ENFIELD DISPATCH No. 30 THE BOROUGH’S FREE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER MARCH 2021 FEATURES Looking back over the 88-year history of a family-run furniture shop P . 5 NEWS Cladding woes continue despite government pledge P . 6 ARTS & CULTURE An update on the progress at Trent Park Museum P . 12 A M E E Become a Mmember of Enfield M Dispatch and get O the paper delivered to B your door each month E C – find out more R E on Page 20 B USUALLY A VENUE hosting live comedy, theatre, music and other entertainment, the Dugdale had remained dormant during the pandemic lockdown. That was until Enfield Council and North Middlesex University Hospital teamed up to turn it into a Covid-19 vaccination hub, opened last month. Photographer Katrina Campbell was invited to photograph some of the people working and volunteering at the Dugdale to help end the pandemic – you can see images and stories from her visit on Page 15. enfielddispatch.co.uk Council debt levels under fire enfi[email protected] @EnfieldDispatch BY JAMES CRACKNELL & spent by the council on land acqui- new care homes, affordable homes those values are about making sure SIMON ALLIN, LOCAL sition to date, another £815m is for people in the borough, roads, people have a decent place to live, DEMOCRACY REPORTER forecast for the project over the infrastructure, public realm, and providing homes for them, and next decade. Elsewhere, £646m is in some instances supporting the making our town centres econom- @EnfieldDispatch enior councillors have due to be invested by the council on local economy,” she said. ically vibrant places where people defended spending £18mil- the redevelopment of the Joyce and “It is money well spent and a can find a decent job.” /EnfieldDispatch Slion on borrowing costs as an Snells estates in Angel Edmonton. reflection of an administration Earlier in the meeting, in response “investment in the borough”. At a scrutiny meeting last month that wants to do something to to a question by committee chair Members of the Labour adminis- Conservative councillors Joanne improve the borough.” Susan Erbil, Cllr Maguire assured tration said borrowing large sums Laban and Edward Smith raised Cllr Smith pointed out the money councillors Enfield was not in a would enable Enfield Council to concerns over the council’s debt. spent on debt repayment was similar position to Croydon Coun- invest in homes, infrastructure In response Mary Maguire, cabinet “about a quarter of the cost of the cil, which effectively declared itself and the local economy. member for finance, said: “We are adult social care department” and bankrupt last year. The council’s total debt has now borrowing money to invest in the added: “Choices have to be made Cllr Maguire said Enfield had surpassed £1billion. Out of the borough to build homes, improve about what is desirable and where not “engaged in any commercial £2.75bn in future capital invest- our homes, and invest in other money can be spent. activities outside the borough” and ment now being planned for the infrastructure – which we will get “If there is a huge debt mountain had instead decided to borrow to next ten years, £1.3bn is forecast a return on – and there is a huge of £1bn – which is planned to go to invest in Enfield. to come from council borrowing social value to our borough.” £2bn in the next five years – that Councillors are due to debate the – pushing total debt beyond £2bn. Council leader Nesil Caliskan is money that would otherwise be 2021/22 budget at a full council 020 8366 3551 Much of the existing and fore- compared the council’s debt to a spent on frontline services.” meeting on Tuesday 2nd March, cast borrowing relates to Meridian mortgage, saying borrowers would Cllr Caliskan responded: “The which can be watched by residents The Dispatch is supported Water, where 10,000 homes are due pay interest on a loan like an invest- choices we talk about are directed by Chamberlains Estates to be built. On top of the £170m ment in a home. “The debt pays for by political values – and for us, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 – turn to page 3 Chamberlains Estates Chamberlains Estates 2 NEWS No.30 MARCH 2021 ENFIELD DISPATCH By-elections Mystery surrounding wo local by-elections delayed because of the pandemic can T now go ahead, the govern- ED. dead foxes in park ment has announced. Last month it was confirmed BY JAMES CRACKNELL local elections could finally recom- o mence, after a break of a full year N .30 ystery surrounds because of concerns over voter the deaths of a health and safety. In Enfield, two MAR 2021 number of foxes in by-elections are now expected to an Enfield park. be held on Thursday 6th May, the MThe bodies of several dead foxes same day as elections for City Hall. Enfield Dispatch is the borough's free were found in Whitewebbs Park One will elect a new councillor community newspaper. last autumn but concern from for Southbury ward, after the We publish monthly park users began to escalate at death of Labour’s Chris Bond last the start of the year when one summer, and another will take and distribute 10,000 fox was found shot dead on the place in Chase ward after the resig- free copies of each park’s golf course. The sounds nation of Vicki Pite, also a Labour issue – and we will of gunfire have been heard on councillor, last autumn. continue to do so several different occasions. during the ongoing While some of the dead foxes public health crisis. have been found with bullet Fewer trains wounds, many others have no dis- he frequency of rail services Publisher cernable injuries, suggesting they running on the Hertford David Floyd could have been poisoned instead. T Loop line – serving six Editor One park user reported seeing Enfield stations – has been reduced James Cracknell a man in “gamekeeper” attire by operator Great Northern “to roaming through Archers Wood, better match demand”. Designer which is between Whitewebbs The timetable changes introduced Jonathan Duncan Park Golf Course and Tottenham A dead fox found in Whitewebbs Park without any obvious sign of injury from Monday 22nd February focuses Head of Advertising Hotspur Training Centre. Another foxes are being killed in the area Enfield as any other animal.” services on early morning, late eve- Klaudia Kiss said that it “sounds like someone of the green belt that includes Chase ward councillor Hass ning and other peak times. School is hunting in there”. Whitewebbs Park. There is one Yusuf has been assisting park travel is also accommodated “in antic- Head of Operations It is illegal to kill foxes inhu- known case of a fox being shot users in looking into the issue but ipation of the potential reopening”. Paige Ballmi manely and the matter has been and injured and subsequently told the Dispatch he was no closer Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), Engagement Manager reported to the Metropolitan being found dead on the golf to finding out what had caused which owns rail franchise Great Penny Dampier Police’s wildlife crime division. course. I saw the animal myself. so many foxes to die in the area. Northern, states the changes have The park, golf course and wood- “Other foxes have been found “There is no wilful killing of foxes been brought in “at a time when far Contributors land is all owned and managed by dead without sign of injury. Many in the park [by the council],” said fewer people are travelling and when Olivia Devereux-Evans, Enfield Council. Cllr Yusuf. railway employees, like everyone, are Sheila Bennett, Simon A spokesperson “The use of firearms affected by coronavirus”. Weekend Allin, Delia Mattis, Dinah confirmed the “Many of us have heard has not been permit- timetables haven’t changed. GTR boss Barry, Sarah Roller, local authority the sound of shotguns ted in the area, but Steve White said: “Our priority is to Sangeeta Waldron, Claire was aware of con- someone in a game- maintain a safe and reliable service Fisher, Katrina Campbell, cerns around the being fired” keeper outfit has for those making essential journeys.” Andrew Warshaw welfare of foxes in been spotted. Obvi- Whitewebbs and that officers of us have heard the sound of shot- ously it is against council policy had helped to clear one dead guns being fired, mostly to the to be killing wildlife and there is Excess deaths CONTACT fox from the park, but declined north-east of Beggars Hollow. no reason they would be doing it. he percentage of people who Call 020 8521 7956 to comment on what might be “The council is a proud propo- “It could be anyone going have died in Enfield above Email EnfieldDispatch@ causing the problem. nent of biodiversity in Enfield around shooting these foxes. It’s T the average death rate since socialspider.com Local resident Sean Wilkinson and while foxes are not uni- not good.” the pandemic began a year ago is wrote a letter to councillors versally popular with farmers A spokesperson for Tottenham the joint fifth highest in the UK. ADVERTISING highlighting his concerns and they, as native mammals, have Hotspur FC said the club was not Research conducted by SkyNews said: “I and others are very con- as much a part to play in the involved in controlling foxes in or and collated by website OnLondon, Contact Klaudia Kiss: cerned about the possibility that biodiversity of the green belt of around its training centre. using data from the Office for Call 07732 000 430 National Statistics, ranked local Email klaudia@ authority areas based on their socialspider.com CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 row that council tax has risen.