TES News No 176 • Winter 2009 The newsletter of The Enfield Society Highlands Conservation Area under threat Spurs at Bulls Cross I commented in the Spring issue on the development in keeping with the Tottenham Hotspur Football Club held proposals to alter the boundaries of retained and converted Queen Anne style a reception in their Academy Pavilion various conservation areas – some Victorian hospital pavilions. True, the at Bulls Cross on 16th September to additions, as to Winchmore Hill Green South Lodge administration block was celebrate the start of their development and Fore Street, Edmonton and some precipitately demolished over a holiday on that Green Belt site. Members of reductions, notably the proposal to weekend after a fire, but the the Society will recall the long and remove more than half of the Highlands conservation area status allowed the hard battle we, and many others, Conservation Area. Following the first, dire, rebuilding proposals to be fought to try to prevent planning consultation it seemed as though a replaced by a decent and interesting permission being given. We failed but suitable consensus would be arrived at, design (even if it did not meet with the only for the process to be put on hold. approval of the Paul Drury Partnership, could have delayed matters for a long the Council's otherwise enlightened time with a claimed footpath across Now it has re-emerged virtually the site; however a compromise was unchanged. Only the Highlands conservation consultants). reached over a number of outstanding reduction is up for re-consultation, Perhaps it is not surprising that Enfield issues, and as a result the community though this will be over before this issue Council is trying once again to undo the of the News appears. It took 20 years of conservation area status. Removal will in Enfield will shortly benefit from an effort, not least by the EPS, to rescue the mean that the protection afforded to the excellent new footpath being former Highlands/South Lodge Hospital fine trees and buildings will be lost. It completed by Spurs, linking site from the threat of total demolition will no longer be justifiable to withhold Whitewebbs Lane to the lower end of and redevelopment by the then Health permission for piecemeal improvements, Bulls Cross through the Forty Hall Authority in conjunction with Enfield such as plastic windows and satellite Estate. Funding is also being provided Council. Only the intervention of the dishes, that do so much insidiously to by Spurs and the Council to build a GLC in designating a conservation area undermine the character of a townscape. bridge across Turkey Brook linking saved it and it took much more work to The Society strongly opposes this this path to the London Loop path on ensure the final result, a comprehensive retrograde step. the south side of the Brook close to the Chris Jephcott avenue of limes. We have built a very good relationship with Spurs’ advisers and professional team on these matters and we are very pleased with the new footpath; but this does not detract from our still strongly held opinion that the very special circumstances put forward in the planning application do not outweigh the inappropriateness or the harm to the open character of the Green Belt. In time we will see here a very large Academy / Training Facility building, with a floor space of 127,000 sq ft on 3 levels, with over 7 acres of land covered with new buildings, roads, hard surfaced car parks and artificial pitches, plus floodlighting and 12 grass pitches; all this on 67 acres of Green Belt land. One of the main aims of our Society is to defend the integrity of the Green Belt and we fear that it will become increasingly more difficult to protect this area in the north of the Borough as a result of Highlands Conservation Area frontage to World's End Lane, Spurs’ development here. at the site of the former South Lodge Colin Pointer 1 Parks Trees Group Parks and open spaces strategy Aled Richards, Enfield Council’s new Head of Development Services, gave the long- The Enfield Society is taking part in the further unfortunate intrusions, such as the working group which is advising on a awaited presentation regarding the blue (still not replaced in green) MUGA in Council’s policy on preserved trees and comprehensive strategy for Enfield’s parks Enfield Town Park. and open spaces. The report on the subject works to trees in conservation areas at the Information on the Parks and open spaces by consultants Cracknell, which the September meeting of the Conservation strategy is available at Advisory Group. He patiently answered Council commissioned, did not meet with <www.enfield.gov.uk/yourparks>, and the many queries from members. approval. It is to be hoped that many of its following reports can be downloaded from sensible proposals can be incorporated in A Tree Preservation Order would normally <www.enfield.gov.uk/downloads/461/parks_ be put in place where a threat or possible the new guidance. From the point of view and_open_spaces-general_information>: of our Society it is most important that the threat to a tree of sufficient merit was strategy should encourage joined up Baseline report : Enfield parks and open perceived. In the case of a preserved tree working among the many individuals spaces strategy 2009-2024 / Cracknell Ltd., deemed dead, dying or dangerous the local April 2009. 