The Skills, Place and Economy Scrutiny Commission of Hackney Council is scheduled to meet on Thursday 10 September 2026. The meeting's agenda includes an update on the Hackney Parks and Green Spaces Strategy 2021-2031 and a discussion on the Commission's work programme for the upcoming year.

Hackney Parks and Green Spaces Strategy 2021-2031 Update

A significant portion of the meeting is scheduled to be dedicated to reviewing the progress of the Hackney Parks and Green Spaces Strategy 2021-2031. This strategy, developed with input from 967 residents, aims to manage the borough's 58 public parks and 247 housing green spaces. It outlines 30 commitments across three key areas: working with communities, creating more welcoming spaces, and enhancing environmental sustainability. The report pack indicates that the Commission will be looking at the five-year progress of this strategy, addressing resident concerns about park maintenance, the commercial use of green spaces for events, and the provision of better facilities. Public feedback has highlighted issues such as park safety and the impact of maintenance practices on local wildlife.

The strategy itself is presented as an integral part of Hackney's wider environmental framework, working alongside the Green Infrastructure Strategy, Local Nature Recovery Plan, and the planned Urban Forest Plan. The report details how green infrastructure is considered essential for the borough's resilience, contributing to climate change adaptation by cooling urban environments and managing floodwaters, encouraging active travel, enhancing biodiversity, and improving public health and community cohesion.

The update is expected to cover initiatives and projects delivered over the past five years, categorised under the strategy's three main themes. Under Working with communities, examples include resident engagement on estate improvements, biodiversity enhancements, and the development of community orchards and woodlands on estates such as Pittsfield Estate, Wick Village, Geffrye Estate, Arden TMO, Gascoigne Estate, and Debeavour Estate. For Creating more welcoming spaces, the update is anticipated to cover improvements to play areas, sports facilities, and public toilets, as well as the expansion of food and drink opportunities in parks. Examples include refurbishments at Hackney Downs, Clapton Common, and Well Street Common, and new facilities at Shoreditch Park and Abney Park Cemetery. The Being more environmentally sustainable theme is expected to detail efforts such as investing in electric machinery, reducing the use of glyphosate, utilising tree mulch for weed control, and increasing tree canopy cover on estates. For parks and green spaces, this theme is likely to cover the calculation of the service's carbon footprint, investment in battery-powered equipment, the introduction of dual-use waste bins, and the refurbishment of park depots with energy-efficient heating systems.

The report notes that half way through the Strategy good progress is being made, with 7 out of 10 commitments being met within each of the three themes. The update is intended to provide an opportunity for the Commission to ask questions of invited guests, including Councillor Jacob Cable, Cabinet Member for Climate, Clean Air, Energy and Transport, and officers from Parks, Leisure and Green Spaces, and Repairs & Maintenance departments.

Skills, Place and Economy Scrutiny Commission Work Programme 2026/27

The Commission is also scheduled to discuss its work programme for the 2026/27 municipal year. This item is intended to allow members to make suggestions for future topics of scrutiny. The report pack indicates that the Commission will review its past achievements, including work on the bus network, adult learning and EU funding, regeneration and economic development, library services, responsible business and social enterprise support, sustainability and investment oversight, insourcing and procurement strategy, markets and street trading, low traffic neighbourhoods, employment access and procurement, VCS sector support, parking and AI, the borough's transport strategy, business support development, green skills and construction, and the night-time economy strategy. Members will be invited to propose new items for the incoming scrutiny commission to consider.

The report pack also includes minutes from previous meetings, including the Skills, Place and Economy Scrutiny Commission meeting on 9 March 2026, which covered the Evening and Night Time Economy Strategy. While this is a record of a past meeting, it provides context for the Commission's ongoing work and the types of issues it addresses.