‘Unsafe’: Hackney residents demand better lighting on borough’s ‘darkest road’

Shellness Road. Image: Google

Residents at a north Hackney housing estate are calling for better lighting on the borough’s “darkest road” as the nights draw in.

People on the Pembury Estate challenged local politicians, including the mayor, to do a walkaround between midnight and 5am to see the problem for themselves.

One resident said he felt that Shellness Road was “unsafe for women, tenants and pedestrians after dark”.

He claimed that lights were out of action for six months, despite complaints to Hackney Council and Peabody, a housing association that provides homes on the estate.

He added: “The road has been plunged into darkness and must be the darkest road in Hackney.”

The resident said neighbours work shifts, with some returning home after dark, and are anxious.

They want the lighting fixed before it starts getting dark earlier in the evenings.

A spokeswoman for Peabody said: “We’re repairing and upgrading the lights and entrance doors at Shellness Road. We’ve been doing this in stages, and the project is nearly finished.

“We’re sorry for the time it’s taken, and we’ll be fixing the outstanding issues as quickly as possible.

“Colleagues work closely with the local police’s Safer Neighbourhood Team and Hackney Council to prevent and tackle anti-social behaviour on the Pembury Estate and surrounding area.

“We’ll continue to request more police patrols.”

Hackney Council recently surveyed residents to find out which areas of the housing service they would like to see prioritised.

The survey led to accusations from a local campaigner that the council was “roping in tenants to collude in cutting services”.

Hackney Council has been approached for comment.