Kenninghall Open Space in Edmonton is one of the few accessible green spaces in the area and is an important asset for the local community. For example, this Sunday (10/09/2023) the park will host the Kenninghall Festival to celebrate food harvested by local growers [Figure 1].
Figure 1 – Source: Enfield Council (2023);
Flyer advertising community event at Kenninghall Open Space
The area around Kenninghall has long been identified as ‘an area of deficiency’ by Enfield Council due to a lack of publicly accessible green space [Figure 2].
Figure 2 – Source: Data from Enfield Council (2020), Chart Better Homes Enfield (2023). Kenninghall is located in an area that already has a deficiency of public open space.
Council policy (DMD 72) says that due to a deficiency of publicly accessible green space, ‘all available opportunities should be taken to make new public park provisions’ in the area. Despite this, a recently published document shows that Enfield Council (the landowner) wants to redevelop Kenninghall Open Space. Therefore, the park will no longer be for public use.
This would not be the first-time Edmonton residents have lost a public park. In 2016, Enfield Council built on Ladysmith Open Space as part of its redevelopment of Meridian Water. It recently came to light that the new community garden at Merdian Water will only be temporary because Enfield Council plan to build housing on the site.
Kenninghall Open Space also falls within the Merdian Water regeneration zone [Figure 3].
Figure 3 – Source: London Borough of Enfield Parks and Open Spaces Strategy 2010 – 2020.
Image shows boundary of Meridian Water (red line) and Ladysmith Open Space (green shading) to the south (now built on) and Kenninghall to the north (now at risk)
It is worth noting that one of the Council’s main stated aims for the regeneration of Meridian Water, was to help increase the amount of accessible green space by improving residents’ access to the Lee Valley Regional Park. This would also offset the loss of the Ladysmith Open Space. For instance, the Meridian Water Masterplan (adopted in 2013) said that a major new pedestrian and cycling underpass would be created to safely connect existing neighbourhoods to the Lee Valley Regional Park, as well as to the new amenities planned for Merdian Water.
However, this pedestrian underpass and cycleway was never built and appears to have been dropped from the plans for Meridian Water altogether, without consulting the public. This is troubling, as the underpass was originally included in masterplan to reflect feedback from local residents during the public consultation [Figure 4].
Figure 4 – Source: Enfield Council Meridian Water Consultation (2013).
The 2013 Masterplan committed to building an underpass to safely connect existing neighbourhoods with the Lee Valley Regional Park and accepted that the road created a psychological barrier to access. The new underpass was referenced 25 times in the 2013 Masterplan.
It seems that the local residents in this area of Edmonton are once again at risk of losing another of its valued green spaces without receiving the compensatory benefits promised.
Better Homes Enfield 