Hackney & Islington (UK) Councils Now Consulting Public On Proposed Near-Zero-Emissions Zone In Shoreditch

Those living within the areas governed by the Hackney and Islington councils (in the UK) who are interested in seeing a proposed near-zero-emissions zone imposed in parts of Shoreditch now have a chance for their voices to be heard — with a public consulting period on the matter now ongoing until February 14th.

To explain better: The proposed plan would see diesel, petrol/gas, and old hybrid models banned from two zones in Shoreditch, which would mean that the only vehicles allowed to operate therein would be electric vehicles and newer hybrids.

The ban wouldn’t be outright, though, but would rather only relate to the peak commuter time periods of 7:00 am to 10:00 am and 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm, Monday to Friday.

A local Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Transport, and Parks by the name of Cllr Feryal Demirci commented: “The streets around Shoreditch suffer from some of the worst air quality in London — ultra low emission streets will have reduced levels of air and noise pollution, make it easier and safer to walk and cycle and improve the character of the area for all residents and businesses.”

Continuing: “To start with we’re proposing to ban petrol and diesel vehicles in the morning and evening rush hours to reduce people’s exposure to dangerous fumes and make the streets safer when people are walking and cycling to and from work and school. Our ultimate goal is to reclaim the streets from polluting motor vehicles — this ground breaking scheme is the first step towards doing that.”

I like that line there: “Our ultimate goal is to reclaim the streets from polluting motor vehicles.” That’s the crux of it, re-prioritizing humans over cars — something long overdue.

Importantly, those living or working on the street would still be allowed to use their cars without hindrance.

Anyone in the area, or even just those who travel through it, are now welcome to provide their view on the proposals until the aforementioned February 14 cutoff date for the consultation.

Photo of Hackney street by Nigel Cox for the Geograph project collection (CC BY-SA license)