North East Enfield Area Action Plan
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Enfield Council North East Enfield Area Action Plan Enfield's Local Development Framework North East Enfield Area Action Plan - Issues and Options Report Draft for Approval by LB Enfield December 2007 Draft North East Enfield Area Action Plan: Issues and Options Report Enfield Council Contents Foreword i How to get involved ii 0 Introduction 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Introducing North East Enfield 1 1.2 North East Enfield's Choices 5 0 The Issues and Options 2 Working in North East Enfield 9 2.1 Introduction 9 2.2 Options for North East Enfield's Employment Land 13 3 Living in North East Enfield 16 3.1 Introduction 16 3.2 Amount and Location of New Housing 18 3.3 Housing Density 20 3.4 Housing Type and Mix 22 4 Local Centres, Community Facilities and Open Spaces 26 4.1 Introduction 26 4.2 Local Centres 26 4.3 Community Facilities 29 4.4 Open Spaces 33 5 Connecting North East Enfield 41 5.1 Introduction 41 5.2 Public Transport 42 5.3 Walking and Cycling 48 5.4 The Road Network and Parking 52 6 Areas of Opportunity 56 6.1 Introduction 56 6.2 Ponders End 58 6.3 Other Opportunity Areas 68 7 What's Next? 78 7.1 Consultation Process 78 0 Appendices A The Area Action Plan Process 79 B Policy Context 80 C Sustainability Appraisal 82 D What you told us 83 E Glossary 92 F Information Sources 97 Enfield Council Draft North East Enfield Area Action Plan: Issues and Options Report Contents Draft North East Enfield Area Action Plan: Issues and Options Report Enfield Council i Foreword Text and Image to be supplied by Enfield ii Enfield Council Draft North East Enfield Area Action Plan: Issues and Options Report How to get involved The Council has an on-line consultation system, which you can use to comment on this document. On-line consultation is the easiest and most convenient way to make comments on the North East Enfield Area Action Plan. To view the document and submit your comments please use the following link: http://consultation.limehouse.co.uk/enfield You may also make your comments in writing and send them to: The Planning Policy Team London Borough of Enfield PO Box 53 Civic Centre Silver Street Enfield EN1 3XE Tel: 020 8379 5181 Fax: 020 8379 3887 or email: [email protected] Please also remember to complete and return the equal opportunities monitoring form. The closing date for comments is [TBC] February 2008 Note on the Text All references to the DCLG (Department for Communities and Local Government) include its previous titles (ODPM, DTLR, DETR) and all policy statements / guidance published under those banners. Lee or Lea? Historically, the river has been called the "Lea", "Lee" or "Ley". The "Ley" spelling is seen in medieval documents but subsequently passed from common usage. Currently, "Lea" and "Lee" are the generally accepted spellings, with "Lea" used in reference to the original natural river and "Lee" referring to the canalised parts, such as the Lee Navigation. However, both spellings are often used. For the purposes of consistency and to avoid confusion, this report uses the spelling “Lee” when referring to the waterways in the area. Note on the Mapping All mapping in this report is reproduced from Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. © Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. London Borough of Enfield Licence no. LA086363. Draft North East Enfield Area Action Plan: Issues and Options Report Enfield Council 1 1 Introduction 1.1 Introducing North East Enfield 1.1.1 North East Enfield is the area between the Lee Valley Regional Park and the London to Cheshunt rail line, extending from the M25 in the north to Ponders End in the south. It covers the wards and residential communities of Enfield Lock, Enfield Highway and Ponders End and employment areas such as Brimsdown and Innova Park (see Figure 1.1 ‘North East Enfield AAP area’). It occupies an important position in North London. From here you can get easily to the major growth areas of the City, Stansted and Cambridge (see Figure 1.2 ‘Location of North East Enfield AAP area’). It is part of the Upper Lee Valley, which is an Opportunity Area in the London Plan, and is immediately north of Central Leeside, an area which has potential for major change. 