Winchmore Hill

Enfield Society News No. 194, Summer 2014 Enfield’s ‘mini-Holland’ project: for and against In our last issue we discussed some of the proposals in Enfield Council’s bid under the London Mayor’s “mini-Holland” scheme to make the borough more cycle-friendly. On 10th March the Mayor announced that Enfield was one of three boroughs whose bids had been selected and that we would receive up to £30 million to implement the project. This provides a great opportunity to make extensive changes and improvements which will affect everyone who uses our streets and town centres, but there is not unanimous agreement that the present proposals are the best way of spending this money. The Council has promised extensive consultations before the proposals are developed to a detailed design stage, but it is not clear whether there are conditions attached to the funds which would prevent significant departures from the proposals in the bid. The Enfield Society thinks that it would be premature to express a definitive view until the options have been fully explored, but we are keen to participate in the consultation process, in accordance with the aim in our constitution to “ensure that new developments are environmentally sound, well designed and take account of the relevant interests of all sections of the community”. We have therefore asked two of our members to write columns for and against the current proposals, in order to stimulate discussion. A third column, from the Enfield Town Conservation Area Study Group, suggests a more visionary transformation of Enfield Town. Yes to mini-Holland! Doubts about mini- Let’s start with the people of Enfield. Holland Enfield residents have a high level of In my youth I was a keen cyclist; as a obesity and this undermines their health. much older person I am deterred by the Now everyone knows that obesity results traffic, and so “Mini-Holland” has many from too much food and drink and not attractions for me. But I remain sceptical. enough exercise and I think we also know To be truly “Dutch”, a cycle network needs that gym membership is not the answer. to connect popular destinations by routes Exercise is most sustainable when it’s part which are reasonably direct, properly of our daily routine and the obvious way to segregated (or at least on genuinely quiet A segregated cycle path in Amsterdam achieve this is by walking or cycling – to roads) and above all continuous. There work, to school, to the shops and to the must be safe passage across junctions (not A visionary view of park. Even to the pub! just green-painted lanes which motorists Unfortunately many people are deterred can ignore). Perhaps Mini-Holland can Enfield Town from cycling by fear of cars and lorries. It’s deliver this, but I find it hard to see how it A major problem for the Enfield Town a reasonable fear and the mini-Holland can be achieved, e.g. on Slades Hill or Conservation Area, as identified in its plan will make cycling safer by creating Southbury Road. And there is no point Character Appraisal document, is the separate cycle lanes on major routes. turning Enfield Town upside down to dominance of traffic in Church Street, Cecil Increased exercise and reduced air accommodate cycle lanes if they are not Road and London Road where conflicts pollution (now known to be the second connected to the rest of the borough. between vehicles and people inhibit the enjoyment of the town centre and affect its largest public health risk) will have other David Flint quite fairly points out that visual quality. Intrusive traffic management health benefits too and NHS costs may fall. Mini-Holland is not just about Enfield measures encourage fast moving multiple The previous report in this magazine Town. But Enfield Town is a case where lane traffic and people are barricaded on focused on the proposal to close Church making better provision for cyclists runs islands and footways. The Town Park is cut Street to cars and vans. This is important the risk of inconveniencing people who are off from its constituency; the historic because Enfield Town is one of the areas not on bikes. It is notable that the main Church and Market Place which should with the most ‘potentially cycleable trips’ consultees on Mini Holland so far seem to contribute market town charm are hidden in London. Some town centre shopkeepers have been cycling organisations and away behind a sea of traffic and signage. fear a loss of business but several studies various official bodies. So there is a sense Empty shops testify to the affect this has have shown that traders generally over- that the proposals for Church Street have had on the viability of the units on Church estimate the proportion of their customers not been subjected to critical scrutiny. For Street and London Road. who travel by car. Other studies have example: shown that pedestrians spend more than The Enfield Town Conservation Area · The width of Church Street means that a motorists whilst investment in facilities for Study Group (ETCASG) is delighted that two-way cycle lane plus a bus lane will bikes generates more trade per pound than the Council has been successful in its mini- not give much extra room for do facilities for motorists. Holland bid and that this will lead to pedestrians (let alone the trees that improved cycling facilities which has got to But the cycling super-hubs at Enfield Town appear in the Council’s illustration); be good for our Borough and its people. It and Edmonton Green are not the most · If the bike and bus lanes are separated is also delighted that it is a criteria of the important elements. The most important by a raised section with kerbs (as bid that a redesign of the town centre is a elements are the routes across the borough apparently proposed), this will represent component. What a fantastic opportunity! – six North-South and five East-West. a trip hazard and an additional obstacle (Continued on page 2) (Continued on page 2) (Continued on page 2) 1 Yes (continued from page 1) Doubts (continued from page 1) After all, there’s no point in providing bike to the disabled and people with buggies Conservation racks and repair shops unless we can cycle etc when crossing the road; ● After a site visit the Planning Committee to them! · The volume of bus traffic (50 buses an duly granted permission for Spurs 500- The Council has been criticised for hour according to the Council) suggests seater stand. inadequate consultation but we should note that there is a need for buses to overtake ● The Conservation Advisory Group was that there was consultation and that the bid one another, which will not be possible pleased with the final design of the had the support of both Labour and if the bus lane has kerbs; conversion and extension of the Fallow Conservative groups on the Council. · The bike and bus lanes seem unlikely to Buck on Clay Hill to form a single Outside the Council it has the support of reduce the speed of traffic - and residence with detached garage and studio, the Enfield Green Party, the London aggressive cyclists can be as much of a replacing outbuildings and poor quality Cycling Campaign, the Enfield NHS Trust menace as aggressive motorists; extensions. and the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority amongst others. In any case the · There are likely to be problems with ● There was some concern about a Council will be obliged to consult on the deliveries, and access to the market proposed artificial surface pitch with details of the various elements as the work (these points are mentioned, but rather floodlights and perimeter ball stop fencing proceeds. summarily dismissed in the bid on the Enfield Grammar Upper School document); playing field behind the former Income Tax The scope for cycling to increase is vast. Official data shows that 30% of car trips in · Although the traffic engineers are said Office. Eventually objections were confined Enfield are less than 2 km long and a to be happy, I find it hard to see how to the design of the associated sports further 28% are between 2 and 5 km in Cecil Road – a partly residential street – pavilion. length. So almost two thirds of trips could can be made to bear nearly twice its ● John Adams of the Landuse Consultancy be done by bike by ordinary people. current traffic. In addition it is not has been asked by Enfield Council and the explained how vehicle access to Little In the medium term health improvement Grovelands Priory Hospital to carry out a Park Gardens and to Palace Gardens car from weight loss, greater fitness and heritage value survey of the whole of the park will be handled – access to and reduced air pollution is the biggest benefit. Grovelands Estate. I met with him to from a two-way Cecil Road seems emphasise that a future primary school In the long-run mini-Holland should be likely to cause major congestion. should not take over any of the existing park part of a broader trend to return our streets, Various people have suggested, and I for playing fields and the importance of the streets where we live and shop and our agree, that a much better option would be a having a landscape plan for the park children go to school, to all our people – cycle lane in Cecil Road, which would produced by a landscape architect in even those without cars! provide an east-west link and quite David Flint addition to the current, discursive adequate access to the Town.

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