Regulation 19 is expected to start in late March. Get ready and read about the attack on our Green Belt and Town Centres.
2024 “Pre Publication” Version
The London Borough of Enfield have now published the full text of the proposed Local Plan. You can find the links to this on the Council website.
Update 12-Mar-2024: The Council has now re-published the proposed Local Plan. However, the documents are described as “appendices”. This could be a reference to up-coming Council meeting on the 19th March. On the page you will also find a link to the newly published “evidence base”. One of the more important evidence documents in this set is the Green Belt Exceptional Circumstances Topic Paper which sets out the Council’s justification for proposing 10,000 homes on the Green Belt.
One of the arguments from The Council is that there is insufficient brownfield sites in the Borough to satisfy the housing need, which the Plan states is at least 33,280. Part of the problem with assessing housing need is that the London Plan only covers the period until 2029 and there are a number of different approaches to be used after that date.
The Society and Enfield RoadWatch also question that there are insufficient brownfield locations. in 2019 we worked with the CPRE and produced a report entitled Space to Build which identified locations for over 37,000 dwellings.
This version is described as “pre-publication” as it is possible that minor changes will be made before the final version is voted upon.
The expected timetable is as follows:
- Tuesday 19th March: Formal vote by full Council (this was rescheduled on 5th March),
- Thursday 28th March: start of the final formal consultation, known as Regulation 19 (see below). This will run for around seven weeks ending on Monday 20th May 2024,
- Later in 2024: Examination in Public, with a Planning Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State.
Regulation-19
The final point where the public have a chance to respond to the proposals is called Regulation-19. This is a more formal process than the last consultation in 2021. The Council is expected to publish a “pro-forma” template which comments must follow. To make the process “easier” we are intending to provide a web-based form, which will be available from this web-site.
If you wish to object to aspects of the Local Plan, your comments must be confined to Planning arguments. In the tables below we have listed points which can be used in objections. It is very important that you don’t just copy-and-paste our text, however tempting that may be!
We will be providing more guidance on how to respond to Reg-19 soon. Watch this space!
Our objections
These are the areas of concern in the Plan:
Strategic Policy PL10: Chase Park (Vicarage Farm) and Land South of Enfield Road, and Trent Park Equestrian Centre
Local Plan ref | https://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/49214/5-Ch-3-Place-Part4-Planning.pdf page 89 |
Site allocations | SA10.1 – 4 https://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/50901/Appendix-C-Site-Allocations-Part1-Planning.pdf page 434 |
Homes proposed | Total of 3700 |
Our objections | High level of harm to the character and identity of the area arising from the loss of countryside and semi-rural character Green Belt countryside designated as an Enfield Chase Area of Special Character within the current statutory Development Plan Loss of an important part of the historic landscape of Enfield Chase Urbanisation of the Merryhills Way, a popular Public Right of Way established comparatively recently to provide easy access on foot to high quality countryside Impact on Trent Park Conservation area from development at the Equestrian Centre Likely to be car-dominated with few jobs in the area and steep slopes making cycling hard |
Strategic Policy PL11: Crews Hill
Local Plan ref | https://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/49214/5-Ch-3-Place-Part4-Planning.pdf page 103 |
Site allocations | SA11.1–3: https://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/50901/Appendix-C-Site-Allocations-Part1-Planning.pdf page 443 |
Homes proposed | Total proposed 5,500 |
