Mayor’s Response Enfield LP R18 2 – final version
Here are three highlights from the Mayor’s official response to the Regulation 18 Draft Local Plan consultation
1] Green Belt can be released only if the council can prove that there are ‘exceptional circumstances’. Here’s what the Mayor says about that: Having considered Enfield’s draft Plan and the evidence to support the preferred approach it is the Mayor’s opinion that the exceptional circumstances that are required to justify the release of Green Belt land through the Local Plan process have not been established.
2] There should be a ‘brownfield first’ policy, which Enfield is ignoring. Here’s what the Mayor says: There appears to be sufficient capacity to meet the required housing target for this local plan without Green Belt sites. Moreover, bringing forward Green Belt sites at this stage, alongside non-Green Belt brownfield sites, risks undermining brownfield delivery and viability, particularly in the first 10-year period.
3] One of the main objections to building on Vicarage Farm and at Crews Hill [beyond the fact that they are protected Green Belt] is that they will be car-dependent. Here is what the Mayor says: The chosen areas offer very low public transport accessibility and are not within, what is considered to be, a reasonable walking distance to the nearest town centre. The Enfield Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land Study3 illustrates that many areas proposed for release would cause very high levels of harm to the Green Belt (Figure 1.6). In addition, low density family housing is proposed in these locations which would not make a significant contribution in meeting the borough’s housing needs for this Plan period and beyond. For this reason, it is the Mayor’s opinion that the benefits do not clearly outweigh the harm that would result from the proposed release of the Green Belt.
The Council can choose to ignore the Mayor’s objections and carry on with their preferred option through the next stage, which is Regulation 19, and on to the Examination phase with the government inspector. We need to keep encouraging them to take a different course. If you are not already on our email list please email us and we will sign you up.
Here are other ways you can continue to help over the next few months
- Like our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter feeds and share them with everyone. It’s important to stay informed.
- All the Labour Councillors who were present at the June 9 Council meeting voted for the draft Local Plan to move to the consultation stage. If you live in a Ward with a Labour councillor, don’t let up on them even though the Regulation 18 consultation is over. Email and call and let them know repeatedly that this plan is not good for Enfield’s residents and that there are better alternatives. There are Council elections next May. Make them nervous!
- Make a contribution. There will be another consultation next year and we’ll need to pay for more adverts in the paper, printing leaflets and much more. We will be setting up a crowd-funding platform soon but, for now, Here’s how.
- Volunteer your professional skills to the campaign. We will need expert help more and more as the process continues.
- Sign up for our volunteer list so we can contact you when the next push starts.