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A straightforward guide to the key changes, protected Green Belt sites and what happens next in Enfield’s planning future
Major changes proposed to Green Belt sites, housing plans and development across Enfield The future of Enfield’s Local Plan has taken a significant step forward after the independent Planning Inspector published his latest advice following months of public hearings and examination.
The document runs to more than 36 pages and covers everything from housing targets and Green Belt land to employment sites, transport, biodiversity and town centres.
While the report contains a huge amount of technical planning detail, the key message is simple:
The Local Plan has not yet been approved.
Instead, the Inspector has told Enfield Council that a number of important changes must be made before he can decide whether the plan is legally compliant and “sound.”
What Is The Local Plan?
The Local Plan is the document that will guide where homes, jobs, schools, parks, transport improvements and major developments are built across Enfield between now and 2041.
It affects:
Once adopted, it becomes one of the most important planning documents in the borough.
The Biggest Headlines
One of the most significant findings relates to proposed development around Crews Hill.
The Inspector says several areas currently proposed for removal from the Green Belt should remain protected because there is insufficient justification for removing them.
This includes:
In simple terms:
If development isn’t planned on a piece of land, the Inspector says there is often no reason to remove it from the Green Belt.
This could mean considerably more Green Belt protection than originally proposed.
The Inspector has recommended that two controversial allocations should be deleted from the Local Plan altogether.
Camlet Way / Crescent Way (Hadley Wood)
The Inspector concludes:
Recommendation:
Remove the site from the Local Plan and keep it in the Green Belt.
Land East of Junction 24 (M25)
The proposed employment site near Junction 24 also faces removal.
The Inspector found:
Recommendation:
Delete the allocation and return the land fully to the Green Belt.
The Inspector has also recommended removing several controversial “Rural Enfield” allocations including:
Importantly, this does not affect existing planning permissions.
Instead, the Inspector believes the policies themselves are unclear and ineffective.
Despite recommending changes to several Green Belt boundaries, the Inspector has not rejected the larger strategic developments at:
However, he wants much tighter controls over:
In effect:
The developments remain under consideration, but the rules around them may become much stricter.
Although some sites may be removed or reduced in size, the Inspector says Enfield still appears capable of meeting its housing requirements.
This means:
The Inspector raises repeated concerns about:
Several policies will need strengthening to ensure:
One surprising recommendation concerns Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG).
Enfield had proposed requiring developers to provide a minimum of 20% biodiversity net gain.
The Inspector says national guidance does not currently justify going beyond the national requirement.
This means the requirement is likely to fall back to:
10% Biodiversity Net Gain
unless stronger evidence can be provided.
The Inspector says Enfield’s Local Plan currently lacks a clear policy covering:
Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs)
He has instructed the Council to introduce a specific HMO policy to manage:
Updated evidence suggests Enfield needs:
The Council is preparing a separate Traveller Local Plan to address this.
What Happens Next?
Enfield Council must now:
Only after this process is completed will the Inspector issue his final report.
What Does This Mean For Residents?
The key takeaway is that the Local Plan is still very much a work in progress.
The Inspector has:
But he has also:
Read The Full Inspector’s Letter
Residents who would like to read the full document can view the Inspector’s post-hearing advice letter through the Enfield Local Plan examination process:
Enfield Local Plan Examination Documents
You can also watch The Leader Of Enfield Council - Cllr Alessandro Georgiou’s video here
The Enfield Society also has a dedicated page covering the local plan
23 March – To view the hearing sessions held on 18 and 19 March, visit YouTube:
