Stamford Hill area action plan

The Council started developing a plan for Stamford Hill in 2015 to reflect the aspirations of the whole community. There are a number of stages involved in developing the plan. Once adopted, it will provide a detailed planning framework for Stamford Hill for the next 15 years. The aim of the plan is to manage existing pressures and shape future growth in a way that benefits the local community, prioritising family homes, providing new schools and community facilities, and improving local shopping and public space.

Community engagement is central to our approach to plan making. We set up a cross-party project steering group in 2015, including local Councillor’s from all 3 political parties, to steer the plan’s delivery and help build support for it across the community. We have also set up a Stamford Hill Community Panel, which is made up of representatives from both of the Stamford hill neighbourhood forum groups, key community groups, faith groups and local Councillors. The Panel advises the Council on community engagement and has played a key role in building support for the plan across the whole community. The make-up of the group aims to reflect the demographic, faith and ethnic profile of the diverse community in Stamford Hill.

The Panel meets up to 4 times a year and is chaired by an independent facilitator. Its main purpose is to ensure that a range of local views are taken into account in the policies developed and that consultation reaches a wide audience. The Panel has worked closely with the Council helping to organise a programme of engagement which has included, community consultations, public workshops on key planning issues, drop-in events and sessions with local schools.

What’s happened so far?

Hundreds of residents have already shared their views and ideas.

The Community Panel has worked closely with the Council helping to organise a programme of engagement which has included, community consultations, public workshops on key planning issues, drop-in events and sessions with local schools.

Following an extensive 18 month programme of community workshops, questionnaires and drop-ins in which we collected a substantial body of evidence, we consulted on the issues and challenges to be addressed in the plan and suggestions on how to tackle them. This was set out in ‘Towards a Stamford Hill Plan’.

• Towards a Stamford Hill Plan

In the spring 2017, we carried out an 8-week public consultation on the draft plan, with an article in Hackney Today and over 800 letters going out to statutory bodies and local residents. The document was available on this website and at all of our local libraries. We also held drop-in sessions at Stamford Hill Library in March. We received over 2,000 responses highlighting a wide range of issues.

Summary of 2015/2016 community engagement programme

Workshops on key planning issues in Stamford Hill

In 2015 and 2016 the community panel helped us organise a series of workshops on planning issues in the Stamford Hill area. The workshops on housing were most well attended.

Our housing needs (part 1) – 24 November 2015

• our housing needs (part 1) workshop report

In this workshop we explored the community’s priorities for housing, whether they were overcrowding, social housing or affordability, and also asked for local views on housing need.

Housing our growing community (part 2) – 1 December 2015

• housing our growing community (part 2) workshop report

Working with the findings from the first workshop, in the second we looked at ideas for ways to meet Stamford Hill’s housing needs.

Previous workshops

• building stronger communities, Tuesday 20 October 2015
• boosting health and wellbeing, Monday 12 October 2015
• facilities for social activities and leisure, Monday 22 June 2015
• the needs of local business, Monday 6 July 2015
• public realm and green spaces, Tuesday 21 July 2015
• education and learning 17 March 2016

Evidence base studies

The Council has commissioned a series of studies to support the development of the plan:

• Stamford Hill evidence base chapter 1 – population update
• Stamford Hill evidence base chapter 2 – housing update
• Stamford Hill evidence base chapter 3  – transport update
• Stamford Hill evidence base chapter 4 – education update
• Stamford Hill evidence base chapter 5 – open space update
• Stamford Hill evidence base chapter 6 – public realm update
• Stamford Hill evidence base chapter 7 – local economy update
• Stamford Hill evidence base chapter 8 – economic deprivation update 
• Stamford Hill evidence base chapter 9 – environmental performance update
• Stamford Hill evidence base chapter 10 – design and density update
• Stamford Hill evidence base chapter 11 – community development update
• Stamford Hill evidence base chapter 12 – health update
• Stamford Hill evidence base – charedi survey
• Stamford Hill AAP Atkins population projections

What happens next?

We’re now preparing a full report on the whole of the community engagement programme to inform a draft plan which responds to the issues that were raised. We will be consulting on the draft plan early next year.

Additional evidence base work is also being commissioned, including a further study on intensifying the existing housing stock and improving the public realm. The plan will also be informed by a sustainability appraisal and equalities impact assessment.

Key plan making stages

• evidence gathering – ongoing
• initial consultation to identify key issues – completed 2016
• consultation on Towards a Stamford Hill Plan – completed 2017
• consideration of consultation responses, commissioning of more evidence and preparation of a draft plan – we are now at this stage
• consultation on a draft plan – autumn 2019
• submission of the plan to the government for examination – early 2020
• examination of the plan – summer 2020
• adoption – autumn/winter 2020/21

For more information about the AAP contact us on planmaking@hackney.gov.uk, or 020 8356 8084.