Enfield Council – Better Homes Enfield

Flats in converted offices are overheating

Better Homes Enfield has been warning for several years about the risks of homes created by converting offices into flats. These are not normal housing developments. Hundreds of flats have been delivered in Enfield via permitted development rights, which allow offices and other commercial buildings to be converted into flats without the full planning scrutinyContinue reading “Flats in converted offices are overheating”

Enfield’s Local Plan must now include proper HMO safeguards

Terraced houses with small front gardens, bins and cars parked along the street.

The latest update from the Enfield Local Plan examination includes welcome news on HMOs. In a recent letter to Enfield Council, the Planning Inspector has said that Enfield’s new Local Plan must include a specific policy for Houses in Multiple Occupation, commonly known as HMOs. This is good news, and something Better Homes Enfield hasContinue reading “Enfield’s Local Plan must now include proper HMO safeguards”

After 15 years of Labour control, Enfield needs change

Enfield Civic Centre building and sign with the words “Twenty reasons why Enfield needs new leadership” overlaid on the image.

For 15 years, Enfield Council has made big promises on housing, regeneration, jobs and parks. But too often the results have gone the other way. Homes have not been built at the scale promised. Social rent homes have been lost. Homelessness is among the worst in the country. Local job opportunities have been lost, whileContinue reading “After 15 years of Labour control, Enfield needs change”

Enfield’s parks and green spaces are under threat

Church Street Recreation Ground in Edmonton, showing a grass sports pitch with football goals, trees and housing in the background.

Yesterday we revealed that many of Enfield’s parks and open spaces could be affected by the proposed new town, including Hilly Fields, Trent Park and Whitewebbs. The proposals also bring major recreational land into the frame. This includes three golf courses, equestrian facilities and sports clubs. But the new town proposal is not an isolatedContinue reading “Enfield’s parks and green spaces are under threat”

Is the new town boundary being kept secret until after polling day?

Wooden footpath sign pointing to Crews Hill, Whitewebbs Park, Trent Park and Lee Valley, with open greenfield land behind it.

The Government’s own environmental assessment suggests the proposal could involve far more than Crews Hill Golf Course and garden centres. Enfield residents are being asked to respond to a consultation on a proposed new town at Crews Hill and Chase Park. But there is one basic problem. We still do not know where the newContinue reading “Is the new town boundary being kept secret until after polling day?”

Erbil’s housing promises fall apart under scrutiny

Crews Hill Golf Course, showing open grassland, mature trees and a public path.

With seven days until polling day, Enfield voters are being asked to believe a series of major housing promises that do not survive basic scrutiny. Cllr Ergin Erbil has claimed Enfield Labour can build 6,000 council homes at Crews Hill Golf Course, give Enfield residents “first dibs” on new town homes, deliver “thousands of jobs”,Continue reading “Erbil’s housing promises fall apart under scrutiny”

Enfield cannot afford to lose more jobs. So why do new town plans treat them as expendable?

Unused land at Meridian Water with overlaid text reading: “Enfield cannot afford to lose more jobs. So why do new town plans treat them as expendable?”

Enfield cannot afford to lose more local jobs. But the proposed Crews Hill and Chase Park new town risks treating existing businesses and livelihoods as expendable.

Why didn’t Enfield Council put Meridian Water forward as a new town?

Meridian Water was an obvious candidate for the Government’s new towns programme. It is a very large, self-contained brownfield site that has struggled to deliver. Formal new town status could have made a real difference by helping to get the project back on track. It could have accelerated the delivery of new homes and jobs.Continue reading “Why didn’t Enfield Council put Meridian Water forward as a new town?”

Enfield Labour’s manifesto makes promises about HMOs it cannot realistically keep

Houses in Multiple Occupation, or HMOs, are homes where several unrelated people live and share facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom. They provide cheaper housing and play an important role in Enfield’s housing mix. But they can also bring problems: poor living conditions for tenants, pressure on residential streets, and the steady loss ofContinue reading “Enfield Labour’s manifesto makes promises about HMOs it cannot realistically keep”

No Evidence. No New Town.

A new report on the proposed Crews Hill and Chase Park new town. This report is for people interested in the proposed new town at Crews Hill and Chase Park. It does not argue for or against the new town. Instead, it seeks to highlight issues which have so far been ignored, underplayed, or misrepresented.Continue reading “No Evidence. No New Town.”