2.1 The Government's planning policy statements and guidance notes have been given full consideration, and its studies, best practice guidance and other relevant material have provided vital support in preparing this Core Strategy. The recent guidance highlights, amongst other issues, the need for sustainable development, the need to balance demand for additional housing, including affordable housing, with providing employment opportunities and adequate social and transport infrastructure whilst also protecting and improving the natural and historic environments. The Government’s Sustainable Communities Plan (2003) identifies the London-Stansted-Cambridge-Peterborough Corridor as a key growth area. Enfield’s location at the southern end of this growth corridor is reflected in the LDF’s priorities.
2.2 The national, regional and local policy context is set out in Appendix 4. The key regional and local policy context and its relevance to the LDF is summarised below.
The London Plan
2.3 The current London Plan (Consolidated with Alterations since 2004) was published in February 2008. Together with the Mayor of London’s other strategies, it has been taken fully into account in preparing the Core Strategy. The London Plan sets the regional strategic framework for the future of Enfield over the next 10 to 20 years, identifying the following key objectives:
2.4 Policy 2A.1 of the London Plan provides the overarching policy for sustainable development, which guides all the other policies in the Plan. It sets out a series of criteria to promote sustainable development and secure the plan's social, environmental and economic objectives, which need to be taken into account in the implementation of the London Plan and Enfield's LDF.
2.5 The key requirements placed by the London Plan on our LDF in planning Enfield’s future are to:
2.6 In October 2009 the Mayor of London published his draft new London Plan for consultation. This follows on from a "A New Plan for London" published in April 2009 and his direction of travel statement "Planning for a Better London" published in 2008. The Mayor's commitments which are of particular relevance to the development of Enfield's LDF include:
2.7 The Mayor intends to submit the Plan to an examination in public in summer/autumn 2010 and to publish a final version of the new London Plan in the winter of 2011-12.
2.8 The new Plan is being considered alongside consultations on the Mayor's Transport Strategy and Economic Development Strategy, both of which were also published for consultation in October 2009. The commitments of the Mayor's new Transport Strategy which are of particular relevance to the development of Enfield’s LDF are:
2.9 The commitments for the revision of the Mayor's Economic Development Strategy which are of relevance to the development of Enfield’s LDF are:
2.10 The Mayor has also established an Outer London Commission (OLC) to make recommendations to inform the London Plan and other Mayoral strategies and plans. Interim conclusions to inform the GLA's review of the London Plan were made available in July 2009. Those of particular relevance to the development of Enfield's LDF are:
"Enfield's Future": A Sustainable Community Strategy For Enfield 2009-2017
2.11 The Sustainable Community Strategy will lead the LDF priorities and development of the Core Strategy and area action plans. The LDF will be the spatial expression of the Community Strategy’s vision for Enfield as "a healthy, prosperous, cohesive community living in a borough that is safe, clean and green". The Strategy’s priorities and related objectives with a spatial element will inform the development of the LDF’s spatial vision, and are summarised below.
2.12 Children and young people:
2.13 Safer and stronger communities:
2.14 Healthier communities:
2.15 Improving the quality of life through employment and enterprise, environment, housing, leisure and culture:
Partnership in Enfield
2.16 The Enfield Strategic Partnership (ESP) brings together all the major public sector organisations, local businesses, community and voluntary groups to work collectively to improve the quality of life for local people. The partners include Enfield Council, Enfield PCT, Enfield Youth Assembly, housing associations, Metropolitan Police Service, North London Learning and Skills Council and Enfield Community Empowerment Network.
2.17 The Partnership is committed to delivering Enfield's Sustainable Community Strategy and has established a number of Thematic Action Groups to help delivery its objectives. These groups are as follows:
2.18 These groups have published a number of studies and strategies which have informed the preparation of this Core Strategy and will help to deliver its objectives. Through the LDF process Enfield Council is involving its partners and the community in developing a spatial approach to planning, ensuring that future planning changes reflect the circumstances and aspirations of local people, promoting community cohesion and sustainability.
Placeshaping in Enfield
2.19 The Council has embraced the more holistic and dynamic role for local government known as “Placeshaping”. The phrase was created by Sir Michael Lyon as part of the Lyon's Inquiry into Local Government (March 2007). It advocates a more strategic role for local government defined as “the creative use of powers and influence to promote the general well-being of a community and its citizens.”
