, the height o development proposals should

reect the indicative building heights identifed in

the indicative Building Heights Framework Drawing

(opposite). In addition, proposals should:

1.Consider and respect the context o the

surrounding townscape in relation to building heights

with regard to:

The height, scale and mass o nearby buildings.

Solar access to new and existing streets, spaces

and buildings.

Listed buildings and Conservation Areas; and

Proximity to public transport.

2. Crossrail and CTRL

Developers proposing schemes within the

saeguarded area should engage with Crossrail at

an early stage to ascertain the limitations this will

impose on their development.

3. Site proposals or tall buildings appropriately so

that they serve a meaningul townscape unction

and are inormed by:

The Hackney Tall Buildings Strategy and the

London Plan.

Reinorcing key strategic and local views.

Supporting the proposed urban structure and a

coherent public realm strategy.

Sensitivity towards the Conservation Area

planning designation along Mare Street.

Sensitivity towards St John-at-Hackney church

and garden setting.

Sub-surace railway and sewer inrastructure and

engineering constraints; and

Responding to development pressure and

attracting new investment.

4.4 Locating tall buildingsThe Hackney Central Masterplan area includes a

number o tall building opportunity areas as defned

in the Hackney Tall Buildings Strategy (Feb 2005).

These broadly include:

The area south o Amhurst Road that includes

the Macron Estate;

Hackney Downs and Hackney Central stations;

The area to the west o the Town Hall;

The bus garage, Tesco and site south o Morning

Lane; and

Signifcant other areas including the Trelawney

Estate extending south to Paragon Road and

beyond.

The London Plan (Policy 4B.9 - Location) promotes

the development o tall buildings where theycreate attractive landmarks and provide coherency

or locations. The plan also identifes the roll o

tall buildings as catalysts or regeneration and

maximising the potential o sites (Policy 34A.3).

The Masterplan urther refnes the approach to tall

building locations as shown in Figure 4.4.

The rationale o creating a coherent public realm

that is sensitive to the Conservation Areas and

existing buildings context is key. To the south o the

masterplan area the alignment o three 17 storey

residential towers across the Trelawney Estate

establish a skyline structure that may be continued

with a tall building(s) on the southern edge o the

Tesco site. Building heights should step down

towards the Mare Street and the Conservation

Area and similarly be moderated to 4 storeys along

the southern edge o St John-at-Hackney church

gardens. The area west o the town hall is also

suitable or taller buildings though the opportunities

or signifcant new development are limited. South

o Reading Lane the proposed development should

reect the scale o the new Council services building.Any potential new (re)development within the Marcon

Estate could accommodate heights o 6 storeys with

potential scope or taller structures on a podium.

The Chelsea-Hackney saeguarded route will have

an impact on all development proposed along its

route. The saeguarded land is likely to aect the

height and nature o any proposed development

within this area, such as the type o oundations

proposed and the overall height o development

being sought. The proposed location and depth otunnels will inuence these actors.


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Figure 4.4 Indicative building heights


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Figure 4.5 3D Image o the Masterplan area illustrating the proposed massing across the opportunity sites

Figure 4.6 Section through the Pembury Estate, through the Tesco site to St John-at-Hackney Church


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4.5 Maximising the benefts o key

opportunity areas

Hackney town centre is blessed with a wide range

o opportunities or new or improved development.

Such opportunities must be realised in the context

o Hackney Centrals excellent public transport

accessibility and high levels o amenity provision

(retail / community / civic / leisure / recreation /

employment). Forward-looking and aspirational

development that seeks to raise the bar and

assist in re-positioning the town centre should be

encouraged, while the more mediocre and standard

product should be required to rethink and achieve

more ambitious goals.

Opportunities in the town centre are detailed in Part

III o the Masterplan, Shaping Local Character, and

include 12 character areas and specifc sites. Theserange rom signifcant clusters o sites that together

have the potential to shit the character and image

o the town centre (e.g. the area east o Mare Street

and including the Arriva bus garage / Tesco store /

Morning Lane sites), to the more independent but

catalytic (e.g. Hackney Central Station environs),

to infll and reurbishments o underperorming

locations (e.g. Lower Clapton Road).

