LBE draft Local Plan consultation

The Council has published Enfield’s Draft Issues & Options Draft Local Plan for public consultation.

The draft new Local Plan (LP2036) will be the subject of a 12-week period of formal public consultation from Wednesday 5th December 2018 until Thursday 28th February 2019. Representations on these documents should be received no later than 5pm on Thursday 28th February 2019.

Towards a New Local Plan 2036

Enfield’s new Local Plan will be the key planning policy document for the borough. Once adopted, it will contain policies that, together with the London Plan, the National Planning Policy Framework and any related policy and guidance documents, will be used in determining planning applications and will shape how the borough will accommodate development and regenerated over the next 15 years.

The Issues and Options Local Plan sets out options for accommodating development over the next 15 years, through “good growth” principles as endorsed by the Mayor of London. Good growth is about ensuring that the positive benefits of growth, regeneration and investment reach all residents of Enfield.

This is the first of two formal stages to be consulted on as part of the new Local Plan. The document is available to view online at enfield.gov.uk/newlocalplan

Initial Society view

The principle challenges for the Plan are to providing more housing where the Council have a borough-wide target of 50% affordable housing and to prioritise social rented homes; protecting the Green Belt and other open spaces; identifying sites for development and, finally, encourage regeneration.

The Society welcomes the Council’s effort to encourage a wide participation in the consultation. But we also have some concerns that the Plan should be based on a strategy which meets objectively assessed development and infrastructure requirements and can be delivered over its life. We support the objective of addressing inequality and poverty, as well as including Enfield’s heritage which will help to developers understand the importance of our heritage at a time when there is considerable pressure for development.

The Society is very concerned over any possible development on Green Belt land and in particular the reference to possible development at Crews Hill. Whilst there is a railway station at Crews Hill, there is no other infrastructure except for a limited bus service. Enfield RoadWatch and the Campaign for Rural England are making an excellent joint submission on brownfield sites in the Borough, which the Society supports as these sites could provide alternative development opportunities and meet the housing needs. We also support more intensive residential use in Town Centres subject to the protection of heritage areas and high quality design.

In response to our membership, The Society continues to call for a Pubs Protection Policy, similar to those operating in Waltham Forest, East Hampshire District Council and the London Borough of Lewisham. Despite this being promised at our last meeting with Enfield Council Officers in December, we note the lack of a policy in the current Plan.

Public drop-in sessions

Drop-in sessions have been announced as follows:

• Tuesday 12 February, 3pm to 6.30pm at Edmonton Green Library
• Tuesday 19 February, 11.30am to 2.30pm at Palmers Green Library
• Thursday 21 February, 10.30am to 7pm at Enfield Council, Civic Centre, Place Shaping Room

How to respond

Make comments on the draft new Local Plan using one of the methods below:

• online at: enfield.gov.uk/plan1
• by e-mail to: localplan@enfield.gov.uk
• by post to: Strategic Planning and Design, ENFIELD COUNCIL, FREEPOST, NW5036, EN1 3BR

Please mark comments as ‘Local Plan’.

Should you have any queries relating to these consultations you can telephone the Strategic Planning and Design team on: 020 8379 3866.

Representations cannot be made anonymously. Please provide your full name and contact details. Please note that representations will be made publicly available, along with your name.

Hard copies of the draft Local Plan will be available to view on request at the Civic Centre and in the borough’s libraries.

Alternatively, hard copies of the draft new Local Plan and summary version can be made available on request by contacting the Council, either by telephone, via email or by post (see contact details above).