2.20 Place shaping is about making Enfield a place of choice – a place where people choose to live, work, learn and do business. It’s about the Council, public and private sector, voluntary and community organisations working together to build a stronger sense of place and identity. This will mean different things to different people in different parts of the Borough but in every area the Council and its partners will creatively use their influence and power to improve the quality of life.
2.21 The Council and its partners have a strong track record of working together. Further drive and energy has been added to this work by bringing together many existing strands of work under a Place Shaping Strategy published in 2008. Enfield's Place Shaping Strategy has been endorsed by the ESP Board and will help coordinate activities across the Council and its partners and maximise the delivery of improvements. It will also inform a review of the Sustainable Community Strategy.
2.22 Spatial considerations are a key component of Enfield's Place Shaping Strategy which focuses on specific areas in the Borough where the greatest impact can be made. Work is currently focusing on four key areas in the Borough – the area around Enfield Town Station, New Southgate and the area around the North Circular Road, Ponders End in North East Enfield, and Meridian Water in Central Leeside. These areas have been identified as locations most suitable for growth and development. In addition, the Council is looking to build on the pathfinder project and physical regeneration that has taken place at Edmonton Green, to focus future resources on social and economic regeneration and better integration and awareness of services. However, the Place Shaping Strategy also recognises the importance of ensuring that whilst resources will focus on these specific areas, people across the Borough can see that place shaping benefits the whole of Enfield. The LDF will provide the framework for the delivery of the spatial priorities of Enfield's place shaping programme.
Figure 2.1 Enfield Place Shaping Strategy, 2008
“Building Futures, Changing Lives”: Enfield's Local Area Agreement 2008-2011
2.23 Enfield’s Local Area Agreement (LAA) represents the ESP’s shared contribution to achieving the partners’ 10 year vision. The ESP wants Enfield to be a Borough with diverse and cohesive communities, a place where people want to live and work. The aim is to reduce transience and provide employment that will give residents more disposable income to contribute to the development of a vibrant local economy and to participate actively in the development and maintenance of their communities.
2.24 The LAA is an agreement between the ESP and the Government which lasts until 2011 and forms a key part of the Sustainable Community Strategy Action Plan. Enfield’s LAA identifies key specific areas for improvement in the delivery of services at a more local level related to the following challenges:
2.25 The actions and targets in the new LAA demonstrate a shared partnering commitment to supporting the strengthening of the Voluntary and Community Sector and their capacity to deliver services, acknowledging the role the VCS play in improving community cohesion and reducing social exclusion.
Upper Lee Valley Vision
2.26 In 2007 the North London Strategic Alliance (NLSA) published the Upper Lee Valley Vision in order to inform the development plans of its member boroughs (Enfield, Barnet, Haringey and Waltham Forest) and the emerging Upper Lee Valley Opportunity Area Planning Framework being prepared by the GLA. The vision is for the area to become "North London's Waterside" in order to make better use of the unique assets of the Upper Lee Valley with the creation of better access and/or new waterfront locations at Enfield Lock, Columbia Wharf, Picketts Lock and Central Leeside, as well as improved connections across and use of the Lee Valley Regional Park.
2.27 In 2009, the NLSA and member boroughs launched the Economic Vision for the Upper Lee Valley, which builds on the earlier visioning work to provide an integrated economic strategy for the Upper Lee Valley, and informs the economic policies in this Core Strategy.
Other strategies and plans of the Council and its partners
2.28 This report builds on a number of other existing plans, strategies and studies of the Council and its partners. Those with spatial implications which inform the LDF are set out in Appendix 4.
2.29 In May 2009, the Mayor issued guidance on the new Local Implementation Process (LIP) for the 2010/11 transitional year. The substantially improved and simplified process aims to give greater flexibility to boroughs to provide locally appropriate transport solutions. The new scheme introduces six transport themes relating to maintenance of roads and bridges, corridors, smarter travel, neighbourhoods and major area based schemes. Allocations for corridors, smarter travel and neighbourhoods themes are granted based on a formulaic calculation of transport expenditure needs. Funding will now be allocated towards programmes rather than individual schemes, giving more discretion to the boroughs.
