Happy New Year

A Happy New Year to all residents of De Beauvoir, and readers of our blog.

We'll be holding our first surgery of the new year at 11am on Saturday 10th January at Colville Community Hall, 35 Branch Place, N1. But if you've something you want to raise with us, or a comment you wish to make, please email us at debeauvoir@hackney-labour.org.uk (there's a link on this blog)and we'll get right back to you.

Best wishes for 2009!

Chris,Gulay & Rob

Walkabout surgery - 2pm De Beauvoir Estate

Chris, Gulay and Rob will be carrying out their last walkabout surgery before Christmas today from 2pm.

If you want to meet up with any of us, give us a call on the usual number.

Kingsland Road gets its trees back

Councillors have successfully demanded that trees missing from Kingsland Road be replaced with new trees.

Transport for London contractors began work today and all missing trees have now been repalced.

Buying a real tree this Christmas?

If you've got your heart set on a real Christmas tree this year, why not consider one that can give something back?

Christmas Forest has pledged that for every tree it sells, one will be planted in Burkina Faso – the world's third poorest country – through Tree Aid.

Miranda Spitteler, Chief Executive of Tree Aid, explained: "For a family in Africa, growing a tree could mean housing, food, fuel, medicine, and even money from selling the things growing on it."

The Christmas trees sold are also sustainably sourced. Remember it's easy to avoid your old tree ending up in landfill after Twelfth Night. Residents can leave trees next to their brown bin on regular collection days.

Alternatively, take it to the household waste and recycling centre in Islington or Waltham Forest. They can also be collected the Council's FREE bulky waste service.

Christmas Forest in Stoke Newington Rd until 24 Dec. Call: 07929 255 232, or visit: www.christmasforest.co.uk. For a bulk waste collection, call: 020 8356 6688

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Vote for Shoreditch Park

Residents are being urged by local councillors to vote for our very own Shoreditch Park to be one of ten London parks transformed by a £6million cash boost.

Londoners have the chance to vote for one of 47 parks selected as candidates for the money.

Ten £400,000 grants to make our green spaces safer and more enjoyable are up for grabs. A single grant of up to £2million for one large park is also up for grabs. The winner will be decided by the Mayor of London, – who is funding the scheme, dubbed Help A London Park – with the advice of a panel of experts.

To vote for Shoreditch Park text 'parks' and your full Hackney postcode to: 62967; visit: www.london.gov.uk/parksvote; or call: 020 7983 4100 to request a postal vote.
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Improvements on Nuttall Street

At a councillor meeting with members of the Canalside Residents Association plans were announced to start consultation on improvements for cyclists and pedestrians on Nuttall Street. It was generally agreed that the lorry ban had been a considerable improvement for local people. If De Beauvoir residents agree, next year will see works to the road humps in Nuttall Street to make them less severe so they will be easier to use by cyclists and cause less noise for residents. We will also seek views on removing some or all of the bollards on the pavements on Nuttall Street so that the footpaths would be easier to use now that there is no longer such a nuisance from heavy lorries. If all goes well work will start in the spring or summer of next year. Watch this space for further details of the consultation and plans.

 

Safer crossings for school kids

Following a councillor walkabout, and subsequent resident consultation, earlier in the year, there will be new road safety improvements to Culford & Tottenham Roads.

There will be a raised junction at the crossing of Culford & Tottenham Roads to slow traffic and make the area safer - especially for children at Our Lady and St Joseph.



There will also be a raised table at the entrance to Culford Road from Balls Pond Road. Residents and frequenters of teh Wellington pub, complained of cars entering the street too quickly.

These safety improvements come on top of:

- 20mph zone and heavy lorry heavy lorry ban secured by councillors last year.

- new zebra crossing for Southgate Road

- New speed tables on Nuttall Street to slow cars & keep the noise down