Hackney Council is set to invest £1.4 million in upgrading park depots at Clissold Park and Hackney Downs, aiming to modernise facilities and support the borough's green spaces. The project, expected to take nine months, will address issues that have rendered the existing facilities no longer fit for purpose,.

The £1.4 million investment will be split between Clissold Park (£682,135 excluding VAT) and Hackney Downs (£494,816 excluding VAT).

The Hackney Procurement Board convened on 8 July 2025, and approved a contract with Supplier A for £1,412,340.72 (inclusive of VAT) to carry out the refurbishment works. According to the HPB Contract Award Report Clissold Park Hackney Downs Park Depot Refurbishments, the upgrades are necessary because the existing facilities are no longer fit for purpose. The project aims to provide improved welfare facilities for staff, better storage solutions, and decarbonisation measures.

Specifically, the HPB Contract Award Report notes that the current depots have evolved piecemeal over time, resulting in poor layouts and inadequate infrastructure for vehicle, equipment, and materials storage. Furthermore, the welfare facilities for frontline staff are not up to the same standard as those for office-based staff.

The refurbishment project will focus on several key improvements. The upgraded depots will feature properly insulated buildings, air source heat pumps for heating and hot water, and photovoltaic panels for electricity generation. Additionally, new electric vehicle charging infrastructure will be installed to support the council's growing electric fleet. These measures align with Hackney Council's commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.

Improved welfare facilities will provide park staff with more space, adequate changing areas, and better storage.

The Hackney Procurement Board, chaired by Rotimi Ajilore, Assistant Director Procurement & energy Services, also discussed other contracts and frameworks at the meeting, including those for merchant services, tenant and leaseholder advisors, adult skills, and disabled adaptations. These decisions will be covered in separate reports.

Supplier A was selected from the Financial Services and Payments Framework. The Merchant Service Payment Provider Contract Award Report notes that Supplier A would provide face-to-face and Card Not Present (CNP) card acquiring, gateway and APM Services. The report details that an open tender was considered but rejected due to being resource intensive and costly. The option to provide the services in-house was also rejected because merchant services is a highly specialised area requiring technical, financial and regulatory expertise which council does not have.