Strategies or each o the 12 areas have been

identifed that best support overarching urban

design and sustainable regeneration objectives or

the town centre. Such objectives emerged through

the Masterplanning process and were tested

through stakeholder and public consultation (see

Chapter 3). Testing o strategies or the opportunity

areas against Masterplan objectives took place

during the options development stage to ensure that

each area looked beyond its individual plot boundary

and responded to town-wide issues. The principal

ways in which the opportunity areas have been

developed to ensure this wider responsibility and

beneft include:

Ensuring all sites support a clear and coherent

underlying urban structure;

Ensuring all sites, where appropriate, are linked

to their parent key gateways/nodes and with

architectural design appropriate to that location; Ensuring the development content or sites

supports the respective land use strategies

or dierent locations. Reinorcing active retail

rontage is key;

Ensuring the town-wide townscape approach is

supported by appropriate site design, specifcally

in the location o taller buildings and landmark

structures; and,

Ensuring sites are developed with appropriate

densities, while massing patterns contribute to

enhancing the public realm approach.


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The Ropewalk, Bridgewater, Somerset is a public art /publicrealm enhancement that leads to the town centre.

St John-at-Hackney church and gardens would beneft rombetter connections into the centre, consolidated landscapedesign and enhanced perceptions o saety through greaternatural surveillance.

05 THEME 2 - Enhancing the public realmPolicy/Design Principles

5.1 The importance o the public realm

1. Development proposals should contribute to

the enhancement o the public realm through:

Designs that positively address the public realm;

and Reecting the key objectives o the public

realm strategy.

5.1 The importance o the public realmThe public realm encompasses our streets, public

squares, parks and everything within, including

benches, trees, paving, street lamps, signs and

so on. These places orm the backdrop to our

everyday lives and are oten taken or granted.

However, the quality and nature o these places

can have proound impact on our experience o thepublic realm. Experiencing a memorable place can

illicit delight and pleasure. Equally, an unkempt or

threatening public space can provide a negative

experience. Importantly, the rontages o buildings

adjacent to open spaces and streets very much

orm part o the public realm setting and private

buildings and public space should be considered

in tandem.

5.1.1 The need or improvementHackney Central contains a number o public

spaces, however, these are poorly connectedand the quality o these streets and spaces is

variable. The town centre also lacks a defning

space at its very heart, at the bottom o the

Narrow Way, resulting in a weak sense o place.

The range o public space is also limited, with

ew play areas or places to sit and relax, and

pedestrians are oten marginalised by trafc

dominated road space. The Masterplan

proposals seek to address these weaknesses.

5.1.2 The overall approachThe public realm strategy aims to address the

treatment and quality o the public streets and

spaces within the town centre and provide a

connected place that is easy to navigate and

move around. By its nature, Hackney Central

comprises a number o disparate locations that are

poorly connected within the town. This poses the

difculty o how to interrelate these elements in a

coherent way. Crucially, the Masterplan provides

an opportunity to ormulate a streetscape strategy,

which can help to relate these disparate locations

via a common thread through the public realm. This

will knit the town centre together, strengthen its

role and identity and provide a clear, practical and

attractive townscape.

Objectives o the Hackney Central Public Realm

Strategy:

To support and strengthen Hackney Centrals

distinct character, making it a memorable place to

visit and that is easy to move around;

To enhance the appearance, vitality and quality o

streets and spaces;

To provide a network o attractive places or

people to sit, relax and enjoy;

To provide a positive sense o arrival into the towncentre at key locations;

To respond to the defciency o public space and

play areas;

To utilise suitable, durable, quality materials, with

special attention to details and maintenance.


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The Public Realm Strategy (PRS) is structured

around improvements to the environment that are

directed at key locations and signifcant streets. The

PRS aims to provide both physical and aesthetic

enhancements to the quality o these places.

