Meridian Water Masterplan Approved July 2013 2 MeridianWaterEcoCommunity Meridian Water Masterplan Contents Foreword 4 6.0 Frameworks 99 Purpose of Document 5 6.1 The Frameworks 101 6.2 Movement 103 1.0 The Vision 6 6.3 Homes 109 1.1 The Masterplan 8 6.4 Business and Employment 114 1.2 The big drivers for change 12 6.5 Shopping and Leisure 117 1.3 Guiding principles 14 6.6 Community 120 6.7 Water 122 2.0 The Context 17 6.8 Public space 126 2.1 The context 18 6.9 Energy 130 2.2 The historical context 20 2.3 A well connected location 22 7.0 Delivering Meridian Water 134 2.4 A link within the Lee Valley 24 7.1 Making it happen 135 2.5 The waterways of the Lee Valley 26 7.2 Development Guidance 146 2.6 The existing communities 28 7.3 Land use 152 2.7 Business, employment and retail 30 2.8 The planning context 32 Contact Details 153 2.9 The physical history and a fractured site 34 Acknowledgements 154 3.0 The Masterplan 39 3.1 The concept 40 3.2 Masterplan 44 4.0 The Causeway 45 4.1 The Causeway 46 5.0 The Neighbourhoods 55 5.1 The neighbourhoods 56 5.2 Meridian Angel 58 5.3 The Gateway 64 5.4 Meridian Central 70 5.5 The Islands 76 5.6 Canal-side West 82 5.7 Meridian East 88 5.8 The Parklands 94 MeridianWaterEcoCommunity 3 Meridian Water Masterplan Foreword Cllr Doug Taylor Rob Leak Cllr Del Goddard Leader of Enfield Chief Executive Lead Member for Council London Borough of Business & Regeneration Enfield Meridian Water is located in the London Borough of Enfield Meridian Water also provides a unique location for business. Cllr Doug Taylor – Leader of Enfield Council within the Lee Valley and is part of the London-Stansted- With direct access to the North Circular, the Lee Navigation Cambridge Corridor. It is a huge investment opportunity that and the rail network, along with being a primary hub for the Rob Leak – Chief Executive, London Borough of Enfield will provide up to 5000 new homes and 3000 new jobs. emerging Lee Valley Heat Network at the heart of London’s Meridian Water is only six miles from Junction 25 of the second largest industrial corridor, the regeneration of Cllr Del Goddard – Lead Member for Business & Regeneration M25, 25 minutes from City Airport, 30 minutes from Westfield Meridian Water provides a once in a lifetime opportunity for Stratford, 35 minutes from the O2 Arena, 43 minutes from innovation, investment and transformation. Heathrow and two hours 50 minutes from Paris via Eurostar, creating an excellent and well connected location for The Masterplan looks to create a shift in the employment development and growth in London. profile of the area, diversifying from the traditional industries to provide space for a wider range of roles, from entry level This Masterplan sets out proposals to connect the east and jobs through to skilled technical roles, building on the existing west of the area using a new community spine, a pedestrian strong green industry, food sectors and the area’s strong friendly route that joins Harbet Road to Glover Drive, which will history of industrial innovation and invention. strengthen linkages with Edmonton, Tottenham, Walthamstow, Chingford and beyond. This is important because Meridian Through this shared vision and framework for the future, Water is a plan for everyone. Meridian Water will create a neighbourhood that people are proud to call home, a place where residents have a sense of The Masterplan sets out development principles for a new permanence and belonging, not only to Meridian Water but neighbourhood shaped around this link, creating development also to Enfield and North London. that will become part of the surrounding neighbourhoods and communities. A vibrant mix of uses will create a distinctive Meridian Water will help to create a community where people place that people will call home; quiet residential streets and can set down roots and take pride in where they live, and busy waterside apartments will form attractive places to live. businesses can thrive and grow, reshaping and transforming this area of North London. www.improvingenfield.com 4 MeridianWaterEcoCommunity Meridian Water Masterplan Purpose of Document Planning and Urban Design Guidance Consultation – Material consideration The Council’s adopted Statement of Community Involvement sets Meridian Water is the largest regeneration priority area out how the community will be involved in planning matters and identified in the Council’s adopted Core Strategy (2010) where plan making. It highlights the importance of involving people a comprehensive approach to development will take place. This early on in the preparation of plans. In accordance with this, Masterplan expands on that guidance and provides a framework informal consultation on the principles of the Masterplan and for managing change and development in the area. It was initial plans for the development of the area took place in the adopted as Planning and Urban Design Guidance on 17th July