2.30 The changes will be implemented for 2010/11 on a transitional basis - this is the last year of the period covered by the existing borough LIPs. The system will then be reviewed and refined for the long term. From 2011-12 onwards, second round LIPs will have been approved and new guidance issued in line with the revised Mayor’s Transport Strategy.
2.31 As a north London borough, Enfield shares its borders with other London boroughs as well as district authorities and county councils. These authorities are all at different stages of preparing their own local plans and many of them consider issues which cross boundaries and have spatial implications wider than the individual borough or district. The key cross boundary issues which have informed the preparation of Enfield's Core Strategy are set out in Appendix 5.
Spatial Portrait
2.32 The London Borough of Enfield covers 32 square miles of London’s northern suburbs; housing occupies one-third, another third is Green Belt, mainly farming, country parks and horticulture. The rest includes commerce, industry, shops and transport - although much is open land used as parks, sports fields, golf courses, allotments and back gardens; and there are more waterways in Enfield than in any other London borough. Traditionally, Enfield has combined leafy suburbs within easy reach of central London with traditional working class areas in the east close to regionally important manufacturing along the Lee Valley, in many ways Enfield continues to fulfil these roles.
Figure 2.2 Aerial view of Brimsdown
2.33 This section summarises the defining characteristics of Enfield today and the problems, challenges and major drivers of change for the future. It sets out the key issues which need to be addressed in the Core Strategy.
Enfield’s Population
2.34 The Borough’s population was estimated at 285,100 in mid-2007.1 The Borough has a large proportion of children, young people and older people (26%) compared to the rest of London; the proportion of children and young people (32.6%) is also large compared to the national average. Enfield’s population is diverse and is undergoing a rapid demographic change mainly due to migration from elsewhere in the UK . Turnover is equivalent to 7% of the Borough's population changing every year. Current Council estimates show that more than 52% of the population belong to black and minority ethnic communities. Amongst school pupils the proportion is 70%. In 2001 a quarter of the Borough’s population were recorded as being born outside the UK. Along with neighbouring borough Haringey, Enfield is home to the UK’s largest Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities.
2.35 There are a wide variety of religions and faiths practised in the Borough. According to the 2001 Census, whilst 63.2% of the Borough’s residents are Christian, Enfield also has a large Muslim population (9.6%). Other major religions include Hinduism (3.35%) and Judaism (1.95%).
2.36 Since 2001 there have been significant rises in deprivation in Enfield, as measured in the 2007 Indices of Multiple Deprivation,2 which measures the average of the categories of income, unemployment, health and life expectancy, crime, overcrowding and poor housing conditions. The Borough’s overall ranking in the 2007 Indices of Multiple Deprivation worsened to 74th most deprived out of 354 English local authorities, from 104th in 2004. There are 181 Lower Super Output Areas (SOAs) in Enfield,3 an analysis of which reveal that there are levels of inequality within the Borough. The east and south of the Borough fare significantly worse than the rest of Enfield, with some neighbourhoods amongst the most deprived in Britain. Enfield also has the 3rd highest inequality score in London when comparing scores for the most and least deprived SOAs. Small area statistics suggest that deprivation has also spread, in particular to areas just west of the A10 and town centres including parts of Enfield Town, Palmers Green and Southgate. Inequalities in health mirror these patterns of deprivation and child poverty is also a worsening trend. Between 2005 - 2007 there was an increase of 5.7% more children in benefit claimant families, much higher than the London average. Severe concentrations of social need put an inevitable strain on public services in these areas.
2.37 In Enfield on average a man can expect to live to 77.9 years and a woman to 81.9 years.4 This compares favourably with England and London averages. However, life expectancy varies across wards, with a gap of 4.9 years life expectancy between the fifth of wards with the highest life expectancy and the fifth with the lowest.
2.38 2001 Census figures indicated that 16.2% of people in the Borough had a long term illness, health problem or disability, compared to 15.5% of people in London and 18.2% of people in England and Wales. Between 2002 and 2007, claimants of Disability Living Allowance increased by 21.8%, one of the highest rates of increase in the country.