However, it also provides a uniying treatment o

public streets and places that ties Hackney Central

together as an identifable town centre. Degrees

o intervention in the public realm are determined

by the existing quality o the place, its signifcance

within the town centre and the role or unction that

it serves. One example is the area outside Hackney

Central station. This is a poor quality environment,

yet a signifcant location, serving an important role as

the entrance to the station. Such spaces demand

greater attention and quality in the public realm and

would merit a signifcant degree o improvement.

5.1.3 Key elements o the strategy

The public realm strategy recognises the hierarchy

o streets and spaces within Hackney Central and

proposes to reinorce their role by directing eorts

and resources towards key town centre locations

and routes.

New developments are arranged to make a clear

distinction between public and private realm.

Building rontages ace onto the public realm and

private space is largely placed at the back

behind buildings. Fencing and high boundary

walls should be minimised adjacent to streets

and public places.

The strategy incorporates the ollowing key

elements:Principal public spaces: Provision o new public

space and enhancement o the existing spaces.

Points o arrival: Improvements are

recommended or each o the principal entrances

into the centre.

Secondary locations: Improved crossings

and treatment o the public realm at selected

secondary locations.

A clear street hierarchy: A cohesive approach

to streetscape design is proposed, with varyingtreatment according to the signifcance o the

location.

Play and recreation spaces: A network o

recreational and play areas is proposed

throughout the area.

Management and maintenance: Addressing the

management and maintenance o the proposed

public realm to ensure the continued high quality

o the environment.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.


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Figure 5.1 Areas or public realm enhancement


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5.2 Principal Public SpacesIt is important that these spaces are linked in with

the primary routes. It is essential that high levels o

pedestrian accessibility are encouraged between

the public spaces so they do not become isolated

or underutilised. We have identifed the ollowing

principal public spaces and a series o interlinking

smaller spaces.

Town Hall SquareThe existing Town Hall Square will continue to be

maintained as a civic space, although a review o

the existing area would look or suitable sensitive

additions or the reworking o the existing spaces,

including the surrounding roads such as Wilton Road

and Reading Lane, as well as access arrangements

to examine the potential or enlarging the existingpublic space. It is an ambition to reduce trafc and

prioritise pedestrian access. At present the square

provides a ormal setting to the Town Hall but is less

able to provide or a broader range o social uses. A

re-examination o the unction o the square should

seek to enhance the usability o the space or a wider

range o activities, whilst respecting its historic status.

Any improvements to this space must respect its

status and unction to provide a ormal setting or the

Town Hall. Improving the quality and integrity o the

space should include reinstating and traditional York

stone paving.

St John-at-Hackney Churchyard and GardensIt is envisaged that this established green space

would be retained essentially with its existing

tranquil character, providing a respectul setting to

the church and historic location. It would continue

to be the principal ocus as the major recreational

space or Hackney Central, providing a range o

types o spaces, including the current grassed

gardens or inormal relaxation, to equipped playspaces or children (Doorstep Playable Spaces,

DPS) and a place or events such as markets or

outdoor theatre. Mature trees would be maintained.

Intervention should consolidate this area through

a new high quality landscape scheme ocusing on

high quality materials and installation and better

links between spaces. Potential improvements to

pedestrian movement, primarily east-west routes,

would be evaluated in conjunction with proposals

or the bus garage site, to improve the relationship

between these two areas and enhance the degreeo overlooking and sense o security. Some minor

elements o the wider public realm strategy could

be extended into this area, maintaining a connection

with the wider area, such as common street urniture.

Figure 5.2 Town Hall Square

Figure 5.3 St Johns-at-Hackney Churchyard Gardens


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New Town SquareThe existing space immediately south o the Old

Town Hall (Narrow Way) will become an exciting

new town square situated at the bottom o Narrow

Way. This will restate the signifcance o this central

location as the nexus o the town and will be treated

with a combination o hard and sot landscaping,

public art and imaginative lighting in the square will

ensure that it continues to be a notable space at

night.