Our Objections | Impact on the designated Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation at Crews Hill Golf Course and Glasgow Stud Urbanisation of the setting of the Chain Walk Public Right of Way and Burnt Farm Ride Public Bridleway Impact on views from the Ridgeway across Enfield Chase historic landscape Possible future impact of development from deletion of Green Belt at Kings Oak Plain, an area of countryside recently planted with trees by volunteers Loss of popular garden centres and supporting businesses Harm to the rural setting of the Whitewebbs Transport Museum Traffic pressure harming the character of narrow rural lanes including Whitewebbs Road, Cattlegate Road and East Lodge Lane Traffic pressure on the Conservation Areas at Clay Hill and Forty Hall Likely to be car-dominated with few jobs in the area and steep slopes making cycling hard |
Site Allocation SA URB.03 Chase Farm
Local Plan ref | https://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/50900/Appendix-C-Site-Allocations-Part2-Planning.pdf page 459 |
Detail | Plan has no protection for remaining former buildings of the hospital, including the clock-tower. |
Our Objections | No protection for the historic Clock Tower and associated historic buildings fronting the Ridgeway. |
Tall Buildings Policy DE6: Area 1 Cockfosters
Local Plan ref | https://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/49236/21.-Appendix-D-Tall-Buildings-Planning.pdf page 10 |
Detail | Two sites in very close proximity to Cockfoster underground station, both up to 39m. |
Our Objections | Impact on views from Trent Park Conservation Area Impact on the character of the Cockfosters Impacts on views from across a wide area of historic Enfield Chase Area of Special Character/countryside |
Tall Buildings Policy DE6: Area 2 Enfield Town
Local Plan ref | https://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/49236/21.-Appendix-D-Tall-Buildings-Planning.pdf page 10 |
Detail | Four sites are identified as follows: Enfield Chase Station (27m); Palace Gardens/Exchange (39m); Tesco’s/Sorting Office (42m) and Civic Centre (39m). |
Our Objections | Impact on the historic market town character of the Enfield town Conservation Area Impact on the historic market square and numerous listed buildings including St Andrews church |
Tall Buildings Policy DE6: Area 6 Southgate
Local Plan ref | https://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/49236/21.-Appendix-D-Tall-Buildings-Planning.pdf page 14 |
Detail | Four sites are indicated around Southgate Circus with a maximum height of 30m |
Tall Buildings Policy DE6: Area 8 Palmers Green
Local Plan ref | https://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/49236/21.-Appendix-D-Tall-Buildings-Planning.pdf page 16 |
Detail | The current site of Morrisons is indicated, with a maximum height of 24m. |
Our Objections | Impact on setting of the Lakes Estate Conservation Area Impact on the setting of Broomfield Park and site of Broomfield House |
Site SA RUR.02: Hadley Wood (Land Between Camlet Way and Crescent Way)
Local Plan ref | https://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/50902/Appendix-C-Site-Allocations-Part3-Planning.pdf page 511 |
Detail | SA RUR.02: 160 houses |
Our Objections | Green Belt countryside designated as an Enfield Chase Area of Special Character within the current statutory Development Plan Impact on the setting of Conservation Areas at Hadley Wood and Monken Hadley (Barnet) |
Site SA RUR.03: Land west of Rammey March
Local Plan ref | https://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/50902/Appendix-C-Site-Allocations-Part3-Planning.pdf page 539 |
Detail | Proposed at least 70,200 sq m of new employment floorspace (light industrial, general industrial, storage and distribution, and related sui generis) floorspace |
Our Objections | Green Belt designated as part of the Lee Valley Area of Special Character Non-designated wildlife-rich area |
Site SA RUR.04: M25 Junction 24 (The Ridgeway, near St John’s school)
Local Plan ref | https://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/50902/Appendix-C-Site-Allocations-Part3-Planning.pdf page 541 |
Detail | SA RUR.04: Proposed 30,550 sqm of general industrial, storage and distribution |
Our Objections | Harm to green gateway to the Borough Green Belt countryside designated as an Enfield Chase Area of Special Character within the current statutory Development Plan |
The 2021 Version
The Council published a draft of the Local Plan in the Summer of 2021 and ran a 12-week “regulation 18” consultation. More details can be found here.
See Also
- The Society’s response to the 2021 draft
- The Extraordinary Story of Enfield Chase
- The Society’s concern for Enfield Chase
- 2021 Consultation response index
You might like to explore some of the areas affected by proposals in the Local Plan. We have a series of described walks across Enfield Chase which you can download and follow at your leisure.