2.39 Enfield has a low overall crime rate when compared to neighbouring boroughs and London as a whole, with 55 reported crimes per 1,000 population recorded in 2007/08; the figures for Barnet, Haringey and Waltham Forest were 48.5, 81.4 and 71.2 respectively; the average figure for London was 63.5. Government Office statistics also indicate that the level of recorded crime in the Borough has continued to drop, from 65.9 offences per 1000 population in 2003/04 to the most recent figure of 55. Similarly, resident’s fear of crime is falling. For example, in 2003, 60% of residents told us they felt unsafe out alone after dark; in 2007 this figure had fallen to 47.6%. However, local statistics reveal that Enfield continues to experience noticeably higher levels of crime in the south east of the Borough, with hot spots in Edmonton and Enfield Town.5
Challenges and opportunities for the future
2.40 According to current estimates Enfield’s population is estimated to grow to between 293,500 and 303,800 to 2026.6 The greatest growth is expected in the south and east of the Borough, where existing problems of economic deprivation and social inequality are greatest. Sufficient land will need to be identified and safeguarded to accommodate new housing growth and essential supporting social infrastructure such as education, health and social care services. A combination of cultural diversity, rises in deprivation and disadvantage combined with a transient population provide a key challenge for neighbourhood relationships and sense of community cohesion. A growing need to tackle inequalities between communities, particularly between the affluent west and deprived south and eastern wards, will drive change in Enfield.
Figure 2.3 Crews Hill
2.41 The makeup of the Borough's population is also expected to change: it will become more ethnically diverse, with the largest percentage of population growth expected in black and minority ethnic communities; it will be an ageing population, with the fastest growing age bands over the next ten years predicted to be people aged 50-54 years followed by those aged 45-49 years; but it will also continue to have an above average number of children and young people. Family structures are also expected to change with a continued increase in the number of single person households and a fall in average household size. Life expectancy is expected to continue to rise with more people living longer with long term health conditions and disabilities, and increased pressure on the health and social care services which support them.
2.42 In terms of improving health and wellbeing for the future, the priorities for Enfield will be to reduce poverty and inequality in health across the Borough, reduce obesity levels, particularly amongst young people, and tackle infant mortality which is well above the national average. Promoting healthier lifestyles, addressing the fear of crime and supporting vulnerable groups are all vital to improving wellbeing.7
2.43 All of these demographic changes will fuel continuing need and demand for more, and different, housing in the Borough, with good supporting physical, economic and social infrastructure.
Housing and services
2.44 The Borough has some 118,553 dwellings (2007);8 about 74,000 houses and 44,000 flats. Enfield has a lot of attractive pre-war family housing situated in peaceful suburbs. In 2001, 71% were owner occupied, 18% Council or housing association and 12% privately rented. Owner occupation is higher than in neighbouring North London boroughs, and much higher than the London average.
Figure 2.4 Bowes Road New Southgate
2.45 Despite the current property market downturn, and the fact that homes in Enfield are less expensive than the outer London average, house price affordability in Enfield continues to be an issue and it is difficult for some Enfield residents to buy their own homes. The number of households in temporary accommodation in the Borough was rising significantly and is currently approximately 2,8499 households, the 4th highest number in England. There are also approximately 1,000 households in temporary accommodation which have been placed here by other local authorities, 50% from the London Borough of Haringey, although the duty to rehouse these households remains with these other authorities. Within the private sector housing market, an over concentration of buy to let properties and a growing predominance of one and two bedroom dwellings in some areas have exacerbated the trend towards a high turnover in the Borough's population.
2.46 There are are 72 primary schools, 24 secondary schools and six special schools in Enfield10 and two City Academies have recently opened in the north east of the Borough. In 2007, 56.2% of Enfield’s pupils gained five or more GCSEs at grades A*-C, compared to 62% nationally. The Borough is also home to three further education colleges and two of Middlesex University’s five campuses.
Figure 2.5 Lea Valley High School, Freezywater
2.47 Enfield contains two hospitals, Chase Farm and North Middlesex, and over 60 GP surgeries. There are six leisure centres, 16 libraries, and 2,000 hectares of parks across the Borough.
