Millfields Park: leccy lorry row rumbles on

Millfields Park campaigners Photo: Kriss Lee

A group of Clapton residents have got together to challenge plans for a new lorry route through South Millfields Park.

The road is being proposed so that National Grid vehicles can get enhanced access to Hackney Substation during its seven year upgrade period.

The route that contractors are currently using includes Hillstowe Street, which has meant that heavy traffic has been a big problem for local residents – until recently, they have had to endure up to 50 lorries a day passing down the road.

For the past four years, such traffic has often arrived early in the morning and queued the length of the street to wait for the substation to open, and has wreaked havoc with the lives of Hillstowe Street residents – generating dust and fumes, and at times blocking access to the street.

There is a growing consensus that a different route must be found, and National Grid has initiated a consultation on the issue, which has now been extended.

However, some residents feel that the consultation process has failed to give sufficient choice over the number of alternative routes.

One proposed alternative, which is given pride of place in the consultation document, is a new road that would run from Chatsworth Road to the substation, bisecting the park.  Many park users strongly object to this route.

Campaigner James Cherkoff of the Save Millfields Park group said, “National Grid wants to build a stonking big road through a much-loved local park, despite there being clear alternatives.”

There is an alternative – known as ‘route 4’ in the consultation document – running from Millfields Road to the substation through land owned by power company EDF.

However, National Grid claims that this route could only be used with restricted access, which would mean that it would have to be used together with one of the others – quite possibly the existing Hillstowe Street route.

Cherkoff favours ‘route 4’, claiming that with sufficient cooperation between the two organisations, this route could prove a viable alternative on its own. “It’s crucial National Grid and EDF begin genuine consultation before their actions turn a family park into an industrial park.”

Cllr Ian Rathbone, Chair of the Millfields User Group, echoed the sentiment that EDF could do more to help solve the problem. “We are dissatisfied with the lack of EDF response or cooperation in providing information or help with the route option.

The Group are pressing EDF to indicate the current levels of traffic on their own upcoming project, and explain what future contract work they are aware of which will significantly modify traffic levels,” said Rathbone.

A National Grid spokesperson said that the route through the EDF site could only be considered a temporary solution: “EDF Energy Networks has their own programme of works on site, which will means there will not be the room to let all vehicles on site at all times,” therefore “it is not possible to use the route through the EDF Energy Networks site as a permanent or sole solution to the access review.”

“National Grid is working very closely with EDF Energy Networks to use route 4 as a shared access with another route, and we have consulted the community on this option. We are also currently using this access (shared with Hillstowe Street) while the route review and public consultation is taking place,” added the spokesperson.

Other residents favour other routes, but all agree that something must be done to resolve the issue.

According to Hillstowe Street resident Kriss Lee, “there is a 100 per cent consensus of the people on this street that nothing from the substation should go down here again.”

Lee notes that there are many residents on the street who have children, and that the disruption to all the residents’ lives has been intolerable.

And whatever their view on the proposed alternatives, most appear to agree that the initial consultation, which ended on 6 April, was botched. Residents argue that too few people were consulted and that too little information was provided.

Following complaints, National Grid has extended its consultation till the end of May. According to the National Grid spokesperson, “National Grid does not have a preferred route; however, it is essential that we have a secure permanent and uninterrupted 24 hour access to the substation for all vehicles.”

EDF declined to comment as the consultation was being carried out by National Grid.

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Millfields User Group is the official park user group which works with the Council’s parks department to improve the park.

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Electricity vehicle stretching the length of Hillstowe Street Photo: Kriss Lee