The existing space will be enlarged and re-

landscaped. Existing vehicle accesses would be

consolidated, with access to the bus depot taken

through Bohemia Place, enabling the enlargement

o the current space. A new pedestrian link

would be provided through the railway arches

creating improved connections to the space.This multiunctional area will be an attractively

landscaped place or people to gather, sit, enjoy

or simply pass through. Equally, it would be an

adaptable place that allows or markets, public

events, art or street entertainment. Like the Town

Hall Square, provision could be made or inormal

recreation in the orm o eatures or children rather

than ormal play equipment.

Linked spacesNew smaller public spaces would be created along

the route o the new pedestrian link through the

Tesco site between Morning Lane and Mare Street.

This route should provide or a variable width that

would allow spaces or outdoor seating or caes,

displays by retailers or kiosks/stalls, as well places

or people to linger and enjoy.

This elongated space would enliven the route and

make it an attractive environment and pleasant

experience or pedestrians and shoppers. The routeand spaces would be treated with a combination o

hard and sot landscaping and be consistent with

the wider public realm strategy or the town centre.

Figure 5.4 New Town Square opposite the station in the heart

o Hackney Central

Figure 5.5 New connecting route incorporating a series o

smaller spaces


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5. 3 Points o arrival

Important points o arrival should be emphasised as

ollows:

1. Hackney Central Nexus:

Mark this area as a major location and ocal point

with a landmark or eature;

Providing exciting landscape treatment to

emphasise this location as an entrance to the town

centre;

Treatment o railway over-bridge to highlight it as a

landmark in its own right;

New/improved pedestrian crossing arrangements;

Reurbish the ticket ofce rontage/space;

Extend the public realm south to Graham Road;

2. Dalston Lane

Mark this location as a clear gateway into the town

centre;

Enhance the setting o the two existing signifcant

buildings at this location.

Provide exciting, high quality landscape

improvements to emphasise this location as a

point o entry;

Recognise the importance o pedestrian

movement;

Recognise this location as a major junction.

3. Town Hall Square

Minor restoration o existing eatures;

Extending the treatment o the public realm into

the road to emphasise the importance o this

gateway and address the dominance o trafc;

Enlarge the size o the square, closing surrounding

roads to general trafc with priority to pedestrians.

5.3.1 Secondary locations1. Should be enhanced to strengthen their gateway

role through:

Marking these locations as minor landmarks

Design treatment o railway over-bridges to

highlight these eatures as landmarks

Provision o minor landscape treatments to

emphasise these locations as entrances to the

town centre

5.3 Points o arrivalImportant gateways into Hackney Central should be

distinguishable points o entry so as to create a clear

sense o arrival, marking the transition rom outside

to inside the town centre. Gateways already exist,

but tend to be trafc dominated spaces that provide

poor points o entry. The ollowing points o entry

are proposed or enhancement.

Hackney Central NexusThis location is the key node within Hackney

Central, orming a ocal nexus that links to all

the surrounding parts o the town centre and

through which important routes ow or both

pedestrians and public transport. Not only is the

nexus geographically central, but it is also the

point o convergence or several signifcant roads

and it perorms a vital town centre role in terms

o providing access to the station, the shops on

Narrow Way and St John-at-Hackney Church and

grounds.

Dalston Lane Junction

This complex junction marks the convergence o

5 roads at the top o Amhurst Road, resulting a

broad expanse o road space and a major

signal-controlled junction. It acts as a major

gateway with Amhurst Road serving as an artery

to the Hackney Central nexus.

Town Hall Square

This location is the frst signifcant eature o the town

centre when approaching Hackney Central romthe south. The iconic Town Hall, Hackney Empire

theatre and associated town square, combine with

new library and Ocean venue to create a memorable

and distinctive location, with an important civic

unction. This area is a landmark space in its own

right and indicates an important point o entry into

Hackney Central and is the third major gateway into

the town. This area is currently a positive public

space, although somewhat dominated by trafc.

5.3.1 Secondary locationsA range o secondary nodes, include the junction

o Narrow Way and Lower Clapton Road, and

the railway over-bridges at Graham Road, Wilton

Way, Reading Lane and Richmond Road. These

locations orm a series o secondary nodes with

a gateway unction, providing distinctive points o

entry to the town centre, albeit o a more secondary

nature.

These locations should be considered or

enhancement to provide a strengthened gateway

role into Hackney Central.


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Figure 5.6 Gateways and Nodes


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5. 4 A clear street hierarchy

The public realm should be the subject o high

quality coordinated improvements to strengthen its

character and identity and support the identifed

street hierarchy.

Principal High Street Spine:

Signifcant improvements to the public realm should

be directed to the Principal High Street Spine so

that:

1. Interventions include a common approach to:

Paving and surace treatments

Lighting and street urniture

Signage

Sot landscaping and Allowing or public art interventions

2. Interventions are directed towards:

Key locations where minor nodes/crossings are

present; or

Where particular locations require a greater level o

attention or emphasis.

Places where people gather or spend time, such

as spaces or bus stops.

3. Key locations should become:

the ocus o creative improvements to the public

realm, or example through the use o high quality

landscape design and materials, the provision o

public art, and/or appropriate lighting and street

urniture.

4. Enhancements to nodes and crossing points

should:

Also ocus on improving the pedestrian

environment in terms o quality, saety and

legibility/way-fnding.

5.4 A clear street hierarchyPrincipal High Street Spine

In addition to the gateways, high quality landscape

treatment o the public realm should be directed

towards the principle High Street route comprising

Mare Street and the Narrow Way. These routes

should be treated in a co-ordinated manner in a way

that reinorces their status and signifcance as the

principal spine running through the Masterplan area.

A common approach to the treatment o the public

realm throughout this area is important as a means

o tying the High Street spine together as a unifed

place.

It is important that proposals along this route are

ully co-ordinated and distinctive to create a clear

sense o place or the town centre, linking thegateways, via the primary routes to the central

nexus. The Narrow Way orms the northern

extension to Mare Street but serves a dierent

transport unction. It nevertheless is part o the High

Street spine route and perorms an important retail

role. It should receive the same ocus o investment.

Specifc treatment to Narrow Way will dier with the

intention o creating an intimate, pedestrian ocused,

quality retail streetscene. This is urther explored in

Character Area 3 (Part III).

Interventions should be directed towards key

locations to emphasise their role and importance

along the principal High Street Spine.


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54

Figure 5.7 Hierarchy o routes


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5.4 A clear street hierarchy (continued)Key connecting streets:

Signifcant improvements to the public realm should

on Key Connecting Streets should:

5. Include a common approach to the treatment o

the public realm interventions with regard to:

Paving and surace treatments Lighting and street urniture

Signage

Sot landscaping and

Allowing or public art interventions

These should be consistent with the treatment o the

public realm along the principle High Street Spine.

6. Direct signifcant interventions towards:

Key locations where nodes/crossings are present.

Locations requiring a greater level o attention or

emphasis to support the unction and character othese streets; and

Enhance the legibility o Hackney Central.

7. Key locations should:

Become the ocus o creative improvements to

the public realm, or example through the use o

high quality landscape design and materials, the

provision o public art, and/or appropriate lighting

and street urniture.

8. Enhancements to nodes and crossing pointsshould:

Also ocus on improving the pedestrian

environment in terms o quality, saety and

legibility/way-fnding.

Local Residential Streets:

9. These locations should include more minor

interventions in the streetscape, but should seek

to enhance the quality o the environment and

the legibility o Hackney Central by examining the

potential or improvements to the public realm or:

The planting o small/medium trees to provide a

consistency to the streetscape and linear direction

Improvements to existing suraces where

necessary and/or appropriate

Marking parking bays with quality materials such

as granite setts; and

The defnition o street entrances with quality

materials and landscape design/treatment

New pedestrian route (through Tesco site)

Key Connecting Streets

These principally comprise Amhurst Road, Morning

Lane and Graham Road and act as important

connecting roads to Mare Street, having a signifcant

transport unction. Despite their status as secondary

streets they do share some parallels with the High

Street spine, in terms o the broad scale o road

space, catering or signifcant amounts o trafc

and containing elements o retail, albeit o a moreperipheral nature.