Challenges and opportunities for the future
2.48 Parts of the east and south east of the Borough lie within the London-Stansted-Cambridge-Peterborough growth corridor and as such are required to contribute to targets for housing growth set by central government. The potential for new housing in the Borough brings opportunities for regeneration and the flexibility to adapt to demographic change. However, careful planning is required to ensure that new housing meets housing need and that adequate services and infrastructure are in place to meet the needs of the existing and future population. Whilst the current housing market position may help some people afford houses it will not make a significant impact and there is an overall need to improve and increase the Borough’s housing stock.
2.49 The way in which health and social care services are delivered is changing. There is increased emphasis on delivering ‘personalised’ health and social care services that give people real choice over the services they receive, influencing how and where health and social care services are delivered in the future. It will require better access to services such as transport, leisure, health, education, accessible housing, and employment opportunities. Closer working between health and social care providers will be needed to identify and develop opportunities for co-locating services. The Primary Care Trust (PCT) is seeking to improve health care provision by developing central ‘hub’ health care centres and satellite local centres (together known as a "polysystem") which will also provide opportunities for co-location with other community services. Tackling health inequalities will be a key priority in the south west and east of the Borough.
2.50 There have been many improvements in health and adult social care services in the last few years. Increasingly, support and care is being delivered ‘closer to home’, and older people and people with disabilities are being supported to live independent lives in the community rather than within traditional institutional settings (e.g residential care). For many groups the high level of traditional residential care homes are now surplus to local demand. The Council need to shape the development of future services to meet this changing local need.
2.51 Economic decline in the east of the Borough along the Lee Valley has combined with physical infrastructure issues such as a poorer quality urban environment and housing. The local population is characterised by growing concentrations of poor and vulnerable residents. The Council has invested substantially in recent years in the refurbishment and redevelopment of homes in Edmonton Green, through what was the biggest housing renewal scheme in Europe, the Edmonton Partnership Initiative. However, social and economic problems persist, such as a lack of community cohesion, fear of crime, worklessness, low educational attainment, low quality environment and poor health11. The Council and its partners therefore face a challenge to build on the physical improvements undertaken so far and work to address these key issues through a focused initiative in Edmonton Green, which could, if successful, act as a blueprint for other areas in Enfield, if successful.
2.52 In the south east of the Borough, along the A406 between Bounds Green and Green Lanes, the long delay in preparing an improvement scheme for this section of the North Circular has also blighted nearby properties. However, the Council has now granted planning permission to Transport for London for a Safety and Environmental Improvement Scheme that provides a degree of certainty about the future of the road. In addition, over £54 million government funding has recently been awarded to upgrade and refurbish the Transport for London owned properties along the North Circular Road. These properties will be transferred to Notting Hill Housing Trust who will invest a further £35 million to refurbish and build new affordable homes on vacant sites. This total investment of £90 million will help deliver the regeneration of the area, bringing underused land, which no longer needs to be safeguarded for the road, back into positive use for new homes and other uses, and improving the living and working environment in the communities alongside it.
Commercial activity and employment
2.53 Enfield has a substantial local economy with around 7,000 businesses providing 91,000 jobs,12 a vital source of employment for residents, half of whom work in the Borough. Industrial and commercial activity in Enfield is concentrated in the Lee Valley corridor - Brimsdown in the north eastern part of Enfield is London’s second largest industrial estate. The Borough is one of London’s major manufacturing and distribution areas, with a growing service industries sector. The Borough has five main town centres at Enfield Town, Edmonton Green, Angel Edmonton, Southgate and Palmers Green; a network of over 60 large, medium and local shopping centres offering a range of shops and local services to their immediate communities; and two major retail park areas. These all contribute substantially to the local economy through retail, leisure and services. Enfield Town has recently been boosted by the opening of the Palace Xchange shopping centre, and Edmonton Green is currently undergoing major redevelopment and regeneration, with a refurbished Market Square, new bus interchange, new leisure centre and new Primary Care Centre already completed and a partly refurbished, partly new shopping centre.
2.54 Manufacturing employment has declined dramatically across Britain, and particularly severely in London with its higher land and labour costs. The Lee Valley has adapted, with large manufacturing firms being replaced by businesses operating in a wide range of sectors including wholesaling, logistics, services, construction and some specialist manufacturing. However, the impact on communities along the Lee Valley has been severe.
