Cycle hangars are on-street, secure cycle parking storage units for local residents.
Cycle hangars members can only access the hangars by using a key. They encourage cycling by providing a safe parking place to individuals who would otherwise be put off owning and using a bike in Hackney.
Register your interest for a space in a cycle hangar
To claim a space in a hangar, you must be a Hackney resident.
Hangars are not for commuters, including those who live in Hackney but travel elsewhere.
We’ve installed over 1,000 hangars, giving more than 6,000 residents an accessible and secure place to store their bike.
A space in a cycle hangar costs £51 a year on the street, and £36.50 a year on estates, plus a £30.50 key deposit. Due to the high level of demand, we operate a waiting list, and there’s a limit of one space per resident.
If you’d like to apply for a space in a cycle hangar, you need to register your interest. If you’re a couple or a group of people, you’ll need to register your interest separately. We are only able to offer one space per person due to the level of demand for the service.
You can register your interest in up to five hangars in your area.
We offer available spaces to the residents who have been on the waiting list for each hangar the longest.
Before you register your interest
create an account – you can also log in with your existing details if you have a parking or bulky waste account
select ‘on street hangar’ or ‘estate cycle hangar’ (available to residents of council-managed estates only)
if you haven’t used the system before you’ll need to enter your personal details before you can access the cycle hangar registration
select the hangar(s) that you would like to register for, or choose to be notified about new hangars in your area
submit your registration
once the registration has been submitted you will be able to review the registration date that has been allocated and if required
update your selections (the unique code will be required if updating your registration)
You can view all the cycle hangars in the borough.
How we decide where to locate new cycle hangars
We choose the locations for new bike hangars based on the level of local demand, which we determine from the number of registrations of interest. So by registering your interest, you help us to focus our efforts on installing hangars where they are most needed.
the number of the hangar you are renting a place in
a photo or description of the bike parked in your space (ie black women’s frame bike with a parcel carrier)
We’ll then email all the users of the hangar asking them to move their bike, which in most cases they do.
However, if the bike remains in your spot a week later, we’ll label the bike for removal. This gives the owner of the bike a last opportunity to move their bike.
If it remains there 7 days after labelling, we’ll return to forcibly remove the bike, to free your space.
While we resolve this, don’t park your bike in another user’s space as the problem then starts to affect other users. Instead park your bike elsewhere, such as in your home.
Can I swap my hangar to one that is closer to my home?
We’re not currently able to accommodate this, as spaces in new hangars are first made available to those who don’t have a space at all, many of whom have been waiting for a number of years.
I’m having difficulties locking my hangar. What should I do?
Some of our hangars have a shield around the lock.
This video explains how to open the bike hangar with the locking shield installed.
If you still have problems, email cycleparking@hackney.gov.uk and provide your name, the number of the hangar you are renting a place in so that we can see if it needs a repair.
I’ve lost my key. How can I order a replacement?
You can order a replacement via your account. To do this:
scroll down to the area titled ‘Licenses and Services’ – your cycle hangar will be listed there – titled ‘My cycle hangar – live’. Click on the link
select the ‘Report Lost key’ option – this will process a key replacement to be sent to you after a payment of £26 has been made
My hangar is damaged or has been broken into. Who do I contact to get it repaired?
Email cycleparking@hackney.gov.uk and provide your name, the number of the hangar you are renting a place in.
We try to repair all defects that pose a security risk to bikes parked in our hangars within one working day of receiving your report.
Is my bike insured while I park it in a cycle hangar?
Insurers class bikes stored in hangars as being ‘away from home’ and bikes, and other associated items like helmets and locks, stored in hangars are left at your own risk.
So we strongly recommend that you have insured your bicycle at your own cost.
Your bike is left at your own risk, and we’re not responsible for the loss, damage and theft of bicycles, locks or other items stored in the units. Nearly all insurers will consider a bike parked in a cycle hangar as being ‘away from home’.
Many standard home insurance policies won’t cover your bike for theft or damage away from home, or may impose restrictions, such as maximum value, and excess payments.
If these are issues with your home insurance, it may be worth removing your bike from this policy and insuring separately with cycle-specific insurance.
This may give you better suited cover and protect your home insurance’s ‘no-claims-bonus’.
We recommend you lock your bike using a Sold Secure rated heavy duty lock, as well as a robust chain or cable.
A poor quality lock can be cut through or bolt cropped in seconds. For maximum protection you can use 2 locks of different types (a D-lock and robust chain and padlock is ideal). You should lock both wheels and the frame to the internal racking of the hangar if possible.
scroll down to the area titled ‘Licenses and Services’ – your cycle hangar will be listed there – titled ‘My cycle hangar – live’. Click on the link to view the details
Why do I need to park my bike in my allocated space?