These streets should be approached in a similar

way to the High Street spine, with a co-ordinated

treatment o the public realm, although the degree

o intervention will be less signifcant than that o

the principal High Street Spine route, reecting

their secondary role. This will allow resources to be

directed to the most important locations. Signifcant

interventions on secondary routes will ocus on minor

nodes/crossings or where particular locations require

a greater level o attention, where people gather andspend time, such as public spaces or bus stops.

Local Residential Streets

A number o tertiary residential streets are also

identifed or potential improvement o their public

realm, predominantly where these act as links

between the other signifcant streets, such as

Kenmure Road between the Narrow Way and

Amhurst Road. These locations will generally attract

more minor interventions in the streetscape.

New Pedestrian Priority Route (through Tescos site)

A new pedestrian route is proposed through the

Masterplan area linking Paragon Road to the Narrow

Way. This would provide a high quality environment

or pedestrian movement and an alternative to the

noise and bustle o Mare Street. It is also intended

or this to incorporate new outside spaces in places

along this route in order to create an attractive and

legible route through the area.


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5.4 A clear street hierarchy (continued)10. Design and treatment o this route should

provide:

A coordinated treatment o the public realm andlandscape along this route, consistent with the

approach to the public realm elsewhere within

Hackney Central

A rich landscape treatment o important

locations along the route such as crossings/

minor nodes, the inclusion o public art and/or

high quality landscape treatment to emphasise

their signifcance, role and aid legibility o the

townscape

A high quality lighting with particular attention at

minor nodes and the railway arches The provision o spill out spaces or shops

and caes, to generate lively spaces with high

levels o activity.

5.5 Play and Recreation Spaces

The Hackney Play Strategy 2007-12 has been

prepared by the Learning Trust and seeks to build

on previous successes as well as address gaps and

shortalls in the promotion and provision o quality

play opportunities or all children. It also aims to

ensure that play is an integral part o strategies and

developments which impact on childrens ability andopportunity to play in Hackney. This Masterplan has

thereore sought to have regard to the objectives o

the strategy.

The Hackney Open Space and Sports Assessment

fnds that small parts o the Hackney Central ward

are defcient in childrens play provision though

these all outside o the SPD boundary. Further

LBH Masterplanning studies have ound that 65%

o the childrens play areas do not meet all o the

criteria set by the National Playing Fields Association(NPFA). It was urther ound that 11.75Ha will be

required to meet the need or sports pitch provision

to 2016.

The SPG Providing or Children and Young Peoples

Play and Inormal Recreation prepared by the GLA

and adopted in 2008 establishes standards or play

acilities in London. In addition to ormal play areas,

the SPG recognises that other types o space can

be multiunctional. For example, green spaces can

provide opportunities or inormal recreation while

also being places that others can enjoy.

This Masterplan proposes a new typology o play

spaces based upon the multiunctional concept o

playable space rather than play spaces and defnes

a hierarchy o play provision as ollows:

Doorstep playable space: a place where childrenunder 5 can play;

Local playable space:a place where childrenaged up to 11 can play;

Neighbourhood playable space:a more extensiveplace where children aged up to 11 can play,

and where there are some acilities or young

people over 11;

Youth space: a place where young people aged

12 and above can meet and take part in inormalsport-based activities (including extreme sports

such as skateboarding) and other inormal

recreation.

The Masterplan ocuses on the need to adapt

existing spaces to provide suitable playable space

in order to cater or the uture child population that

would live in the area ollowing the introduction o

additional residential accommodation.

5.5.1 Defning the number and type o acilities

to be providedGLA guidance advises that a benchmark standard

o 10sqm per child should be applied to establish

the quantitative requirement or play space

provision arising rom new developments. It has

been estimated that the additional child population

resulting rom the level o development identifed by

the Masterplan would be approximately 624 children

resulting in a requirement o 6240 sqm o additional

recreational space.

The GLA typology o play spaces builds on themultiunctional concept o playable space and

defnes a hierarchy o play provision, with acilities

specifed according to intended target age.

