View source for Hackney Downs

{{For|the railway station|Hackney Downs railway station}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox UK place
| country              = England
| map_type             =
| region               = London
| population           = 
| official_name        = Hackney Downs
| london_borough       = Hackney
| post_town            = LONDON
| postcode_district    = E5/E8
| dial_code            = 020
| coordinates          = {{coord|51.550818|-0.061820|display=inline,title}}
| static_image_name    = File:Hackney downs 1.jpg
| static_image_caption = Hackney Downs from the centre of the Downs looking northeast (October 2005) 
}}

'''Hackney Downs''' is a park and an area of historically [[common land]] in the [[Lower Clapton]] area of the [[London Borough of Hackney]]. The name is sometimes also used to apply to the neighbourhood around the park.

==Hackney Downs Park==
The Downs open space was originally common land, preserved from the 1860s as parkland as a result of pressure by the [[Commons Preservation Society]]. At {{convert|16|ha|acre}},<ref>[http://www.planning-inspectorate.gov.uk/pins/common_land/decisions/2009/hackney_downs_28_july_09.pdf ''Hackney Downs Common''] 30 June 2009 (Planning Inspectorate Casework) accessed 19 Sept 2009</ref> the park is one of the larger open spaces wholly within the London Borough of Hackney. It has a play area, basketball courts, football pitches and a bowling green.

Occupying, as it does, a fairly central place in Hackney, the park used to be the yearly venue for the popular Hackney Show, but this event — which helped to give a sense of community and identity to an often-troubled borough — has been discontinued in recent times as a cost-cutting measure, as have the regular [[Fireworks night|Fireworks Night]] shows. The park was given a [[Green Flag award]] in July 2008.<ref>''Hackney Today'' 188 21 July 2008</ref>

==Neighbourhood==
[[File:Hackney Met. B Ward Map 1916.svg|thumb|left|A map showing the Downs ward of Hackney Metropolitan Borough as it appeared in 1916.]]

The ‘Hackney Downs’ neighbourhood can be described as the western part of [[Lower Clapton]]; the area to the west of Cricketfield Road and east of the railway line. The streets north and south of the park are dominated by social housing (such as the [[Nightingale Estate]]) – these areas were largely rebuilt during the 1930s and 1960s.

==Education==
{{For|details of education in Hackney Downs|List of schools in the London Borough of Hackney}}
[[Hackney Downs School]] was also located here. The site has been redeveloped as the [[Mossbourne Community Academy]].

{{clear}}

==Governance==
''Hackney Downs'' is currently a [[wards of the United Kingdom|ward name]], the represented area of three councillors, of Hackney Council up for election every 4 years.

{{Election box begin | title= Hackney Downs 2022(3)}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
  |party      = Labour Party (UK)
  |candidate  = Michael Desmond*
  |votes      = 1,823
  |percentage =
  |change     =
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
  |party      = Labour Party (UK)
  |candidate  = [[Sem Moema]]*
  |votes      = 1,748
  |percentage =
  |change     =
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
  |party      = Green Party of England and Wales
  |candidate  = Alastair Binnie-Lubbock
  |votes      = 1,667
  |percentage =
  |change     =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Labour Party (UK)|candidate=Anna-Joy Rickard*|votes=1,636|percentage=|change=}}
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Green Party of England and Wales|candidate=Bettina Maidment|votes=1,573|percentage=|change=}}
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Green Party of England and Wales|candidate=Charlie Norman|votes=1,316|percentage=|change=}}
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Conservative Party (UK)|candidate=Agnieszka Cuellar-Bridy|votes=194|percentage=|change=}}
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Liberal Democrats (UK)|candidate=Erika Merguigi|votes=|percentage=5.2|change=}}
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Conservative Party (UK)|candidate=Joanna Wojciechowska|votes=161|percentage=|change=}}
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Conservative Party (UK)|candidate=Nikodem Mikolajewski|votes=155|percentage=|change=}}
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Independent Network|candidate=Ruth Parkinson|votes=101|percentage=|change=}}
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition|candidate=Clare Doyle|votes=99|percentage=|change=}}
{{Election box turnout||votes=|percentage=40.0|change=}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
  |winner     = Labour Party (UK)
  |swing      = 
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
  |winner     = Labour Party (UK)
  |swing      = 
}}
{{Election box gain with party link|
  |winner     = Green Party of England and Wales
  |loser      = Labour Party (UK)
  |swing      = 
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |title=Hackney Downs 2018 (3)}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
  |party      = Labour Party (UK)
  |candidate  = Michael Desmond*
  |votes      = 2,076
  |percentage = 
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
  |party      = Labour Party (UK)
  |candidate  = Anna-Joy Rickard*
  |votes      = 1,852
  |percentage = 
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
  |party      = Labour Party (UK)
  |candidate  = [[Sem Moema]]
  |votes      = 1,687
  |percentage =
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Green Party of England and Wales
  |candidate  = Alastair Binnie-Lubbock
  |votes      = 1,597
  |percentage =
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Green Party of England and Wales
  |candidate  = Sheila Menon
  |votes      = 1,134
  |percentage =
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Green Party of England and Wales
  |candidate  = Sally Zlotowitz
  |votes      = 1,074
  |percentage = 
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Conservative Party (UK)
  |candidate  = Mohammed Lunat
  |votes      = 229
  |percentage = 
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Conservative Party (UK)
  |candidate  = Yasmin Lunat
  |votes      = 214
  |percentage = 
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Conservative Party (UK)
  |candidate  = Agnieszka Rolkiewicz
  |votes      = 122
  |percentage = 
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box majority|
  |votes      = 
  |percentage = 
  |change     =
}}
{{Election box turnout|
 |votes = 
 |percentage = 39.7
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
  |winner     = Labour Party (UK)
  |swing      = 
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
  |winner     = Labour Party (UK)
  |swing      = 
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
  |winner     = Labour Party (UK)
  |swing      = 
}}
{{Election box end}}

==Transport and locale==
{{Geographic Location
|title     = '''Neighbouring areas of London.'''
|Northwest = [[Stoke Newington]]
|North     = [[Stoke Newington]]
|Northeast = [[Upper Clapton]]
|West      = [[Dalston]]
|Centre    = Hackney Downs
|East      = [[Lower Clapton]]
|Southwest = [[Dalston]]
|South     = [[Hackney Central]]
|Southeast = [[Homerton]]
}}

[[File:Hackney districts.gif|thumb|right|Districts within the [[London Borough of Hackney]].]]
The two [[London Overground|London Overground stations]] are ''[[Hackney Central railway station|Hackney Central]]'' on the [[North London line]] and [[Hackney Downs railway station|Hackney Downs]] on the [[Lea Valley Lines]] to [[Liverpool Street station|Liverpool Street]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.mossbourne.hackney.sch.uk/ Mossbourne Community Academy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051023094900/http://www.mossbourne.hackney.sch.uk/ |date=23 October 2005 }}
* [http://www.hackney.gov.uk/index/council/departments/housing/towerblocks ''Blasts From The Past'']{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} (LBH film of demolition of the tower blocks on the north side of the Downs).

{{LB Hackney}}
{{Green London}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Districts of the London Borough of Hackney]]
[[Category:Areas of London]]
[[Category:Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Hackney]]
[[Category:Common land in London]]
[[Category:Clapton, London]]