North Circular Area Action Plan Preferred Options
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Enfield Council North Circular Area Action Plan Preferred Options Enfield's Local Development Framework North Circular Area Action Plan - Preferred Options January 2007 Enfield Council North Circular Area Action Plan - Preferred Options 1 Contents 1 Introduction 3 1.1 Introduction 3 1.2 Study area and key issues 4 1.3 Structure of report 6 2 Issue Set 1 - Promoting Sustainable Communities 7 2.1 Overview 7 2.2 Housing 7 2.3 Social Infrastructure 14 2.4 Open Space 20 3 Issue Set 2 - Enhancing the local centres 26 3.1 Overview 26 3.2 Enhancing the local centres 27 4 Issue Set 3 - Access to jobs 34 4.1 Overview 34 4.2 Access to jobs 34 5 Issue Set 4 - Improving local connections 43 5.1 Overview 43 5.2 Improving local connections 43 6 Issue Set 5 - Improving environmental quality 51 6.1 Overview 51 6.2 Improving environmental quality 51 7 Opportunities for change 59 7.1 Overview 59 7.2 Enfield Gateway 60 7.3 Ladderswood Estate Renewal Zone 64 7.4 Land adjoining New Southgate Station 66 7.5 Telford Road Ecological Corridor 68 7.6 Land Around Arnos Grove Station 72 7.7 Bowes Road Zone 74 7.8 New River Corridor 79 7.9 Green Lanes Commercial Zone 83 7.10 Eastern Approach 88 A Typologies 2 B Site Capacity Studies 11 North Circular Area Action Plan - Preferred Options Enfield Council 3 1 Introduction 1.1 Introduction 1.1.1 The North Circular Area Action Plan (AAP) is one of a series of documents being prepared by Enfield Council as part of its Local Development Framework (LDF). The LDF will be the spatial expression of Enfield’s Community Strategy (2007-2017) and will replace the existing Unitary Development Plan. The Council’s Local Development Scheme (2007-2010) sets out the content and structure of the LDF, together with an estimated timetable for the preparation of its different components. It can be viewed on the Council’s website at www.enfield.gov.uk/LDF 1.1.2 The Core Strategy is the cornerstone planning document of the LDF upon which all the Area Action Plans are based. It sets out the vision for the future development of the Borough and core policies for achieving this vision. The Area Action Plans (including the North Circular AAP) provide more detailed planning frameworks for areas in the borough which are subject to substantial change and development pressures (see Figure 1.1) and they need to developed in the context of the strategic direction set in the Core Strategy. 1.1.3 The Core Strategy Preferred Options report identifies key areas for change within Enfield, one of these being the North Circular area. It recognises that there is a major opportunity to initiate a ‘step change’ to rejuvenate the North Circular area, address long-standing blight and bring back underused land into positive use. It proposes an area strategy for the North Circular area, which takes into account strategic concerns such as the requirement for growth in the London-Stansted-Cambridge-Peterborough Growth Area - as set out in the Government’s Sustainable Communities Plan – as well as local aspirations as identified during consultation on the North Circular AAP. The area strategy is identified as follows: 1.1.4 Consultation on the Issues and Options for both the Core Strategy and the North Circular AAP was undertaken in 2007. Consultation on the Core Strategy Preferred Options commenced on XXX 2008 and is scheduled to run until XXX 2008. Consultation on this North Circular AAP Preferred Options report commences on XXXX 2008 and will run for 6 weeks until XXX 2008. Any responses received on the Core Strategy Preferred Options that have an impact on the North Circular AAP will need to be taken into account in the preparation of the draft AAP, together with specific comments received during the consultation period on the AAP itself. 4 Enfield Council North Circular Area Action Plan - Preferred Options 1 Introduction Figure 1.1 North Circular strategic context 1.2 Study area and key issues 1.2.1 The North Circular AAP covers an area around the North Circular Road (A406) between the A109 at Bounds Green and the A10 Great Cambridge Road (refer to Figure 1.2). To the north, the boundary follows Bowes Road (A110), Seafield Road, Powys Lane, and Broomfield Lane. The southern extent of the study area is defined by the borough boundary with the London Borough of Haringey. The area is predominantly residential in character and includes the local shopping centres at Green Lanes and Arnos Grove underground station. There are also a number of small open spaces and community facilities distributed throughout the area. North Circular Area Action Plan - Preferred Options Enfield Council 5 1 Introduction Picture 1.1 The North Circular AAP Area 1.2.2 The A406 North Circular Road connects the A13 in the east and the M4 in the West, providing a route of both strategic and local importance (see Figure 1.2). Typically the North Circular Road is dual carriageway with up to three lanes in each direction and grade separated junctions (i.e. flyovers). The section which forms the basis of this AAP, however, reduces to two lanes in each direction from Green Lanes, narrowing further just beyond the Bowes Road/Telford Road junction into a three lane carriageway (two northbound and one southbound). Not surprisingly this bottle neck is heavily congested, with long queues and delays particularly at peak periods. Rat-running through the surrounding residential roads is a particular problem in the area as a consequence. 1.2.3 The operation and capacity of the North Circular around the Bounds Green bottleneck has been of concern to residents and businesses in the area for some time. Proposals to improve the situation date back to the Department of Transport and subsequently the Highways Agency (HA) governance. Subsequently, the Mayor of London inherited a major improvement scheme that proposed three-lane dual carriageways and grade separated junctions to bring this section of the A406 up to the same standard as adjacent sections. The HA proposal required a significant amount of land and left large portions of terraced housing empty and in short-term use for many years whilst the scheme was held in abeyance. This proposal is no longer being pursued, however the Area Action Plan can not rule out further road improvements as referred to by the Mayor in his letter to the Transport Commissioner on 16th February 2005, where he stated that TfL would not dispose of any properties that would prevent TfL pursuing an intermediate scheme on the A406 at Bounds Green at a future date, subject to funding. 1.2.4 There is a general consensus between Enfield Council, Haringey Council, TfL, community groups and local businesses that the area is in need of urgent attention to liberate this section of the A406 from decades of blight and an environment that has severed the community. Within this context, Enfield Council has recently approved a planning application by TfL for a safety and environmental improvement scheme for this section of the North Circular. This scheme includes a number of proposals aimed at improving access over and along the corridor including signal controlled crossings at street level, a cycle route on the north side, and enhanced footways along the corridor. In addition, selected residential access roads will be closed to discourage rat running and landscape improvements will be promoted on local roads to help restore the local urban environment for residents. The AAP will respond to the current TfL safety andenvironmental improvement scheme for the area and will also ensure that development proposals allow for further road improvements, should they be pursued in the future. 6 Enfield Council North Circular Area Action Plan - Preferred Options 1 Introduction 1.2.5 As proposed in the Core Strategy Preferred Options, an AAP for the North Circular Road area is required to help realise the objectives of the Government’s Sustainable Communities Plan and contribute to housing growth in the London-Stansted-Cambridge-Peterborough corridor. Within this context the AAP seeks to optimise the provision of decent homes for sale or rent at a price that people can afford and help build prosperous, green, clean, safe and well connected communities. There are also significant opportunities in the area to improve its profile and image as a green and attractive gateway to the Borough, to broaden the range of businesses, jobs and homes, and to improve pedestrian and cycle connections. 1.2.6 The AAP identifies the potential for refurbishment, renewal or redevelopment of key sites with obsolescent, run-down or surplus buildings, land and infrastructure. New development will aim to offer a range of choices for new households including affordable housing for both social renting and intermediate housing. The AAP will consider the proper coordination of new development with improvements to the local transport, community infrastructure, open spaces and overall improvements to the environmental quality of the area. 1.3 Structure of report 1.3.1 The report you are reading, the Preferred Options report, is structured into the following sets of issues, which aim to encapsulate the issues raised during early consultation: Issues Set 1 - Promoting sustainable communities Issues Set 2 - Enhancing the local centres Issues Set 3 - Access to jobs Issues Set 4 - Improving local connections Issues Set 5 - Improving environmental quality 1.3.2 The final section identifies key opportunities for change in the area and presents a development framework and preferred options for development of key sites which will provide guidance for the future development of the area.