Pic: Proposal drawings of more ‘pedestrian friendly’ Narrow Way. Credit: Hackney Council

A new public square by St Augustine’s Tower, more cycle parking and space for outdoor seating are planned as part of an overhaul by Hackney Council to make Narrow Way more pedestrian-friendly.

New crossings are proposed for the junction of Amhurst Road and Mare Street in order to slow traffic down as well as to draw more people from Hackney Central Station to Narrow Way. There will also be more CCTV cameras installed.

The council also hopes to make the area more popular among families by creating child-friendly spaces and organising events for children on the street.

The Narrow Way already saw big changes when buses were permanently banned from the street last year. Local traders protested against the proposal, as they were worried it would decrease the number of visitors to the street.

A shopworker on Narrow Way, who wanted to remain anonymous, said that he had “lost faith” in the council.

“When they stopped the bus traffic, less people visit the street”, he said.

He still welcomes the new proposal but is unsure if it will benefit existing local businesses or if they will be pushed away from the area due to increasing rents.

He also noted that after the bus traffic stopped at the street the number of cyclists had increased which he said has lead to more accidents.

“Everyday there’s an accident outside the shop. It was more organised with the busses”, he explained.

Hannah Green, 28, of Lower Clapton cycles through the street every day. She was very positive about the changes and told EastLondonLines that the street needed “new life”.