Table 5.1 applies the GLA hierarchy o playable

spaces, to provide a schedule o planned play

provision. This ocuses on possible additional

children to be introduced to the area ollowing the

construction o proposed new developments. This

fgure thereore needs to be added to the existing

child population and thereore should be regarded

as a minimum requirement.


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Location Type Target age Characteristics Walkable

catchment

Size(sqm)

St John-at-

Hackney

Churchgardens

Local playable

space

5 11 year

olds

300sqm min

activity area

400m 2,700sqm

Doorstepplayable space

(ormal)

Under 5s

100sqm activity

zone with

a variety o

equipment

100m

Neighbourhood

playable space

11yrs and

over

500sqm min. A

varied natural

space with

secluded and open

areas, landscapingand equipment so

that children aged

rom birth to 11

can play

800m 24,000sqm

Youth space 12+ year olds Inormal sport

or physical

recreational

activities.

800m

Town Hall

Square

Doorstep

playable space

(inormal)

Under 5s

(potential

inormal 5 11 year old

provision)

Features or

children rather

than ormal playequipment

100m 1450sqm

Clapton

Square

Doorstep

playable space

(ormal)

Under 5s 100sqm activity

zone with a variety

o equipment

100m 6,300sqm

Local playable

space

5 11 year

olds

300sqm min

activity area

400m

Space to

eastern edge

o bus garage

Doorstep

playable space

(inormal)

Under 5s Features or

children rather

than ormal play

equipment

100m 820sqm

Games

area within

Trelawney

Estate


or physical

recreational

activities.

800m 880sqm

Grassed

area south o

Morning Lane


or physical

recreational

activities.

800m 1600sqm

Doorstep

playable space(ormal)

Under 5s 100sqm activity

zone with a varietyo equipment

100m 200sqm

Total on-site

playable space

37,950

Table 5.1 Hackney Central Town Centre Quantum and type o proposed playable space


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Policy/Design Principles5.5.2 Playable Spaces

Playable spaces should to be provided as ollows:

1. A wide range o play space types at St John-at-

Hackney by including:

Doorstep Playable Space (DPS) specifcally

intended or the under 5s

Local Playable Space (LPS) or children aged up

to 11, Neighbourhood Playable Space

A Youth Space.

2. Provide a Doorstep Playable Space within the

Town Hall Car Park:

Redevelopment under used Town Hall CarPark to potentially accommodate a new space

incorporating a new DPS space.

3. A ormal Doorstep space and Local Playable

space at Clapton Square:

Enhance acilities or these types o playable space

as is located close to residential properties with

good natural surveillance.

4. Provide an inormal Doorstep space to the

eastern end o the current bus garage: Incorporate into landscape proposals as part o

any redevelopment o the bus garage

5. Provide a new Youth space and Doorstep space

on the grassed area on Morning Lane:

Provide a space or more active recreational

pursuits, such as a skateboard park.

Encourage natural surveillance rom adjacent

buildings.

Facilitate protection rom trafc.

Accommodate a Doorstep space within its own

landscape setting.

6. Opportunities or inormal play are to be

provided in proposals or new development, where

opportunities arise, including:

Through innovative landscape design treatment o

open areas and spaces

Potentially incorporate into roo gardens and

space in proposals or the Tesco and Bus garage

opportunity sites

5.5.2 Establishing the accessibility, range and

location o play acilities

Figure 5.8 illustrates how the various proposedplayable spaces are distributed throughout the area.

The London Plan recommends that a 400m access

standard is used in relation to small local parks. This

represents a 5-minute walking distance applied as

a fxed radius rom the edge o the open space.

However, it also recognises that residents will not

make straight line trips rom home to park and

accounts or severance actors (e.g. railway lines,

busy roads), the location o park entrances and the

morphology and grain o the surrounding pedestrian

route network. It suggests that a 280m radius is alsoplotted, representing a constrained catchment.

Studies o childrens play have emphasised the

appeal and use o unofcial play areas in addition to

planned childrens play areas. Thereore provision

should also be made or inormal play within new

developments, where opportunities arise.

Inormal play sculpture

58


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hackney central master plan p31-59

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