Traditional cars will be banned from parking and loading in parts of Shoreditch in the hope of cleaning up its filthy air.
Hackney Council has won a share of £1.2million from London transport chiefs for an “electric streets” scheme, which will see parking and loading bays closed off to petrol and diesel vehicles, and more charging points for electric vehicles put in.
Hackney has not yet decided which streets should be involved, but there will be six in total – four on the Hackney side, one in Tower Hamlets and one in Islington. The project is not expected to kick off until 2018.
The cross-boundary scheme is catchily named the City Fringe Low Emissions Neighbourhood.
Computer-generated images from Hackney appear to show Paul Street, the border between Hackney and Islington, closed to all but ultra-low emission vehicles. That refers to cars and vans that have the capacity to drive entirely on battery charge for a set number of miles – which varies depending on the size and type of the vehicle.
Although it has not been decided which streets will be part of the City Fringe Low Emissions Neighbourhood, the pictures may give a hint as to the kinds of conditions likely to be imposed on drivers, and the areas being considered.
Hackney’s transport boss Cllr Feryal Demirci said: “We’ll only reduce pollution if boroughs work together, so we’re delighted to receive funding to build on our work with Islington and Tower Hamlets to improve air quality around Shoreditch and the City Fringe.
“We want to transform the area into an example of everything that London should be striving for, with people-friendly streets prioritising low-emissions transport and, most importantly, clean air.”
Shoreditch is one of six “Neighbourhoods of the Future” that has been awarded green cash. Neighbourhoods of the Future is part of a £13m government investment in encouraging Londoners to switch to electric vehicles.
Sadiq Khan announced Hackney would be one of the areas to benefit back in July, but this is the first time detail has emerged about what the scheme will actually involve.
City Hall’s deputy mayor for environment and energy Shirley Rodrigues said: “Tackling London’s poor air quality is a public health emergency that requires bold action at all levels of government.
“These six innovative schemes will play a direct role cleaning the up toxic air in neighbourhoods across London, and could lead the way for similar schemes across the UK.”
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