To the British Waterways project manager for Millfields works, 17 May.

Hi Mish

I doubt you’ll remember, but we met and had a pleasant chat at the community planting on Millfields park last year. I dissuaded you from pesticide use, I think.

I’m now secretary of the Millfields Users Group so it’s my job to harass you about the fact that the bridge walkway works have over-run.   BW said work would run from Monday 28th March for 6 weeks, i.e. till 8 May so it is over a week overdue. There’s a rumour that the subcontractor is failing to install railings, in which case may I ask why they are being allowed to get away with this? Are penalties being applied?

There is a serious road safety issue here, as people are naturally crossing at the west end of Lea bridge, exposed to drivers coming blind over the hump-back. I have heard an unconfirmed report of an accident, and users are bringing the issue to the user group. Local councillors are also getting involved, and of course the local press will be the next stop.

Could I also ask when the long-broken railing at south Millfields will finally be repaired? BW has meticulously painted right up to the break on either side, which some might describe as provocative considering how long we’ve been waiting for this simple repair. It’s tempting to feel that at Little Venice or the Zoo it would have been fixed long ago. We have had a very vague reply from BW via Hackney Streetscene and it would be courteous to give us a definite date, and an imminent one.

Regards

National Grid held a briefing for community stakeholders including MUG on 10 May. These are the main things we learned. There is a public exhibition about the North London Reinforcement Project on Tuesday 17 May 2-8pm at at Nye Bevan Community Hall.

• Works will restart in July or September and continue until 2016. Up to 2015 the work is related to the new cable tunnel (London Power Tunnels project). After that it’s the North London Reinforcement Project, the overhead lines up to Waltham Cross.

• Vehicle access is as much as possible via route 4 (Chatsworth Rd, Millfields Rd, EDF). Loads that can’t negotiate the Chatsworth / Millfields Roads corner will go via Hillstowe St.

• NG insist that they have designed the work to minimise road movement at Millfields. The tunnel is being bored from the westward end, and a new shaft has been sunk near Finsbury Park for insertion of construction equipment and materials.

• At Millfields, spoil from sinking a new shaft to meet the tunnel will be brought out, and materials for a head house and other site structures and machinery will be brought in

• Hours permitted for vehicles are:
  Monday – Friday 8 am – 6 pm loads, (7.30 – 6.30 site staff)
  Saturday 8 am – 1 pm.
  Millfields Road residents have pressed for no Saturday movements. Should MUG also do this?
  Please tell us if you see vehicles at other times.

• Speed bumps by homes in Millfields and Chatsworth Road will be removed to reduce noise from heavy vehicles. Hackney council Streetscene will probably substitute vehicle actuated signs (as on Powerscroft Rd). Councils aren’t allowed to put top-speed type cameras except at an accident blackspot. Streetscene is pushing for government regulations to be changed to allow use of average-speed cameras.

• NG will pay for landscaping in front of the substation. MUG is in touch with LBH Parks about this.

• The very tall ugly building at the north east corner of the substation may be removed: this is something MUG asked for when the works began.

• NG claims to be open to discussion of visual design of the new shaft head house which will be at the east side of the site, overlooking the orchard.