Hackney Tories oppose road safety measures

Hackney Labour, Liberal and Green parties united at a Council meeting to support a standard speed limit on Hackney residential streets of 20mph and to continue to roll out a series of 20mph zones across the Borough. At the meeting, the Council was presented with evidence which showed a 60% reduction in accidents in Hackney's existing eighteen 20mph zones which cover 55% of the Borough's streets.

In contrast, every Conservative councillor chose to vote against the motion, citing reasons such as 'people will make their own risk assessments of how fast to drive' and 'cars are not designed to be driven slowly'. Another suggested that the money spent on traffic calming would be better spent on driving courses.

Hackney's elected Mayor Jules Pipe, condemned the Tories in the chamber. He said: "This is an extraordinarily reactionary position which actually puts at risk the health and livelihood of all Hackney residents, particularly our children. Even in their own ward of New River, the 20mph zone has had a documented 80% reduction in accidents since it was established in 2005. I am committed to work with local residents to introduce 20mph zones; Hackney needs safer residential streets with slower traffic that will benefit pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike".

He added:"This echos the picture across London, where Ken Livingstone has pledged wholehearted support for 20mph across all residential roads and Boris Johnson is the only mayoral candidate to oppose this. Whether in Hackney or across the capital, the Tories do not seem to realise that saving lives is more important than fast cars."

A 20mph zone is currently being rolled out across De Beauvoir after a campaign by local residents and Labour Councillors.

ELECTION - May 1st - Where to Vote & How to Vote

Where to vote

Some of the polling station locations have changed since the last election. Check your polling card for one of the following codes: NA, NB, NC or ND

NA - Our Lady & St Joseph's Primary School
NB - Rose Lipman Community Centre
NC - Britannia Sports Centre
ND - Britannia Sports Centre

[double click on map for larger image]



How to vote
You will have three ballot papers.

x Vote for your 1st choice for Mayor of London.
x Vote for your party choice.
x Vote for your local London Assembly Member.

Don't Buy the Hackney Gazette

The Hackney Gazette plan to run adverts from the racist British National Party this Thursday.

By doing so, Archant Newspapers (the owner of the Hackney Gazette) will lend credibility to the right wing racist party in the run up to the important London elections on May 1st.

We want to keep racism out of Hackney. If you're as outraged about this decision as we are, email the editor of the Hackney Gazette, Archant’s Chairman and the Finance Director to urge them not to publish the BNP advert.

michael.ferris@archant.co.uk – Hackney Gazette editor

richard.jewson@archant.co.uk - Archant Chairman

brian.mccarthy@archant.co.uk – Archant Finance Director

Health Secretary visits De Beauvoir

The Health Secretary, Alan Johnson, visited De Beauvoir this week.

After a round table discussion at Hackney's Sharp End project (an active health project for older people) with our London Assembly Member, Janette Arnold, he met with residents from the Lockner Estate.

Afterwards he visited the practice team at the De Beauvoir GP Surgery, where he discussed local health issues with Dr Gary Singh Marlowe.

Later he joined Gulay, Chris and Rob round local shops including De Beauvoir hardware shop KTS on the corner of Englefield Road and Kingsland Road.