Licensing consultation - have your say

As you may have seen there has been a change with regards to the current Licensing consultation and our existing policy will continue next year, with a new consultation to follow in 2016. We discussed licensing issues at length at July's ward forum. The main issues people raised were:

• The significant negative impact the night time economy can have on residents living near and on the A10
• Problems with specific venues that repeatedly breach the terms of their license, or planning conditions. 
• A licensing process that is often intimidating for residents
• Concerns about the effectiveness of enforcement activities
• Lack of consistency between planning and licensing processes

The licensing policy that was being consulted on had some implications for Stoke Newington:

• The High Street and part of Church Street is classified as a district centre
• Parts of Stoke Newington Road and Church Street are classified as local centres

The proposal was also for a new borough wide hours policy – which would apply to new applications. These specify the expectations for opening times of different kinds of venues and premises - most notably midnight for pubs, clubs, bars etc in district and local centres. If an applicant wanted to be open for longer, they would have to be able to demonstrate need, and ability to manage any negative impacts.

No Special Policy Area was being proposed for Stoke Newington at the moment as the evidence from crime reports is not sufficient at the moment to support this.

Despite the announcement today it is still worth responding to the consultation before 14th August, and stressing what difference you think the borough wide hours policy might make. The results will be analysed and help to inform the next steps.
The consultation is here and the deadline is 14th August.

Our next ward forum - 15th July - 7pm

Our next ward forum is on 15th July at 7pm, in Yorkshire Grove Community Hall on Gunstor Road.

The focus of the meeting will be on licensing. Hackney has to renew its Licensing Policy every 5 years, and the current one has not been updated since 2011. A lot has changed since then - particularly the growth of late night venues along the A10 and into Stoke Newington. We receive a lot of complaints locally about disturbances and going forward it's essential that the growth of licensed premises is managed without having a negative impact on those who live nearby. 
A new draft licensing policy is currently being consulted on - and is available here.

There are a number of changes in it that do have implications for Stoke Newington and we're really to feed in the views of local residents to the consultation.

We have invited a licensing officer to present the draft policy and then plan to have a series of table discussions around the key issues.

If this is an issue you care about - it would be great to hear from you. Please do come along and also spread the word to any neighbours who might be interested.

Consultation on Cycle Superhighway 1

Transport for London's consultation on Cycle Superhighway 1 is open for a few more days - closing on 29th March.

The route runs between the City and Tottenham and goes through a lot of Hackney and Stoke Newington. The aim is to provide a safer North/South route on residential streets, avoiding the A10 and providing a quicker route for cyclists.

Many local cyclists will be familiar with the route as part of it is the one that is currently signposted on back streets. There are a few improvements proposed on the Stoke Newington elements:

• Redesigning the junction at Bouverie Road/Manor Road
• New traffic island at Defoe Road/Church Street
• No through traffic at Boleyn Road/Wordsworth Road

All the proposals are on the maps here. 

I commute into central London on bike and use parts of this route daily. What are your thoughts? Is there anything else that could be suggested to improve the proposals? Either fill in TfL's survey or let us know too!

Stoke Newington ward forum - 17th February

The next Stoke Newington ward forum is on Tuesday 17th February, 7pm in St Paul's Church (entrance on Stoke Newington Road)

It is less than a 100 days to the General Election, and as your local councillors we'd like to hear your priorities for Stoke Newington.

We will discuss some existing local campaigns - including the Council's focus on tackling inequality in Hackney - and hear from Hackney Unites and Stokey Local about some of the work they are doing locally. We'll then work together to identify 5 key aims, and how to take these forward.

We're also keen to ensure that people do not lose their right to vote - there are changes to electoral registration and we also need your help in making sure people are aware of this.

The forum is open to all - and we look forward to seeing you next week!

New licensing application

Kenny's restaurant, 160 Stoke Newington High Street, N16 7JL have put in a licensing application for:

• a premises licence for live music from 12:00 to 22:30 Mon to Sun
•  recorded music and supply of alcohol from 12:00 to 23:00 Mon to Sun 
• non-standard timings on new year’s eve from 12:00 to 00:00 and new year’s day from 00:00 to 04:00am and 12:00 to 22:00.

The deadline for commenting on the application is 18/2/14.

If you wish to make a representation these must address the licensing objectives:

    •    prevention of crime and disorder
    •    prevention of public nuisance
    •    public safety
    •    the protection of children from harm

There is a guide to making representations here. Representations can be made in writing to The Licensing Service, 263 Mare Street, London, E8 3HT or by emailing licensing@hackney.gov.uk.

The Good Egg - meeting for residents

The people behind The Good Egg

- who are planning to open a new cafe and restaurant at 93 Church Street, have organised a meeting for residents on Monday 26th Jan at 7pm.

A notice of the meeting has gone to all nearby residents, but anyone is welcome to drop in and ask questions about the new plans. You can also get hold of them on hellogoodegg@gmail.com if you can't make the meeting.

It's a chance to find out more about the business, the plans for the site, and the community projects that they have planned - including working with local schools to deliver regular workshops and breakfast clubs.

We know some people have raised concerns about late night activities on Church Street - but the plans indicate that the Good Egg will not be open any later than other venues nearby, and will only serve alcohol with food. 

Planning and licensing applications are due to be submitted soon so this is a good opportunity to ask the owners about any concerns you might have. 

Free exercise classes available locally

As it's the time of year for resolutions, you might be interested in the following sessions that Hackney Council provides free of charge. Some of these are local in Clissold so very convenient:

• The New Age Games programme winter programme of sporting activities is a free Council-run scheme designed to give Hackney residents over 50 a chance to socialise, exercise and stay healthy. Participants can try a variety of sports including swimming, cycling, archery and Pilates, indoor and outdoor tennis, Yoga and much more. More info here.
  
• Free Fitness Classes in Hackney - the Our Spaces group exercise sessions are taking place at indoor and venues across the borough including Hula Hoop Fit, Bootcamp. Box Fit, Yoga and much more. Most of the activities are for those aged 16+ but there are also children’s classes (Kids Fit) for youngsters aged 8-11. These sessions will provide a range of play and fitness activities for children to raise their heart rate, learn new skills and have fun. To book visit: www.ourparks.org.uk.
  
• Walking-together - regular health and themed walks to explore the local area, meet new people and reap the health and wellbeing benefits of being outdoors and active. More info at: www.hackney.gov.uk/sports-walking-together.
  
• Fit 4 Health – Exercise after Stroke/TIA scheme - a free community based service to support people in the maintenance of healthy lifestyle changes and the transition to independent living. The programme is designed to meet the long-term effects of stroke and the varied and wide-ranging exercise needs of stroke and TIA sufferers. Please visit http://www.hackney.gov.uk/sports-after-stroke-programme.htm for case studies and additional information.

Stoke Newington community leaders unite

Last week, representatives from the Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities, Hackney council and senior police officers, met at the Aziziye Mosque in our ward.  

The meeting saw community leaders call on Londoners to remain united in the face of religious extremism after the recent terror attacks in Paris, and condemned the atrocities that happened in Paris on 7th January. 

They urged residents to resist becoming divided whilst the capital faces a "severe" terror threat level.

The Speaker of Hackney, Cllr Sharon Patrick said: "This is a showcase of the good community relations that we have got here in Hackney.

"If we could put it in a bottle and send it around the world then that would be a good thing. Unfortunately we cannot do that but we can just lead by example."

There is a full write up of the meeting here.