Security guards in Hackney

Which parts of Hackney do we cover?

All of the borough, from Shoreditch and Hoxton on the edge of the City to Stamford Hill in the north and Hackney Wick beside the River Lea.

• Shoreditch and Hoxton. Shoreditch is a retail cluster in the Central Activities Zone, shared with Islington, and part of the City Fringe Opportunity Area in the London Plan. Hackney’s Local Plan calls it the commercial heart of the borough, with Priority Office Areas at Shoreditch and Wenlock. Hoxton and Haggerston are its main residential neighbourhoods, and Hoxton Street has a council market.
• Dalston and Hackney Central. Both are Major town centres, with Priority Office Areas at Dalston, Kingsland and Mare Street. Ridley Road Market trades in the heart of Dalston, Kingsland Market runs along Kingsland Road towards Shoreditch, and Homerton University Hospital is on Homerton Row.
• Stoke Newington, Stamford Hill and Woodberry Down. Stoke Newington and Stamford Hill are district centres. At Woodberry Down, a 2,000-home estate is being replaced over 20 years with more than 5,500 new homes, and the East Reservoir next door is now Woodberry Wetlands.
• Clapton, Homerton and Hackney Wick. The Local Plan names Clapton and Homerton as new growth areas. Hackney Wick is a Strategic Industrial Location and home to the Copper Box Arena, and Hackney Marshes has 82 football, rugby and cricket pitches on North Marsh, South Marsh and Mabley Green.
• Industrial pockets. Beyond Hackney Wick, industrial land is protected in ten Priority Industrial Areas, from Anton Street and Belfast Road to Theydon Road and Tilia Road, and at Millfields, Helmsley Place and Frederick Terrace.

What needs guarding in Hackney?

Offices. Shoreditch’s office buildings, and those in the other Priority Office Areas, need reception run well during the day and the building secured once staff leave. In Shoreditch and beyond, our office security officers can greet and sign in visitors, control access and patrol out of hours.

Building sites, many of them small. The Local Plan expects almost half of Hackney’s new homes to come from small sites. A plot squeezed between houses still needs its gate controlled and its materials guarded at night (construction site security), and on a tight street traffic marshals can keep pedestrians clear of reversing lorries. The large phased schemes, such as Woodberry Down, need the same cover for longer.

Shops and markets. In Dalston, Hackney Central and around the council’s street markets, uniformed retail security officers can deter theft by being seen and support staff when something goes wrong.

Workshops and industrial units. Firms in the Priority Industrial Areas and at Hackney Wick can use keyholding and alarm response so that an SIA-licensed officer, not the owner, attends when the alarm goes off at night.

Venues and events. For events at Hackney Wick and in the borough’s parks, organisers can bring in event security officers for entry, bag checks and crowd management. We match each role to the SIA licence it needs: contracted door staff at a venue licensed to sell alcohol for drinking on site need a door supervisor licence, which is a different licence from the one for security guarding.

What should you check before hiring security in Hackney?

• The late night levy. Since 1 November 2017, premises licensed to sell alcohol between 00:01 and 06:00 have paid Hackney’s late night levy. Premises that gain the council’s Hackney Nights accreditation get 30% off the levy, so it’s worth asking how your security arrangements count towards it.
• Cumulative impact areas. Hackney’s licensing policy for 2023 to 2028 has two kinds. In a special policy area, a new or varied licence that draws objections is refused unless the applicant shows it won’t add to the cumulative impact; in a special consideration area, applicants must show they understand the local concerns and how they’ll address them. Check whether your premises fall in one before you change your hours or door arrangements.
• Shared streets. In places such as Dalston and Shoreditch, building sites, markets and late-night venues can share the same streets. Agree delivery windows with your neighbours and with market trading days in mind, so your gate isn’t blocked when the stalls are out.