ENVIRONMENT & PLANNING

Draft Enfield Local Plan 2019-2044 consultation

Enfield’s Green Belt is under attack.

help us to preserve our countryside and town centres that are threatened by tall buildings.

Enfield’s draft Local Plan was approved by the Council for consultation on the 19^th March. This follows on from the previous consultation process in 2021 (Regulation 18). The Council has now published 7,000 pages of ‘evidence’ on the Council’s website.  This stage known as Regulation 19, is the last stage of the consultation process. Once the current consultation period ends, all submissions will be passed to a government appointed Planning Inspector. We expect a Public Examination of the Plan by the Planning Inspector to take place later this year.

Southgate District Civic Trust (SDCV) has contacted the Enfield Society and Better Homes Enfield to discuss the Plan and our response. We have concerns about the loss of Green Belt land, particularly the open countryside east of Trent Park and the tall buildings policy in relation to Southgate Circus and Palmers Green. 

The Local Plan is Enfield Council’s vision for what Enfield with look like in the future. We accept that Enfield is short of affordable housing, but the de-designation of large parts of the Green Belt will encourage developers to build on the countryside rather than the available brown field sites. We also consider that Enfield’s Plan is not in line with the London Plan. At the previous consultation stage (Regulation 18) SDCV submitted objections that any tall buildings should be appropriate to the area, particularly where they are close to Conservation Areas. 

We are encouraging all our members to submit comments. The more comments that are submitted the more likely they are to influence the Planning Inspector. Submissions must be made using a set format and relate to specific policies in the Plan. Members can submit comments using the Council’s form on the Enfield website or the Enfield Society has created a form with ideas on the type of planning comments that should be made, see here

Southgate Office Village.

Appeal Allowed subject to Conditions.

Viewpoint Estates appealed against the London Borough of Enfield decision to refuse planning permission.  This appeal was determined by an inquiry held from 21st September to 1st October 2021.
 
At our AGM, there was lively and helpful discussion on the SOV appeal.  As a result of that support, Southgate District Civic Voice requested and was granted Rule 6 Status for the appeal, which meant we were able to take part in the inquiry. 

See our Chair's thoughts here

Civic Voice, the national organisation of which Southgate District Civic Voice is a member, assisted us in undertaking community consultation about the Southgate Office Village proposal. Their Executive Director, Ian Harvey, was a witness for us at the public inquiry.

See Civic Voice's comments here

Appeal Details on Enfield Council's website can be found here

Government Consultation:

Supporting housing delivery and public service infrastructure

In December 2020, the Government consulted on proposed measures to support housing delivery, economic recovery, and public service infrastructure.  The consultation sought views on proposed new permitted development rights for the change of use from Commercial, Business and Service use to residential to create new homes.  In addition it sought to simplify and consolidating existing permitted development rights following changes to the Use Classes Order.

The Southgate District Civic Voice Environment & Planning Group discussed and debated these proposals.

View SDCV's response here

View Civic Voice's response here