2.55 Worklessness is similar to the London average but is highly concentrated in the east of the Borough and is increasing: Enfield is importing a higher proportion of workless people than it is exporting. Access to employment elsewhere is hampered by poor access to public transport in the east of the Borough and low skill levels. Poor health is both a result of deprivation and a cause of long term worklessness - half of benefit-dependent working age adults in Enfield are on incapacity benefits. Enfield has some of the lowest rents in London for bedsits and rooms, so parts of the Borough now provide a temporary home for new residents. Many are highly skilled and will achieve economic success, but these are the most likely to leave the area.
2.56 The recession that started early in 2008 has resulted in a very acute deterioration in the employment situation for all Enfield's residents. This is increasingly so for young people where worklessness has risen rapidly over the past year and the prospects for 2009's school and college leavers looks uncertain. Research13 shows that participation rates and attainment levels have improved but they have done so at a slow pace than the rest of London.
Challenges and opportunities for the future
2.57 Enfield’s predicted employment growth over the next 20 years is only 6% compared with 9% in Waltham Forest, 14% in Barnet, and 20% for Haringey and London as a whole. Enfield’s economy is particularly poorly poised for growth, as it remains over-dominated by declining economic sectors and there is a weak enterprise culture. Even retaining existing strengths in wholesale and distribution are a challenge given increasing traffic congestion. Improvements to the quality, access and infrastructure of some of the Borough's industrial estates is needed to support existing businesses and attract new investors.
2.58 In the short term, Enfield needs to respond effectively to the economic downturn but also plan and coordinate sustainable growth for the years beyond. The ESP's Skills and Employment Strategy (2008) has three key objectives looking towards 2011 - to support inward investment and business growth; increase skills and employability of the Borough's population; and ensure better coordination and information sharing. A key priority will be to meet the skills challenges of the Borough - around 48,000 residents (about 27%) have no qualifications or are skilled to a very low level, over half of these have no qualifications at all. The new jobs that are forecast for Enfield will overwhelmingly require higher level skills and it is estimated that only about a fifth will be filled by people who have low skills or who lack qualifications.
2.59 Enfield needs to exploit its location between central London and two of the Government’s Growth Areas – The London-Stansted-Cambridge-Peterborough growth corridor and the Thames Gateway as well as its role across local markets in north London. It also needs to maximise the opportunities for regeneration in the Upper Lee Valley, identified in the London Plan as an Opportunity Area, where transformational change is needed to support investment in the infrastructure to support existing and new communities. In North East Enfield, the focus will need to be on ensuring that the poor east-west connectivity and access to the strategic road network does not limit business growth or stifle regeneration. In Central Leeside, much of the land allocated for employment is underexploited and some of the industrial stock no longer serves the business needs of today’s London. There is therefore a unique opportunity to reconfigure this land for new development that will attract new and growing commercial sectors, combining new commercial uses with new housing and community services.
2.60 Enfield’s town centres will continue to provide opportunities for economic growth. Evidence suggests that the Borough will experience a growth in demand for more retail floorspace for comparison goods from 2013 onwards, and that Enfield Town has the capacity to respond to this with suitable sites.
Figure 2.6 Palace Gardens, Enfield Town
2.61 The growth of e-tailing and e-commerce could potentially ease competing demands on land but could also bring demands for land for new economic activity. The Borough could benefit from the expanding green economy. The environmental goods and services industry is well established in the UK and turnover in this market is expected to grow from £25 billion in 2005 to £34 billion in 2010 and to £46 billion in 2015. Attracting new sectors such as business services, high tech manufacturing, creative/media, hospitality, retail, health and social care, developing Enfield's strategic position in the sub region and maximising benefits, such as those arising from the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics Games and its Legacy Transformation are crucial to building a strong future economy.
Movement and transport infrastructure
2.62 The Borough is relatively well served by rail and underground links to central London although there are poorer services in the east. To the west the Piccadilly Line connects the Borough to London’s west end, and the Moorgate line has a branch through the centre of the Borough to Hertford North. Although the eastern half of the Borough is linked by rail to the City and Stansted, communities in the east of the Borough are generally poorly served by public transport, with infrequent local trains along the Lee Valley rail corridor and poor quality stations along its length that are difficult to access.