1.1.2 North East Enfield, along with the rest of the Upper Lee Valley, has a long economic history. The growth of Enfield Lock is associated with the Royal Small Arms Factory, whilst Enfield Highway grew as a result of increasing housing demands to serve these new industries. North East Enfield’s industrial estates date from the great era of early/mid 20th Century consumer-oriented manufacturing and are still an important source of jobs for the sub-region. Brimsdown industrial estate is London’s second largest concentration of employment land and has seen substantial new private investment following publicly funded infrastructure and environmental improvements in the early 1990s. The industrial base of North East Enfield is geared towards manufacturing, storage and distribution, large and small, together with automotive and service industries. Typically, these operate out of large sheds or other industrial estate premises. The area has not been immune from economic trends away from manufacturing towards services and distribution, but industrial production remains and thrives, for example in the southern part of Brimsdown industrial estate close to Ponders End. This distinguishes North East Enfield from many other areas – such as much of Central Leeside – where economic change is more noticeable on the ground. 1.1.3 At the present time the industrial sector is strengthening and opportunities exist to capitalise on the continued importance of high value-added niche manufacturing and the growing role of the food and drink and logistics sectors. However, there is concern that North East Enfield will eventually lose out to employment areas further a field that have better access to the strategic road network, particularly as the industrial profile of the area changes, with a greater balance of logistics based operations. Although North East Enfield abuts the M25, access to it is indirect, resulting in congestion along feeder roads, which is a deterrent to business growth. If North East Enfield is to continue its role as a major employment area in the Upper Lee Valley – a role that is becoming increasingly important given the potential loss of employment land elsewhere in the borough – the problem of poor access needs to be considered. Other issues also need to be addressed. For example, despite the relative economic success of the area, there is lower than average household income and educational achievement, under-investment in the housing and employment stock, deterioration in the quality of local shopping facilities, and relatively low spending power. 2 Enfield Council Draft North East Enfield Area Action Plan: Issues and Options Report 1 Introduction Figure 1.1 North East Enfield AAP area Draft North East Enfield Area Action Plan: Issues and Options Report Enfield Council 3 1 Introduction 1.1.4 So what role should North East Enfield have in the future? How might it fit into the golden triangle of growth from London to Cambridge and the south Midlands? Clearly, employment will continue to play an important part, as recognised within the London Plan. But North East Enfield is important not only as an employment location, but also as a place to live, to shop and to relax. There are opportunities here to improve the profile and image of the area, to broaden the range of businesses and jobs, to improve the quality of homes, streets and parks, and to make sure that the area is well connected at both a strategic and local level. Recently the North London Strategic Alliance, which includes the London Boroughs of Enfield, Haringey and Waltham Forest, produced a Vision for the Upper Lee Valley as North London’s waterside. This looks at the long-term potential of the valley to raise its performance in every way and make much more of its assets: its good connections, important employment land, housing capacity and the Lee Valley Park. North East Enfield is in a crucial position to help achieve this vision. 1.1.5 Investment and planning policy in the area should therefore be directed towards supporting the area’s economic strengths and undertaking local development and transport interventions in order to promote North East Enfield as an attractive, safe and enjoyable place to live. A range of employment could be promoted, appropriate to North East Enfield’s location– this could include the potential for higher value employment uses and more dense employment. The existing local centres could be strengthened, and their distinctiveness promoted, in order to support the potential for new housing. Environmental issues, such as climate change and the flood plain, will also need to be taken into account, and there are opportunities to promote exemplary sustainable, eco-friendly development. 1.1.6 So there are decisions to make about the future of North East Enfield. To encourage beneficial change throughout the area, the London Borough of Enfield has decided to develop an Area Action Plan. This is a vital piece of work and is one of two Area Action Plans being developed for the Upper Lee Valley, the other being Central Leeside. When it is finally adopted, the Area Action Plan will be a statutory planning document, and part of Enfield Council’s local development framework.