Planning documents show that a large Community Garden planned for the first stage of the Council’s Meridian Water development is likely to have housing built on it. THE COMMUNITY GARDEN – A CYNICAL MARKETING TACTIC The Community Garden is repeatedly referred to in the marketing information for the new flats at Meridian One, whichContinue reading “Enfield Council has not been transparent about plans to build on the Community Garden at Meridian Water”
Author Archives: betterhomesenfield
Enfield Council approves 30-storey tower block with single staircase
Last night Enfield Council’s planning committee voted to grant planning permission for two new tower blocks at its Meridian Water development in Upper Edmonton. The blocks will be 24 and 30 storeys tall and will have single staircases, despite calls from industry experts to ban such buildings. Since the Grenfell fire, the Royal Institute ofContinue reading “Enfield Council approves 30-storey tower block with single staircase”
Where is the Meridian Water Masterplan?
Publishing a new Meridian Water Masterplan has been a ‘corporate priority’ for Enfield Council since 2018, however it has still not been published, leaving the development’s future direction unclear. Our report “Where is the Meridian Water Masterplan?” explains why the new Masterplan is so important and recalls what has happened since the council took overContinue reading “Where is the Meridian Water Masterplan?”
HEY BIG SPENDER
New analysis shows that Enfield Council spends far more on Development Control than other London boroughs but delivers far less housing What is “Development Control”? Development Control is “the process of determining planning applications submitted by individuals and commercial developers. It aims to ensure that development in the Borough is in accordance with theContinue reading “HEY BIG SPENDER”
Enfield is not on track to build the homes the borough needs.
In the first six months of 2022, more than 1,000 new homes were approved by Enfield Council. However, the type of homes approved did not reflect local needs or planning policy. A large number of homes were granted planning permission in the first six months of 2022. More than 1,000 new homes were granted planningContinue reading “Enfield is not on track to build the homes the borough needs.”
Will Enfield’s office conversions pose a ‘deadly risk’ in heatwaves?
Enfield now has hundreds of flats in converted office buildings, but how will these flats cope in heatwaves? Controversial Permitted Development Rights (PDR) for office to residential conversions were introduced by the Conservative Government in 2013. The aim was to create homes quickly by allowing developers to convert offices into flats without going through theContinue reading “Will Enfield’s office conversions pose a ‘deadly risk’ in heatwaves?”
Are Nesil Caliskan’s Housing Claims Accurate?
On 5th April 2022, Enfield Dispatch reported an interview with Nesil Caliskan, the leader of Enfield Labour, in which Cllr Caliskan made a number of claims about housing in Enfield. We fact-checked these claims and found a number were misleading. The claims and a summary of the results of our fact checking are set outContinue reading “Are Nesil Caliskan’s Housing Claims Accurate?”
Why are Enfield’s planning officers blocking affordable housing?
Plans to build affordable housing on a vacant site in Enfield have been recommended for refusal by Enfield’s planning officers. (1) This is very surprising as the scheme would deliver 106 flats, of which 100% would be London Affordable Rent (LAR). These flats would therefore help get over 100 families out of temporary accommodation. MostContinue reading “Why are Enfield’s planning officers blocking affordable housing?”
DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE
Enfield Council’s advertising and publicity has repeatedly stated that the Meridian Water regeneration scheme will deliver 10,000 homes (including 4,000 “affordable” homes) and 6,000 jobs, over the next 20-25 years BUT the Council knows these statements are misleading and not supported by the evidence. In 2019, a government planning inspector told the Council thatContinue reading “DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE”
Planning in Enfield: Call for transparency
Most London councils publish the comments and objections made about planning applications on their website. But not Enfield. Our research shows that more than three-quarters (76%) of local authorities across London openly publish comments submitted by the public about planning applications in their area. Councils say they publish the comments in recognition of their statutoryContinue reading “Planning in Enfield: Call for transparency”
Better Homes Enfield 