Enfield Local Plan

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

Use our on-line form to submit your objections

What is Regulation 19?

LBE has now commenced the final formal stage of consultation on the Local Plan, known as Regulation 19 and members of the public have seven weeks to submit responses. The format of the responses must follow a template and responses must be based on Planning arguments.

The Council template is quite complicated, To make the process simpler we have provided an online form which will e-mail your objections to the Council and avoids using the LBE template.

A reponse needs to include your name and address (anonymous responses are not permitted), the Plan Policy reference you wish to object to and your reasons. Each representation also needs to indicate if the policy and plan has been correctly prepared according to the following tests:

  1. that the policy is legally compliant
  2. that it is “sound” – ie , broadly speaking it represents the most appropriate strategy in the circumstances

Our online form will record your objections as both unsound and not legally compliant.

Technically responses are called representations. Once Regulation 19 ends, the representations will be passed to a Planning Inspector, appointed by the Secretary of State, who will convene a number of public meetings known as an Examination in public. These will test the Plan to see that it conforms to Planning law, a process known as testing if the Plan is ‘sound’.

People who make representations at Regulation 19 stage have the option of being called to an Examination Session in order to put forward their points in person. You can still make a response without the need to be further involved

Use our on-line form to submit your objections

More about the Plan

The Local Plan runs to about 600 pages, with a further 7,000 pages of evidence which justifies the policies included in the Plan. One of the more important evidence documents is the Green Belt Exceptional Circumstances Topic Paper which sets out the Council’s justification for proposing 10,000 homes on the Green Belt. You can find the links to the Plan on the Council website.

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.

The expected timetable is as follows:

  • Regulation 19 will end at 23:59BST on Monday 20th May 2024,
  • Later in 2024: Examination in Public, with a Planning Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State.

Council Meeting 19th March

At a noisy, and at times bad-tempered, Council meeting on Tuesday 19th March, the Council approved the draft Local Plan by 33 votes to 22. You can watch a recording of the Full Council meeting (running time 3h 18m) via the LBE website. Note: there is no audio for the first 25 minutes of the recording. The final statement by the Leader, Cllr Caliskan, is at time index 3h 07m and the roll-call of Councillors voting can be viewed at time index 3h 13m.

Our objections

These are the areas of concern in the Plan:

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/0030/55668/ELP-REG19-Consult-Chapters-3-15-Planning.pdf page 89
Site allocationsSA10.1 – 4
https://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0031/55669/ELP-Reg19-Appendix-C-Site-Allocations-Planning.pdf page 436
Homes proposedTotal of 3755
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

Urbanisation of countryside views across Enfield Chase from the footpaths along the edge of Williams Wood and Shaws Wood

Likely to be car-dominated with few jobs in the area and steep slopes making cycling hard

Urbanisation of views from the London Loop public footpath/right of way
Chase Park showing proposed development, access and new school. Source: page 92

Policy PL11: Crews Hill

Local Plan refhttps://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0030/55668/ELP-REG19-Consult-Chapters-3-15-Planning.pdf page 103
Site allocationsSA11.1–6
https://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0031/55669/ELP-Reg19-Appendix-C-Site-Allocations-Planning.pdf page 444
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/0031/55669/ELP-Reg19-Appendix-C-Site-Allocations-Planning.pdf page 461
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/0021/55038/ELP-REG19-Appendix-D-Planning.pdf page 564
DetailTwo sites in very close proximity to Cockfosters 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/0021/55038/ELP-REG19-Appendix-D-Planning.pdf page 565
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/0021/55038/ELP-REG19-Appendix-D-Planning.pdf page 569
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/0021/55038/ELP-REG19-Appendix-D-Planning.pdf page 571
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/0031/55669/ELP-Reg19-Appendix-C-Site-Allocations-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/0031/55669/ELP-Reg19-Appendix-C-Site-Allocations-Planning.pdf page 540
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/0031/55669/ELP-Reg19-Appendix-C-Site-Allocations-Planning.pdf page 542
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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