98 pages. engaged in running the parks. With so authority should still be informed before Enfield open space and sports assessment / many of our open spaces being the carrying out work. Regarding permission W. S. Atkins for Enfield Council, 2006. landscaped grounds of former grand for work to a tree in a conservation area, he Vol. 1: Final assessment of open space houses, the participation of a landscape agreed that the standard notification letters needs. August 2006. 220 pages. were not clear about the procedure and architect in decisions affecting their Chris Jephcott appearance is vital if we are to avoid outcome and promised to look for an improved format. There was currently no database of preserved trees available to the Publicity Group public but officers were working to make it accessible. Replacement of a preserved tree New books in Lea Valley series by Dr Jim Lewis was not mandatory, but the Council could request up to a semi mature tree and could put a TPO on the replacement. When insurance claims proposed the removal of a tree, consideration should focus on whether it should be retained. The need for training for planning officers dealing with tree applications was agreed and the possibility of a replacement, dedicated tree officer was still under review. Chris Jephcott Historic Buildings Group Dr Lewis has produced the first three of a If you wish to purchase any of these books We were greatly encouraged when 14 series of new books on the history of the they are available at Jubilee Hall meetings members attended the relaunch of the Lea Valley. The following are in stock and and at the special opening on 21st Group on 1st October. Graham Dalling are £9.99 each. November. If you would like them posted gave an illustrated talk on Enfield's Battleships, buses and bombers – a history of to you please send your name and address historic buildings, many of which are no transport in the Lea Valley describes the with a cheque made payable to The Enfield longer with us. This emphasised the need range of transport innovation pioneered in the Society to Publications, Jubilee Hall, 2 for the Group to be vigilant and to assist region from the first ironclad battle cruiser, Parsonage Lane, Enfield, EN2 0AJ and where possible with the excellent work of HMS Warrior, to the Eurostar maintenance include £1 towards postage costs for each the Council's Conservation Team. There volume. depot of today. It also includes many transport followed a lively discussion and question firsts such as A.V.Roe’s historic flight at The other titles in this series: Industry and Walthamstow Marshes in 1909. session led by Stephen Gilburt and innovation: the technological revolution in Graham. From gunpowder to guns – recounts the story the Lea Valley and From Eton Manor to of the two Lea Valley armouries responsible the Olympics – more Lea Valley secrets The next meeting of the Historic for supplying weapons and explosives to revealed, will be published shortly. Buildings Group will be held at Jubilee British and Commonwealth forces for over Hall at 8 p.m. on Thursday 3rd There are just one or two copies also on 200 years. The book charts the growth of the December. All members of the Society Royal Gunpowder Mills at Waltham Abbey sale of Dr Lewis’s earlier books, London’s Lea Valley, Britain’s best kept secret are invited to come and hear Graham from basic explosives to Barnes Wallis’s Dalling give an illustrated talk on historic bouncing bomb and rocket propellants. (which I have been told is out of print) and More secrets revealed (£14.99 each). buildings in parts of London near Water and waste – 400 years of health Monica Smith Enfield, including Tottenham, Islington improvements in the Lea Valley documents and Stoke Newington. We hope to build the improvements and challenges in public Drop in to Jubilee Hall on on the good response at our meeting on health over this period such as the engineering Saturday 21 November between feat of the New River and the eradication of 1st October and consider further how 10 am and 1 pm to buy your members can participate in the work of cholera and typhoid.