Feryal Clark MP comments on Enfield Council’s “Local Plan”

I want to thank the many constituents who have been in touch with me regarding the recent development of Enfield Council’s Local Plan.

The development, and subsequent public consultation, of this local plan document is a statutory requirement with which the Council must comply, and I am pleased to see that the consultation period has been extended to 12 weeks.

I have heard and appreciate the reservations that residents have expressed regarding certain aspects of the plan, in particular the potential loss of greenbelt land.

I share the concerns that many of you have raised with me and believe that all possible options for housing should be explored, including the innovative use of existing brownfield sites in the borough, before any development on greenbelt is considered.

Residents can be assured that I will be expressing my thoughts on any potential loss of greenbelt land directly to the Council, and I would recommend that everyone utilise the 12-week consultation period to make their views heard.

However, I want to applaud the commitments made in the plan to increase access to green spaces, with over 300 acres of publicly accessible woodland, and to improve our local environment, through the planting of 500 new street trees per year.

It is important to remember that the planning reform proposed by this Conservative Government, in the form of a White Paper, will remove important safeguards in the planning system and allow large developers to ignore quality, affordability and sustainability. The proposed government reforms could permit weaker regulations, which could subsequently lead to the development of the next generation of slum housing.

These new reforms will weaken the voice of residents in responding and shaping proposals for new developments that come forward. This would in effect create a “Developer’s Charter”, giving wealthy developers the power to ride rough shod over the wishes of residents and break up our local communities.

I want to once again thank all those who have been in contact on this important issue, and I look forward to working with you to ensure the best outcome for our communities.