Residents fear foregone conclusion over London Fields cycling ‘quietway’

Mapped out: residents fear council is ‘working backwards’ to confirm a decision already made. Image: Hackney Council

A consultation over plans to block roads surrounding London Fields to through-traffic is a “box ticking exercise” that will “retrospectively confirm” a decision already made by the council, residents have alleged.

Hackney Council had planned to launch in January a live trial of a traffic-filtering scheme that would block off roads to the west of London Fields to through-traffic, allowing cyclists and pedestrians to travel freely down a cycling ‘quietway’.

However, after an outcry from residents over the lack of a formal prior consultation, the council announced in December it would delay the trial and first run a consultation.

With just days until the consultation closes, residents have expressed fears the council is seeking to reaffirm a decision that has already been made.

“We are concerned that Hackney Council’s objective for this consultation process was simply a retrospective confirmation exercise for a course of action decided already decided upon”, said Robert Kelsey, Committee Member of Albion Square Residents’ Association.

The council had claimed the live trial would act as a consultation, but some residents feared that once the road blocks were in place, the council would be unlikely to backtrack on its plans.

‘Smoke and mirrors’

The council has engaged market research firm BDRC Continental to analyse the data collected from the consultation, which closes on 27 March.

On its website, BDRC Continental states: “When you appoint us we want to know where you plan to end up – your goal. We will shape our research recommendations around that, so even if the components we suggest are ‘off the shelf’ the solution will be tailor made for you.”

Mr Kelsey is worried Hackney Council is “gaming the system”, trying to “work backwards to confirm a decision that has already been made”.

“We’re concerned the company they’ve employed are just a private company there to meet the objectives of their clients,” said Mr Kelsey. “We want to make sure this consultation is a genuine backtrack and not all smoke and mirrors.”

Hackney Council has agreed to demands to admit a representative from the concerned residents’ associations to all further meetings with BDRC Continental.

A council spokesperson said: “A resident representative was present at the last meeting between us and BDRC. We gave assurances then that they could be present, if they choose, at all further meetings.”

Albion Drive, Mapledene Area and Moreland Estate & Blanchard Way Residents’ Associations have also expressed concerns over the consultation, questioning why the council included no ‘status quo’ option, and claiming the council has no effective method to discern local from non-local responses in its online survey.

The council spokesperson denied accusations that the council was seeking to manipulate the consultation, saying: “The results of the consultation, including how and from where the information was gathered, will be analysed by an independent research company.”

The spokesperson added: “BDRC Continental abides by the Market Research Society’s code of conduct and is bound under the code to provide analysis and interpretation based on facts.”

But Mr Kelsey remains unconvinced the research company will act independently.

He said: “They’re not independent – they’re employed by Hackney Council. They are being paid and mandated by council. Hackney showed very early on they had a bias towards ‘option one’.”

“If Hackney wanted to win our trust back – they have some way to go I’m afraid.”

Fume Free Streets (a coalition of residents, Hackney Cycling Campaign, Sustainable Hackney, Hackney Play Streets and Hackney Living Streets) said in a statement that the council has provided a wide range of options in the consultation, one of which gives residents the opportunity to submit their own ideas – which would include maintaining the status quo.

It added that those taking part in the consultation are required to provide names and addresses, including postcodes and an email address – which should ensure no duplication.  

The consultation runs until 27 March 2016.

This story was updated at 11:35 on 24 March 2016 to include the view of Fume Free Streets and the objections to the consultation of Albion Drive, Mapledene Area and Moreland Estate & Blanchard Way Residents’ Associations.