With the majority of hangars fully rented, if any user parks in another user’s space, the knock-on impact can be that all users have to park in another space. Which many users find problematic.
It also makes it very difficult to identify and deal with any unauthorised bikes that may be parked in a hangar, which can cause overcrowding.
So we ask all users to only park their bike in their allocated spaces.
The spaces are shown on the underside of the hangar door, and are labelled A-F.
If another parked bike is in your spot, don’t park your bike in another user’s space.
Where do I need to send my key to get my deposit back / how do I cancel my hangar space?
To get back your £26 key deposit, return your key to the address below and vacate the space as soon as possible.
Include your name and address with the key, to help us process your cancellation.
We’ll then return your key deposit within 10 days of receiving your key. In most cases, we’ll return the money back to your account automatically, but if your card has expired we’ll send a cheque to your home address you have registered on our system. If your key is not returned promptly we may not return your deposit.
It’s recommended that you send your key back in a jiffy bag, by a signed for service. This is to ensure that you can track this and claim back from the Royal Mail if there are any problems. We’ve had reports of keys sent back in standard envelopes coming out of envelopes when processed by the Royal Mail’s sorting machines.
Permit and voucher applications
PO box 75935
London
E5 5FA
We will not issue partial refunds for cancellations made partway through the term of your membership.
select your ‘Cycle Hangar Registration’ under Activities and Requests
We’re unfortunately unable to give any indication of how long it may be before a space may be offered, as this depends on factors beyond our control, such as how long existing occupants continue to use their space.
How long will I have to wait for a space to be offered to me?
This varies from area to area, but we typically see between one and four spaces become available in a cycle hangar each year.
Registering your interest in more hangars (up to the limit of 5) will give you the best opportunity to be offered a space as soon as possible.
How many spaces can I apply for?
Due to demand for spaces exceeding the number we have available, we have a limit of one space per person, to ensure that as many people as possible can benefit from a space.
There's a new hangar on my road that isn’t showing on your system. How can I register my interest in a place in it
Anyone signing up via the new site will automatically be considered for any new hangars in your area, regardless if you have only registered an interest in being notified about new hangars only, or have registered an interest in other hangars in your area.
Spaces in new hangars are allocated to local residents who have been on the waiting list the longest.
The waiting lists for hangars in my area are very long. Are you going to be installing new hangars soon?
While Hackney currently has the highest number of hangars of any local authority in London, unfortunately demand for this extremely popular programme is higher than the number of hangars we have been able to provide to date.
We’re working to install more hangars, but due to cuts, we’re reliant on external sources of funding to grow the service further.
Can I request a new hangar to be installed on my road?
We don’t install hangars on request. Instead, we choose sites based on a combination of:
levels of demand from local residents for cycle parking (determined using the waiting list)
ensuring that there is a good distribution of hangars across the borough
When you register your interest it helps us see where we need new hangars. Therefore register your interest in a space, so that we can focus our efforts on installing hangars where they are most needed.
Registering for existing hangars won’t spoil your chances of getting a place in a new one. You can also ask to be considered for a new hangar if one is installed in your area if there are none that are sufficiently convenient for you to use.
When we install a new hangar we’ll offer places to the people who live nearby and have been on the waiting list longest.
How are spaces in new hangars allocated to local residents?
When allocating spaces in new hangars we will first identify the shortlist of people who live near the new hangar – this will be done using nearby postcodes so that we don’t disadvantage those who may have signed up long ago before a new hangar was installed.
Once we have at least six users on the shortlist, we will send invitations, with those who have been on the waiting list the longest.
Once the hangar is full, all further allocations (once spaces become available) will be based on the waiting list against the specific hangar, which you’ll need to register your interest in if you aren’t successful in being offered a space via the initial allocation of spaces.
I’m on the waiting list for a space, but there appear to be vacant spaces in hangars. Can I be offered a space?
We operate an automated system, which checks daily for vacant spaces and offers them to those who are at the top of the waiting list, to minimise the time spaces are vacant for.
Therefore, for occupied hangars, all the spaces are currently being rented or are under offer.
Beyond ensuring that we fill all spaces in hangars, we don’t set preconditions in relation to how often a space or bike is used, as there are many reasons why a bike may not be in a hangar for a period of time, and we don’t have the capacity to do regular audits.
We’re instead focused on securing more funding to install more hangars to better meet demand.
How will I be notified that I’ve been offered a cycle hangar space?
If you’ve joined the waiting list for a specific hangar(s) then we’ll notify you by email when you are next in the queue to be offered a space.
