Natasha Hodson re-elected

Natasha Hodson, the chair of De Beauvoir Estate TRA, has tonight been given the backing of residents to stay on as chair for another year.

In a meeting attended by more than 100 residents, Natasha and a new team of resident representatives were elected to help take the estate forward.

Hackney joins the Tube

After a long campaign by Hackney’s Mayor, Jules Pipe, Hackney is finally joining the Tube.

The huge £1.4bn infrastructure investment by Labour means De Beauvoir residents can use their Oyster card on new, fast and direct trains to the City, New Cross, Crystal Palace and West Croydon from the new Dalston Junction, Hoxton & Haggerston stations.

Later, the Overground tube service will be extended to Highbury & Islington, Surrey Quays and Clapham Junction, opening up wider job opportunities for Hackney people.

Labour celebrated the completion of the East London Line investment with an event at the new Dalston Junction station with Jules Pipe and Meg Hillier.

Picture: Jules Pipe and Meg Hillier in cafe after event

Make your postal vote count

Postal votes have started arriving on doorsteps across Hackney and local Labour volunteers have been encouraging people to make their vote count.

Joined by Hackney's Mayor, Jules Pipe, and local MP, Meg Hillier, De Beauvoir Labour were back on the campaign trail in the Hackney sunshine.

Gulay Icoz from Fermain Court said: "Hackney Labour is committed to making De Beauvoir a safer, cleaner and greener place to live. We can only do this with your support."

If you'd like to lend us your support, please get in touch.

Real nappy week

New and expecting parents in Hackney can find out how to save money and have some fun at events to mark Real Nappy Week (26 April - 2 May).

The annual, national awareness campaign provides support and advice to people who are keen to help protect the environment.

To help them get started, Hackney Council offers a £54 voucher to those who want to make the change to real nappies.

Hackney hustings

Hackney had its first all party hustings in the Rose Lipman Centre tonight, organised by the De Beauvoir Association.

The main challengers for Hackney South and Shoreditch all spoke on issues from whether the Conservatives would cut the number of police in each of London's Safer Neighbourhood Police Teams, as threatened by Boris Johnson, to questions on the need for a consensus on care for the elderly.

There was a very large turnout - showing people really do care about their local community, despite what we often hear in the media about apathy, or from the some parties about a broken Britain.

Labour's Manifesto for Hackney

Over the next few weeks, you will not only select a Member of Parliament, but decide who oversees and sets the direction for local services in Hackney – the borough’s executive mayor and your three De Beauvoir councillors, all four of them directly elected by you.

Today, Jules Pipe launches Hackney Labour's manifesto. It's a detailed document setting out exactly what Labour wants to do to build on the progress made in our Bourough.

Highlights of some of our commitments are:

* make it easier for people to report anti social behaviour and noise nuisance
* launch a campaign for responsible dog ownership
* commit to further support for victims of domestic violence
* increase drug and alcohol treatment places by 10%
* we will plant at least another 1,000 street trees
* we will look to expand our recycling service further
* all residential streets will be covered by a 20mph speed limit by 2014
* we will look to support those residents who want to grow more of their own food
* continue to provide free swimming for children and the elderly
* continue to work with the Hackney Empire to ensure it reopens
* we will complete the rebuilding or refurbishment of all our secondary schools
* six primary schools will be rebuilt or refurbished to the highest standards
* we will open five new youth centres
* we will complete Decent Homes on our estates by 2013
* we will use all our powers to bring empty properties back into use
* by 2013 - we will have created 100 council apprenticeships
* we'll increase the number of council services available online

Click here to download the manifesto in full:

Tea with Meg Hillier

Your local MP, Meg Hillier, will be at a coffee morning at the Rose Lipman centre (corner of De Beauvoir Road and Downham Road) at 11am on Saturday. It's especially aimed at wiser, more mature people in the area.

If you'd like a chat and a cuppa, do come along. Your councillors will be there too.

Disruption warning - Collapsed sewer

There is a collapsed sewer in Balls Pond Road a little way west of Kingsland High Street, close to the Islington border and it is causing some unpleasant flooding in the area.

Councillors have been told that emergency repair works will start on April 2nd. Prior to that TfL are carrying out some surfacing works overnight on the 1st and 2nd of April. 

In order to undertake the works Balls Pond Road will be made one way eastbound with a westbound diversion via Kingsland Road, Downham Road, Southgate Road, and Essex Road.

Buses will be using Dove Road in Islington We are planning to continue with our surfacing works to finish the Graham Road/ Queensbridge Road junction as programmed starting next Tuesday.
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