2.63 In terms of access to the strategic road network, the Borough abuts the M25 and other major roads include the North Circular Road (A406), the Great Cambridge Road (A10) and Meridian Way (A1055). The A406 in Enfield is particularly congested along the section between Bounds Green and Green Lanes. Although Transport for London's Safety and Environmental Improvement Scheme provides limited improvements, congestion along this strategic orbital route will remain a problem until significant capacity improvements are implemented. Along this section of road there are problems of poor air quality, noise pollution, rat running and poor pedestrian crossing facilities. Poor accessibility in the local area is caused by the severance effect of the A406 and the impact of road congestion itself.
2.64 Although some parts of the Borough are very pleasant to walk and cycle in, particularly parts of north west of the Borough, other parts are difficult to navigate on foot or on bike. In the east, the Lee Valley Rail Line, strategic north-south roads and the North Circular Road act as significant barriers to local movement making the Lee Valley Regional Park relatively inaccessible by foot. There is a need to improve the walking and cycling environment.
Challenges and opportunities for the future
2.65 Challenges recognised for movement and transport throughout the Borough are the need to reduce road congestion, to improve access to public transport, and walking and cycling networks. The provision of improved transport infrastructure in the Borough is a necessary requirement for attracting investment, delivering economic development and supporting new housing and jobs.
2.66 The potential exists for future investment in strategic transport infrastructure which will benefit the Borough, such as upgrading the West Anglia Main Rail Line through the Lee Valley. These opportunities need to be undertaken in a coordinated manner in partnership with national and regional transport agencies to ensure that strategic investment benefits local communities and is complement by local level improvements such as station upgrades, improvements to the local street environment, and to the Borough's walking and cycling networks.
2.67 Specific challenges in the Borough relate to: North East Enfield, where the emphasis needs to be on improving east-west access,and access to the M25; Central Leeside, where there is good access to the North Circular Road, however it presents a barrier to movement at this location; and, Angel Road Station, on the West Anglia Mail Line through the Lee Valley, which is both difficult to get to and poorly served. Opportunities also exist to link Central Leeside more effectively with Edmonton Green and Angel Edmonton town centres. In Enfield Town there is potential to increase the frequency of services, and combine new development in around the Enfield Town rail station with station improvements and an improved public transport interchange. In the south west of the Borough, improving the capacity and the environment of the North Circular Road west of Green Lanes is a key challenge.
Environment
2.68 Enfield has much in common with other outer London boroughs, but its rich diversity and distinctiveness arises from its particular location and topography, landownership patterns and its response to the social, economic and political changes that have affected Greater London. One of its main distinguishing characteristics is the contrast between the parkland setting to the north west and the industrial band to the east, arising from its topography. Others include a significant number of important historic buildings, estates, parks and gardens, a network of former village centres, a network of rivers and waterways, groupings of 19th Century housing that arrived with the railway and inter-war housing that arrived with the Underground. Many of these features are important and valued heritage assets. Just one example of this is provided by the Borough’s 21 conservation areas, reflecting early country estates, old town and village centres, nineteenth century railway-centred development, the Borough’s industrial past and other important local townscapes. For much of the rest of the Borough, good urban environments enhance residents’ quality of life. But in other areas former land uses or patterns of development have resulted in poor quality environments. Factors such as traffic and parking congestion, the decline in local and independent retail facilities and the effects of air and noise pollution contribute to a deteriorating quality of life for some residents.
2.69 Approximately one third of the Borough is designated as green belt, which is a major attraction of the Borough. In addition, Enfield has a diverse network of open land. Despite its green appearance, parts of the Borough – particularly in the south and east are deficient in access to some types of open spaces such as parks, allotments or children’s play spaces. The Lee Valley Regional Park lies next to some of our most deprived communities but is cut off from residential areas by major roads, railway lines and industrial areas. Industrial premises, scrap yards and waste facilities, major roads, railway and power lines impact on the quality of the living environment in the Lee Valley.
Figure 2.7 Lea Valley Regional Park
2.70 There are over 100 km of rivers and waterways, the greatest length of any London borough. Pymmes Brook, Salmons Brook, Turkey Brook and their tributaries create a network which flows across the Borough to join the River Lee. The Borough also contains the New River and the two large reservoirs.
