Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Executive Director Place on Enfield’s Blue and Green Strategy. The reports for this item will be to follow.

Council is asked to approve the strategy. 

Councillor Guney Dogan moved and Council Ian Barnes seconded the report of the Executive Director of Place.

NOTED

1.    The following key points were highlighted by Councillor Dogan, Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainability:

·         This replaces the Parks and Green Spaces Strategy and brings together water ways and green spaces;

·         The aim of the plan is to increase green cover in the borough by 25% by 2031;

·         The Strategy will create 12 new wetlands and greater accessibility to woodland space; and

·         Water quality in the borough will improve as a result.

2.    The comments of the majority groups included:

·       Officers have worked hard to produce the Strategy;

·      The input from residents and councillors had been the highest yet proving the need for the Strategy;

·      This Strategy sits alongside the Corporate Plan and the Council’s other documents;

·      The Strategy will provide access to all residents to green and blue spaces in the borough; and

·      Food production in the borough will be improved and increased.

3.    The comments of the majority opposition included:

·         Concerns remain as the Strategy does not consider health inequalities and green tourism;

·         There is a need for more sports facilities and sustainable farming in the borough;

·         The Green Belt and Crews Hill are not mentioned in the Strategy and assurances are needed for their future;

·         All parks and the green belt in the borough need to be protected;

·         The Regeneration and Economy Scrutiny Panel discussed the growth plan for 25,000 new homes;

·         Low Traffic Neighbourhoods were listed as a point of concern;

·         Concerns were raised around the cleanliness of the streets in the borough and large-scale events in Trent Park.

4.    The comments of the minority opposition included:

·         Felt the Strategy needs greater priorities and objectives focusing time, resources and delivery; and

·         Wanted to see more family sized homes being built in the borough.

After the debate the recommendations in the report were put to the vote and agreed with the following result:

For: 31

Against: 17

Abstentions: 1