Kings Park/ East Chesterton case study

Question 1

What and where is King’s Park?

Answer 1

It is a ward in the borough of Hackney in London

Question 2

What are the natural characteristics of King’s Park?

Answer 2

The River Lea runs along the eastern side of the ward
Hackney Marsh makes up more than half the land, and are an area for recreation and wildlife - underlain by alluvium soils and are one of the biggest areas of open land in London - 54 football pitches - 100 games a week, new areas of wildlife have developed
In 2018 design architects were appointed by the council to draw up a plan to increase the use of land in the area and extend wildlife areas

Question 3

What are the built characteristics of King’s Park?

Answer 3

Artificial channel of river Lea (built 1770) across Hackney Marshes to straighten the natural meander of the river
New pedestrian bridges built across the river in 2011 to allow access to the QE Olympic Park
Partially demolished coal-fired power station that closed in 1976 - evidence of post-industrialism - move to services
Many owned council estates in King’s Park, for example Clapton Park
The borough is growing and needs 16,000 new homes
54% of housing is socially rented (43% in the whole of Hackney)

Question 4

What are the demographic characteristics in King’s Park?

Answer 4

13,000 people
30% of people are under 20 (25% in the whole of Hackney - younger population)
29% of people are over 45 (24% in whole of Hackney)

Question 5

What are the socio-economic characteristics in King’s park?

Answer 5

52% employment (37% in Hackney)
9% unemployment (7% in Hackney)
21% lone parent households (15% in Hackney)
8% in bad/very bad health (6% in Hackney)
16% elementary employment (10% in Hackney)
In 10% most deprived wards in England (Index of Multiple Deprivation)
Life expectancy is 80

Question 6

What are the cultural characteristics in King’s Park in terms of religion?

Answer 6

48% Christian (39% in Hackney)

18% Muslim (14% in Hackney)

Question 7

What are the cultural characteristics in King’s Park in terms of ethnicity?

Answer 7

25% white British (36% in Hackney)

19% Black African (11% in Hackney)

Question 8

What are the political characteristics in King’s Park

Answer 8

Well-organised council with many community groups - there is a strong community
Hackney Marsh User Group - created Hackney Marsh Masterplan

Question 9

What are past connections shown in King’s Park?

Answer 9

In the 1500s it was a rural area and popular tourist destination - evidence of old Tudor mansions and hunting lodges - only Sutton House survives
Coal-fired power station shows used to be manufacturing and industrial area, which will have attracted low-skilled workers - deindustrialisation has occurred since

Question 10

What are and present flows of people in King’s Park?

Answer 10

1500s - rural area and popular tourist destination with Tudor cottages and hunting lodges for the wealthy
1800s - romanies settled on the marsh
1870s-80s - population increase due to industrial developments e.g. Xylonite (early plastic) and furniture manufacturing (12,000 to 200,000 in Hackney)
- turned from ‘green to grey’ - canals, railways and factories - wealthy middle classes left due to terraced housing and influx of lower-skill workers
1940s - waves of immigration of Afro-Caribbeans, Cypriots and Kurdish people - political and economic reasons
1960s - Immigration from mainland Turkey
1960s-70s - social housing ‘experiments’, e.g Holly Street Estate - high-rise and ‘snake’ blocks dogged by crime, violence, dereliction and vandalism
1980s-90s - gentrification - return of the middle classes (after Tony and Cherie Blair moved to Hackney) - triggered regeneration and resentment - old Georgian and victorian houses repurposed as single-family households

Question 11

Where is East Chesterton located?

Answer 11

It is a ward located in Cambridgeshire in the east of the UK

Question 12

What are the natural characteristics of East Chesterton?

Answer 12

River Cam runs along the eastern boundary of the ward - used by crews and houseboats
Surrounded by open farmland (rather than other built up residential areas)
Very flat landscape - good for agriculture and housing
Wetlands and protected areas of wildlife (e.g. Chesterton Fen)
Open rough grazing land - Chesterton fields

Question 13

What are the built characteristics in East Chesterton?

Answer 13

Mainly residential - particularly in the south of the ward
Train tracks, main road (A14) runs along north - transport networks nearby
High quality schools and education facilities
Museums and attractions
Large proportion of council housing
Contains one of the main sewage treatment plants in Cambridge
Allotments and a golf driving range

Question 14

What are the demographic characteristics in East Chesterton?

Answer 14

Population around 9,500
21% people under 20 (24% Cambridge)
34% over 45 (30% whole of Cambridge)

Question 15

What are the socio-economic characteristics in East Chesterton?

Answer 15

70% employment (56% in Cambridge)
4% unemployment (3% in Cambridge)
9% lone parent households (6% Cambridge)
4% in bad/very bad health (same in Cambridge)
12% in elementary employment (10% in Cambridge)
Within 40% most deprived wards in England (Index of Multiple Deprivation)
Life expectancy is 82

Question 16

What are the cultural characteristics in East Chesterton in terms of religion?

Answer 16

46% Christian (45% Cambridge)

5% muslim

Question 17

What are the cultural characteristics in East Chesterton in terms of ethnicity?

Answer 17

70% White British (66% Cambridge)
1.5% Black African
Less culturally diverse

Question 18

What are the political characteristics in East Chesterton?

Answer 18

Brownfields community centre - organises community events - well-organised - numerous events documented in newsletters
Some housing areas owned by charitable housing trusts
Labour held council
Hvae been campaigns for new bridge, station, drop kerbs

Question 19

What are past and present flows of people, money and resources in East Chesterton?

Answer 19

New bridge - link abbey to Chesterton, close to new station, links communities, reduces congestion, improves health - cyclist and footpath encouragement
New station - North Cambridge Railway Station - serves locals better as before there was only one Cambridge station - less congestion + better, faster transport, more income and more jobs
New riverside homes - more income, more housing (for increasing population, more jobs - wealthy people
St John’s innovation centre (see other question)
£100,000 investment from the government in recent years
£200,000 has been invested for the 100 house project - insulating the Eastfield estate (old uninsulated houses) by volunteer workers
Science park - attracts educated people in science - more jobs and more investment attracted - quarternary sector - knowledge economy

Question 20

What has the St John’s innovation centre done in East Chesterton

Answer 20

Provides business services and flexible accomodation
Offers experience, resources, contacts
Designed to help businesses innovate, grow and succeed, making it a more thriving business environment and more affluent area
Provides training and services
Provides jobs, for example in Data engineering, account managing, software development - increasingly important industries in the technology sector of employment