The Local Plan is an important document that will shape Enfield’s future.
Enfield’s proposed new Local Plan sets out how the Borough will change over the next 20 years. It covers key issues such as housing, transport, environment, economy, health, and community facilities. It’s an important and powerful document because it sets out how Enfield’s housing needs will be met i.e. what will be built and where.
Many people support the need for new housing and employment spaces but are also worried the proposed Plan could lead to significant increases in traffic, as well as loss of green spaces, wildlife habitats, and heritage assets that make Enfield a unique and attractive place to live. We are concerned the Plan won’t deliver the type of affordable housing the Borough needs.
The public has one last chance to give their views.
The Council needs to consult local people one more time about the Local Plan. This is an important stage called Reg 19, which is the final time the public can give their views before the Plan is submitted to the Government’s Planning Inspectorate.
For this consultation, it’s important that the public has sufficient time to review all the evidence before submitting their responses. Residents, councillors and campaign groups have been calling on the Council to publish this evidence, as it is essential to properly understanding the Plan.
On 6th March 2024, a Council meeting was planned to start the Reg 19 public consultation. Members of the public requested that the evidence be provided well in advance of this meeting. However, the Council repeatedly refused these requests.
At the last minute, the meeting was postponed and will now be held on 19th March. The reason given was to allow people time to review ‘new’ evidence, which the Council was now going to publish.
The Leader of the Council, Cllr Caliskan said:
“I want to make sure that this process is as comprehensive and open as possible, ensuring councillors make the most informed decision with access to all the technical assessments that support the Local Plan…I have also asked for the council debate to be moved to 19 March to give councillors and residents more time to consider the documents before Full Council.”
The Council has since published 154 evidence documents, amounting to well over 7,000 pages of new evidence.
This gives the public less than 2-weeks to review the evidence, form an opinion and feedback to their elected representatives. This is an overwhelming task and is likely to cause frustration and lead communities to disengage with the process.
Our initial review of the new evidence reveals that most of the documents were completed months ago and could have been published far earlier. This would have given the public more time to review the evidence, making it more manageable for communities to engage with.
Government Guidance specifically encourages councils to publish documents forming part of their evidence-base as soon as they are completed, rather than waiting until a local plan is published for public consultation. The guidance also encourages councils to keep communities informed and involved. Enfield Council’s approach does not reflect this guidance.
Enfield’s residents deserve a fair consultation process.
The Local Plan is an important document that will shape the future of the Borough and it is essential that local residents are given a fair opportunity to review the evidence.
Unfortunately, the Council resisted calls to publish this evidence and have created a situation where the public is likely to be overwhelmed by the large volume of information published at the eleventh hour, giving people very little time to meaningfully assess it.
We would argue that such actions are likely to generate disengagement with the Local Plan process, and potentially risks undermining trust in the Council to make decisions in the best interests of the Borough.
Better Homes Enfield 