You’ll have 10 days to accept the offer. If you don’t, then the offer will move to the next person on the waiting list.
You’ll also automatically be considered for spaces in any new hangars that are installed near your home, with spaces being allocated to those who have been on the waiting list the longest.
However, be aware that demand for this extremely popular service is much higher than the number of spaces available, meaning that there is no guarantee that you will eventually be offered a space.
I’ve been offered a space in a hangar, but there are hangars that are closer to home that I would prefer a spot in. What should I do?
If you accept an offer, you will come off the other waiting lists, so it’s important to consider whether you will be prepared to use the hangar in the long term before accepting it.
We’re not able to accommodate hangar swaps, so it isn’t possible to stay on the waiting list for other more convenient hangars and then swap over later.
If you’re considering waiting for a more convenient hangar, be aware that the number of spaces that become available in each hangar each year is typically between one and four.
Can I change my preferences on which hangars I am interested in?
You can join the queue for up to five hangars, so if there are other hangars you are interested in, you can log back into your account and register your interest in any additional hangars in your area.
If you’ve five hangars in your list, you can remove yourself from a hangar queue, to join the queue of a hangar that has less demand. It’s up to you.
I want to register my interest in a hangar, but it's not showing on your website, or saying I’m not entitled to apply
About a quarter of cycle hangars in Hackney are located on council-managed estates, and are reserved for the use of residents of council-managed properties, as they are funded by them.
If you’re a resident of a council-managed property, you can register your interest by selecting ‘Estate hangars’ when registering your interest. You can also apply for on-street hangars, which are open to all Hackney residents.
If you’re an estate resident, you can benefit from a reduced rate of £36.50 per year when renting a place in a cycle hangar. Register your interest in a cycle hangar.
In some instances there may be other cycle parking schemes managed more locally. To find out more about these contact your housing officer directly.
We’ve committed to doubling the number of cycle hangars in Hackney by 2026, by installing a further 675 hangars across the borough. This huge expansion of secure on-street and estate cycle parking will help residents to store bikes safely on-street and encourage more people to cycle.
Expansion programme - latest
We’ve signed a contract with Grease Monkey, who will supply and install the hangars. Installations began in October 2023, with over 300 hangars already installed.
Expansion plan
In 2024 and the first half of 2025, we will focus on installing hangars in areas with the highest demand from local residents, using the existing registrations of interest we’ve received. In later phases, we plan to improve hangar coverage across the borough. We won’t be installing hangars on request.
We’d like to update you on our cycle hangar expansion programme. We’ve created a map (see below) that displays proposed locations and tracks their progress through various stages before installation. This map only features hangars included in this expansion programme.
We follow detailed guidelines for selecting suitable hangar locations, and experienced officers carefully access each location. Until the hangar is actually installed, there’s a chance that a proposed location may change or can no longer go ahead. You should view the timing information below as a rough estimate only.
Map Key
Potential
This means that a location for a new cycle hangar has been provisionally identified, but is still subject to detailed feasibility assessment and may not proceed to consultation unless certain criteria are met. If the location is deemed suitable and passes the consultation stage, we will install a hangar in about 5 to 6 months.
Pending consultation
This means the location of a proposed hangar has been fully assessed and quality checked but has not yet entered the consultation stage. If the location passes the consultation stage, we will install a hangar in about 4 months.
In consultation process
This means the location of the hangar is currently in the formal public consultation stage. For the first 21 days of this stage the public may object to the hangar by email consultation.parking@hackney.gov.uk . If the location passes the consultation stage, we will install a hangar in about 2 months.
Active
This means we’ve installed the cycle hangar and it’s operational.
I’m interested in a space in a new hangar – how will spaces be allocated?
When we install a new hangar, we’ll send an email to everyone on the waiting list within a certain distance of the new hangar, inviting them to request a spot in it.
You’ll have around two weeks to register your interest. After that, we’ll start assigning spaces, prioritising those who have been on the waiting list the longest.
If you’ve previously registered interest in other hangars, your registration date will remain the same. This ensures that the people who have been waiting the longest and are interested in the new hangar get first priority for spaces.
I’d like a hangar installed close to my home – can I request one?
Unfortunately not. Instead we choose the sites based on a combination of:
levels of demand from local residents for cycle parking
ensuring that there is a good distribution of hangars across the borough
The early phases of the expansion programme prioritise installing more hangars in areas where demand is at its highest.
When you register your interest on our website, it helps us see where we need new hangars. Registering for existing hangars won’t spoil your chances of getting a place in a new one. So, if you and others on your street who want a space could register your interest, we can focus on installing hangars where they’re needed the most.