• Enfield Local Plan: we are now expecting the final phase of public consultation, known as Regulation 19 to being in late March. Get ahead and read our objections to the proposals.

Enfield Local Plan

The Enfield Society has joined forces with Enfield RoadWatch to jointly publicise the next Consultation (Regulation 19) and encourage public participation.

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 refhttps://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/49214/5-Ch-3-Place-Part4-Planning.pdf page 89
Site allocationsSA10.1 – 4
https://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/50901/Appendix-C-Site-Allocations-Part1-Planning.pdf page 434
Homes proposedTotal of 3700
Our objectionsHigh 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
Annotated map from the Local Plan (page 92) showing changes since 2021

Strategic Policy PL11: Crews Hill

Local Plan refhttps://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/49214/5-Ch-3-Place-Part4-Planning.pdf page 103
Site allocationsSA11.1–3: https://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/50901/Appendix-C-Site-Allocations-Part1-Planning.pdf page 443
Homes proposedTotal proposed 5,500
Our ObjectionsImpact 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
Composite map showing proposed building areas (edged in red) at Crews Hill. Tiles do not match exactly due to mapping errors.

Site Allocation SA URB.03 Chase Farm

Local Plan refhttps://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/50900/Appendix-C-Site-Allocations-Part2-Planning.pdf page 459
DetailPlan has no protection for remaining former buildings of the hospital, including the clock-tower.
Our ObjectionsNo protection for the historic Clock Tower and associated historic buildings fronting the Ridgeway.

Tall Buildings Policy DE6: Area 1 Cockfosters

Local Plan refhttps://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/49236/21.-Appendix-D-Tall-Buildings-Planning.pdf page 10
DetailTwo sites in very close proximity to Cockfoster underground station, both up to 39m.
Our ObjectionsImpact 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 refhttps://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/49236/21.-Appendix-D-Tall-Buildings-Planning.pdf page 10
DetailFour sites are identified as follows: Enfield Chase Station (27m); Palace Gardens/Exchange (39m); Tesco’s/Sorting Office (42m) and Civic Centre (39m).
Our ObjectionsImpact 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
DE6 Area 2 (Enfield Town). Source: Local Plan Appendix D, page 565

Tall Buildings Policy DE6: Area 6 Southgate

Local Plan refhttps://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/49236/21.-Appendix-D-Tall-Buildings-Planning.pdf page 14
DetailFour sites are indicated around Southgate Circus with a maximum height of 30m

Tall Buildings Policy DE6: Area 8 Palmers Green

Local Plan refhttps://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/49236/21.-Appendix-D-Tall-Buildings-Planning.pdf page 16
DetailThe current site of Morrisons is indicated, with a maximum height of 24m.
Our ObjectionsImpact 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 refhttps://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/50902/Appendix-C-Site-Allocations-Part3-Planning.pdf page 511
DetailSA RUR.02: 160 houses
Our ObjectionsGreen 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 refhttps://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/50902/Appendix-C-Site-Allocations-Part3-Planning.pdf page 539
DetailProposed at least 70,200 sq m of new employment floorspace (light industrial, general industrial, storage and distribution, and related sui generis) floorspace
Our ObjectionsGreen 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 refhttps://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/50902/Appendix-C-Site-Allocations-Part3-Planning.pdf page 541
DetailSA RUR.04: Proposed 30,550 sqm of general industrial, storage and distribution
Our ObjectionsHarm 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

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.

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