Cyclists speak out against council’s ‘dangerous’ Pembury Circus plans

Pembury Circus. Photograph: Hackney Council

Hackney cyclists are lobbying the council to change its new design for Pembury Circus, claiming it would “put lives at risk”.

In December, the Town Hall announced plans for a “green corridor” running through Hackney Central, aiming to reduce vehicle pollution and make “one of the borough’s most dangerous junctions” safer.

New crossings would be installed, with the aim of minimising the risk of vehicles colliding with pedestrians and “less potential cycle/pedestrian conflict”, according to a council spokesperson.

But the local branch of the London Cycling Campaign (LCC) has poured cold water on the proposals.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) last Friday, Hackney Cycling Campaign (HCC) attacked the “weak” plans, which it said would still force cyclists to share space with fast-moving and heavy motor vehicles.

“This is not how you make streets safer,” the group added.

A campaign spokesperson told the Citizen that HCC’s “deep concerns” raise doubts about the Town Hall’s commitment to road safety and Vision Zero—the goal to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on London’s roads by 2041.

“If the mayor’s statements on road safety and the council’s own policies are to carry any weight, now is the time for them to act.”

Vision Zero is an international road safety strategy, which aims to create roadway systems that cause zero fatalities or serious injuries due to road traffic.

The strategy’s first principle is that road deaths are “unacceptable and preventable”.

In March this year, the Town Hall said there had been 229 road traffic collisions between Mare Street and Pembury Circus, including 25 serious incidents and two fatalities, since 2017.

Cllr Guy Nicholson, deputy mayor and cabinet member for regeneration, delivery and inclusive economy, said the council was committed to delivering safe cycling infrastructure.

“Hackney has the highest number of residents cycling to work in London and the second highest number in England.

“The commitment to creating a safe cycling network in the borough is part of the reason why Amhurst Road itself is being re-designed alongside making the Pembury Circus junction, which has seen 66 collisions involving injuries in the five years up to 2022, safer for both cyclists and pedestrians.

“The council will continue its work with residents, interest groups and local businesses as the project progresses.

“We are making Pembury Circus junction safer, for both pedestrians and cyclists, with a design that supports pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users.

“As with all of our designs, we commission an independent road safety audit of the designs and of the scheme after it’s been built.”

HCC’s plans have also attracted criticism.

Vincent Stops, ex-councillor and former chair of the Town Hall planning committee, called the alternative designs “extraordinary”.

“Their plans essentially take bicycles and run them round on the pavement, two ways, which is an extraordinary proposal,” he said.

“It takes no account of pedestrians, particularly disabled and older pedestrians.”

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Stops wrote: “Keep death off the road. Ride on the pavement.

“What joy pedestrians, older and disabled people will have at this junction. Designed by entitled cyclists for entitled cyclists. It will certainly be a circus ride!”

Stops told the Citizen that the council’s plans were sensible.

“What they’re doing is closing the junction down, making everything slower, with shorter crossing distances, taking out those traffic islands. It’s certainly [heading] in the right direction.”

The HCC spokesperson dismissed Stops’ approach as “widely outdated and discredited”.

“It is not the approach advocated by cycling organisations such as London Cycling Campaign and Cycling UK, and is not the type of infrastructure that funding bodies (Active Travel England and TfL) build.

“His approach goes against much of the national design guidance for cycling infrastructure (LTN 1/20),” they added.

Cllr Alastair Binnie-Lubbock (Green) also weighed in on the plans.

He posted on social media: “This needs the utmost scrutiny and community engagement.

“I almost died once on that junction as I followed a van though a green light. I was about to overtake it when it T-boned a car that went into railings on a pedestrian island on two wheels!”

In the same post, Cllr Binnie-Lubbock said he would raise the matter with the council’s cabinet.

Mayor Caroline Woodley has been interim lead on transport since Cllr Mete Coban stepped down after being appointed deputy mayor of London for environment and energy.

Cllr Sarah Young was recently announced as the new cabinet member for transport and environment, and is expected to formally take over the brief this month.

Last October,  Mayor Woodley was accused by Binnie-Lubbock of “insulting the electorate” after turning down an invite to a hustings hosted by HCC during the Hackney mayoral election campaign.

Responding to criticisms, she told the Citizen she had “enormous respect” for the work of HCC.

“We have taken huge strides in recent years to support sustainable transport and make our streets safer and I am committed to continuing that work.

“I want to engage with the widest possible range of people over the course of this campaign and will keep getting out on the doorstep as much as possible.

“I’ve offered HCC a meeting, and my door is open to them regarding issues they’d like to discuss.”

But Will Petty, a self-described critic of cycling infrastructure, joined the chorus of voices asking for more engagement from the mayor’s office.

Addressing Woodley directly on social media, Petty said campaigners had been requesting an urgent meeting for several months.

“During your election campaign you told us your door was open to us—but apparently not.

“This misstep will cost lives, and irreparably damage the borough’s Vision Zero credentials. It cannot be allowed to fall between the cracks due to cabinet member turnover.

“Please meet with us before any decision is taken—we urgently need political leadership on this.”