Meridian Water is one of the largest regeneration projects in London. Over the next 25 years, Enfield Council plans to build 10,000 homes on the 85-hectare brownfield site in Edmonton.
Our new report called ‘Less is more’, shows how the regeneration of Meridian Water could help to address some of the disadvantages local people face because of inadequate housing.
The percentage of overcrowded households in Edmonton is nearly five times the national average. More than 6,400 households in Edmonton are classified as overcrowded and there are not enough homes for families.
Overcrowding disproportionately impacts Black, Asian and minority ethnic households and is linked to:
- Poor health outcomes, including breathing difficulties
- Heightened risk of catching infectious diseases, including Covid-19
- High levels of psychological distress
- Social disadvantages
As it stands, only around 25% of the homes planned for Meridian Water will be family sized homes. Our report shows that a change of focus is urgently needed, and we are recommending that at least 50% of the homes built in the first stages of the development have three or more bedrooms.
We think as many as 2,200 additional family homes could be built at Meridian Water, which would have enormous benefits for people living in Edmonton – it would help to reduce overcrowding; it would enable people to remain in the area – close to family and community support networks, and would have significant benefits for the health, wellbeing and opportunities of local residents.
We are asking that Enfield Council to seize the opportunity Meridian Water offers and to commit to building more family sized homes.
The report takes about 10 minutes to read and can be downloaded here:
Less is more – report https://betterhomesenfield.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/less-is-more-meridian-water-011220-final-1.pdf
Less is more – appendix https://betterhomesenfield.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/less-is-more-appendix-final.pdf
Better Homes Enfield 