Have your say on the proposed Cycle Superhighway Route One

A consultation has opened for public contributions to the proposed 'Cycle Superhighway' Route 1.
This major new cycle route is proposed to run between Tottenham and the City of London passing through Hackney, Haringey and Islington. The aim is to provide safe journeys for cyclists along an 11km north-south route, running along residential streets away from car and bus traffic.
The proposed route passes right through De Beauvoir, a route which many cyclists already take to avoid the heavy traffic of Kingsland Road.

Transport for London would like to hear from anybody with opinions and thoughts on this proposal. The consultation is open now and runs up to the 29th of March.

There are detailed explanations on TfL's website along with maps and photo visuals of how the route might look.

Councillor James Peters said 'Hackney is the number one borough for cycling in London with more residents cycling to work and more people using bikes than cars. De Beauvoir is at the heart of Hackney cycling and it is important that Transport for London know the views of residents.'

To see the full proposal visit the TfL website.
There is a short online survey which should take only a few minutes to complete.
To contact TfL on this or any other consultations email: consultations@tfl.gov.uk, or call 0343 222 1234

121 Mortimer Road

You may have seen some work going on at 121 Mortimor Road, the house of William Lyttle - often known locally as the Mole Man.

Relatives of Mr Lyttle have come forward and are now legal owners of the house. They have started to perform some work upon the house and are seeking permission to demolish it.

Separately the are also seeking planning permission for a block of flats in its place. You can see more details of what is being proped here. The development is described in the planning application as "a four storey building to provide eight two-bed flats".

A number of residents have already been in touch with us about the work that is ongoing, and we are monitoring developments with the help of council officers. The house sits within the De Beauvoir Conservation Area and this will have to be taken into account when the applications are considered.

If you wish to make a representation on the planning permission proposal, comments from members of the public need to be submitted the the Council by October 25th. The reference for the planning application is 2010/2137.

Improving planning rules in Hackney

Hackney Council has adopted new planning guidance to help improve the quality of planning applications for extensions and alterations to private homes.

The Residential Alterations and Extensions Supplementary Planning Document was approved by Hackney's Full Council.

The guidance aims to balance new development with the desire to respect the historic character of the borough, and ensure there are clear guidelines that protect neighbours from matters such as overlooking and loss of light.

Cllr Guy Nicholson, Labour's Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said: “This new planning guidance is the product of an extensive consultation and provides clear advice to all who may wish to add extensions or make alterations to their homes. It provides residents, architects and developers alike with a clear understanding of what is considered quality development for our homes."