Permitted Development – Better Homes Enfield

No new Social Rent Housing in Enfield for past 2 years.

The latest affordable housing data shows that no new Social Rent homes have been built in Enfield for at least two years. Figures also show that the number of newly built ‘London Affordable Rent’ homes fell from 136 to 129. This bucks the London wide trend which recorded a 25% increase in Social Rent completionsContinue reading “No new Social Rent Housing in Enfield for past 2 years.”

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?”

Is Enfield Council still housing residents outside the borough?

Data shows that Enfield Council is housing residents in converted office blocks outside the borough.

Office conversions are negatively impacting Enfield’s town centres

Controversial Permitted Development Rights (PD) 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 without going through the normal planning process. The policy has backfired. Conservative MP Robert Halfon described PD as: “… a policy that is possiblyContinue reading “Office conversions are negatively impacting Enfield’s town centres”

Why are Enfield residents spending years living in temporary accommodation?

More than 11,000 Enfield residents live in temporary accommodation, including 5,000 children – but this accommodation is anything but temporary.Brickfield House (pictured) is a converted office block on Southbury Road. This converted block contains well over a hundred temporary accommodation “units”, most of which are smaller than the minimum size normally allowed for a singleContinue reading “Why are Enfield residents spending years living in temporary accommodation?”