2.71 In terms of the street scene, a MORI poll of Enfield residents in 2007 revealed that 74% of residents were satisfied with Enfield as a place to live, of which 22% consider the Borough a nice pleasant area and environment. Of the 16% of residents dissatisfied with Enfield as a place to live, with regard to street scene 20% attributed the reason to dirty/poor street cleaning/litter. Of the top five Council services considered by residents to be the most important, three out of five concerned the street scene (lighting, refuse collection and street cleaning), the others being community safety initiatives and parks/playgrounds/open spaces.
Challenges and opportunities for the future
2.72 Population and economic growth and other forces for change will create additional pressures for the Borough’s environment. The Borough's heritage assets and wider historic environment contribute to its character and sense of place and their protection is particularly important in light of these pressures for change.
2.73 The Upper Lee Valley Vision, developed by the NLSA, highlights the potential to redesign areas adjacent to the Lee Valley Regional Park and dramatically improve access to the open resource of the valley. The extensive green belt could be utilised further to improve quality of life and drive employment growth through green leisure, recreation and tourism. Enfield's open spaces and waterways also have potential to improve people's quality of life and support healthier lifestyles. However, the defences built into the waterways are not sustainable in the long term and over time they become more difficult and expensive to maintain. They are therefore a source of flood risk. Parts of Enfield lie within the Environment Agency's Flood Zones 2 and 3 with a medium to high probability of flooding. The management of flood risk is critical to planning for Enfield’s future.
2.74 The Environment Agency's Thames Catchment Flood Management Plan (2007) and the more detailed draft Lower Lee Flood Risk Management Strategy (2006) recommend a number of actions to reduce flood risk. These include controls over the location of development, appropriate layout and design, construction, flood storage and the sustainable management of run off. A Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (2008) has been completed for the Borough to inform development decisions and emergency planning.
2.75 The need to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change is a major challenge. Future developments in the Borough will be driven by the need to make better use of key resources such as land, buildings and construction materials, water, and energy, and to minimise waste. Sustainable design and construction techniques will therefore need to play an increasing role in developments. In addition, adequate and efficient utilities infrastructure provision is needed - for instance, the Lee Valley reservoirs may require upgrading to secure an adequate water supply for much of London.
2.76 Sustainable development is about more than climate change and resource efficiency. The quality of the urban and open environment has implications for our social, economic and environmental objectives, but there are few examples of good quality post-Second World War development. High quality architecture and urban design is essential to to fulfil our place shaping ambitions, create safe and accessible environments that foster investment, stability and pride and ultimately create the heritage of the future.
2.77 The Mayor of London has set an overall target for London to become 85% self-sufficient in the management of waste by 2020. This means that London will be dealing with its own waste instead of sending it to landfill in the counties around London. Each borough is required to deal with a proportion of London’s total waste (known as apportionment) and the North London boroughs are working together to produce a Joint Waste Plan to identify sites that will be required to meet this apportionment.
Key Issues Consideration of the particular problems, pressures, challenges and opportunities identified for Enfield leads us to summarise the following borough-specific aims which should be taken into account in planning for Enfield's future:
|
2.78 Chapter 3 sets about the Council’s broad approach for addressing these interrelated issues as well as the other key issues identified above.
1 ONS Mid-Year Population Estimates (2007)
2 DCLG (2007) Indices of Multiple Deprivation www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities
3 www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination
4 www.enfieldobservatory/docs/HealthProfile2008-Enfield.pdf
5 London Borough of Enfield (2008) Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour Profile 2007/08
6 GLA (2009) GLA 2008 Round Demographic Projections (Total Population Low - High Projection)
7 Enfield's Joint Strategic Needs Assessment Draft 2009.
8 Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix
9 Local Area Agreement Indicators 2008 to 2011
10 www.enfield.gov.uk/17/table%20of%20contents.htm
11 Edmonton Area Review by Tribal, 2009
12 2008 Skills and Employment Strategy
13 2009 Young People and the Recession A Briefing Paper prepared for Enfield Business Partnership by Paul Convery Research and Consultancy
< Previous | ^ Top | Next >