summer of 2011. This was followed by consultation on the draft 2013 and is now a material consideration in the determination masterplan from May to August 2012. of all planning applications in this area. The Council received 36 individual responses within the This Masterplan is a spatial planning document that explains consultation period, and one late response in July 2013. All of how the key objectives established in the Core Strategy for the matters raised were carefully considered by the Council, in Meridian Water could be delivered, and provides further detail its role of Local Planning Authority, and a number of changes and guidance about the significant scale of change proposed. were made to the Masterplan as a result. A summary of the consultation responses accompanied a report entitled ‘Adoption It is not intended to be a blueprint for the area but a framework of the Meridian Water Masterplan’ which was considered at the for change, providing the Council’s overall vision and approach Local Plan Cabinet Sub-Committee at its 3rd July 2013 meeting. which it will seek to achieve through working closely with This is available on the Council’s website. landowners and other partners. Transformational change at Meridian Water is also a priority Central Leeside Area Action Plan for the Mayor of London who has recognised the strategic importance of growth in the area to support the regeneration of Meridian Water sits within a wider area of change in the south the Upper Lee Valley as a whole. east of the borough, known as Central Leeside. This area stretches from Ponders End southwards to the borough boundary This Masterplan should be read in conjunction with the and is a major employment area. It includes the industrial Council’s Core Strategy (2010), the Development Management estates stretching alongside the railway and significant Document (Submission Version March 2013), the Council’s infrastructure such as the Deephams Sewage Treatment Works adopted Supplementary Planning Documents, the London Plan and the Edmonton EcoPark. Its eastern boundary incorporates (2011), and the Mayor’s Upper Lee Valley Opportunity Area the waterways of the Lee Valley Regional Park and there is the Planning Framework (draft 2013). potential for improved leisure facilities at Picketts Lock. With the inclusion of the new community at Meridian Water, this wider area presents significant regeneration and redevelopment Sustainability Appraisal opportunities and in recognition of this, the Council is also bringing forward an Area Action Plan for the Central Leeside In line with the Council’s statutory obligations and extant Area. Once adopted the Central Leeside Area Action Plan (AAP) Government guidance, the Council has undertaken a will form part of Enfield’s statutory Local Plan and will provide Sustainability Appraisal (SA) to assess the environmental and the planning policy framework for the area. sustainability impacts of the Masterplan. Consultation on the SA Scoping Report was carried out from October to November 2011. This was followed by the publication of the SA accompanying the draft masterplan in May 2012 and the final version of the SA which accompanies this document. The Meridian Water Sustainability Appraisal can be viewed on the Council’s website or on www.meridianwater.co.uk MeridianWaterEcoCommunity 5 6 MeridianWaterEcoCommunity 1 The vision 1MeridianWaterEcoCommunity 7 1 The vision 1.1 The Masterplan The vision for Meridian Water is transformational and inspirational. Up to 5000 new homes The vision for Meridian Water is also focused on sustaining strong business and economic and 3000 new jobs will be created in a £1.3 billion redevelopment in a vast area of under growth. It seeks to retain and improve the existing employment and retail provision on-site utilised land in Enfield. Celebrating the Lee Valley’s waterways, creating healthy living through supporting modernisation and renewal of facilities, improved accessibility and greater corridors and providing a framework for modern, low carbon lifestyles, the Masterplan fashions patronage. At the same time, the Masterplan creates new opportunities for higher density a new London destination that will become home to a vibrant and sustainable community. businesses and green industries, supporting a greater diversity of new jobs. Meridian Water, London Borough of Enfield, is located between the busy town centre of Meridian Water will benefit from the Masterplan’s key aim of improving accessibility and Edmonton Green and the peaceful waterways and parklands of the Lee Valley. Drawing on the promoting sustainable, low carbon means of travel. Improved rail services, renewed station, distinctiveness of this location, the Masterplan defines a sense of place that is strongly rooted a new integrated transport hub and improved bus services will serve the area, alongside safe in its character and context to create a new waterfront eco-quarter.