Agenda for Environment Forum on Tuesday, 27th July, 2021, 7.00 pm

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Conference Room, Civic Centre, Silver Street, Enfield, EN1 3XA. View directions

Contact: Email: Democracy@enfield.gov.uk 

Items
No. Item

1.

WELCOME AND APOLOGIES

Minutes:

The Chair, Cllr Katherine Chibah, welcomed everyone to the meeting and apologies for absence were received from Cllr Saray Karakus, Cllr Mahmut Aksanoglu and Ann Bishop-Leggett.

2.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members of the Forum are invited to identify any disclosable pecuniary, other pecuniary or non-pecuniary interests relevant to items on the agenda.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest registered in respect of any items on the agenda.

3.

MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING pdf icon PDF 148 KB

To agree the minutes of the Environment Forum meeting held on the 29th June 2021.

Minutes:

The minutes of the Environment Forum held on the 29th June 2021 were agreed.

4.

LOCAL PLAN CONSULTATION

To receive an update on the Local Plan consultation, with particular focus on environmental matters.

Minutes:

A presentation was received from members of Strategic Planning in respect of the consultation taking place on Enfield’s Local Plan, with focus on environmental policies and design and character policies.

 

Strategic Planning and Design Officers were keen to hear from the local experts in attendance to help shape and refine the policies. 

 

The process (set out by Government) at Enfield is currently at Stage 1 - the plan preparation stage is known as Reg 18 and involves collecting evidence about the borough’s needs and using this to identify issues and ways that they could be addressed through the plan whilst testing options. Reg 18 can be repeated several times until it reaches Stage 2 known as Reg 19, a draft plan which can be published, hopefully by the summer of 2022.

 

 

Therefore, focus on the following policies were received:

 

Climate Change

 

The following issues were suggestion for inclusion in the Plan:

 

Overheating resulting in fewer or no trees

Tree preservation

Biodiversity

Green space preservation

No more flooding

More reuse of building materials in new builds

Less Pollution and vehicle, waste and rubbish dumping

Green space preservation

U.H.I

Build for a Lifetime - high quality buildings

Embodied carbon

Compliance of enforcement

Embedding Principles

Education

Rewilding

Air Quality

Should all policies relate to refurbished developments

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blue and Green Enfield

 

The following points were received:

 

Paving over front gardens - policy and enforcement issue (why allow paving over)

Positives include water gardens

Degradation of boundary walls etc

Loss of verges for crossovers

Good example boundary ditch nature area

Further work needed eg Salmons Brook link

Better links with Lea Valley Park Authority and Thames Water

Lack of attention to agriculture

Conflict between Blue & Green and the proposed development north of Enfield Road and Crews Hill.

Enhancement of Green Space et Trent Park and commercial activities

Enfield Chase - historical landscape

SPG3 - offsetting is in developers’ advantage

Use of buy-out verses offset eg Tottenham Hotspur Training Ground

 

 

Design and Character

 

The following points were received:

 

Take note of public interest as public need to decide what they want

Not just residents, focus must be for all users

Importance of mixed use - walkable facilities - large scale design, social infrastructure and public space

Remove obstacles (eg. Nursing Homes)

CIC needs to go to comms where development is

 

Character

 

Reflect existing character

Problems with height and loss of greenery

Densify in ways which respects character

 

Policy Responses:

 

Categorisation of change for example Hadley Wood should not be a focus for change and change should be slow

 

Generally positive but concerns about individual decisions

 

Contradictions such as Heritage and Environment verses development pressure.

 

Anything Missed:

 

How to involve the public with site briefs and area-based design coding.

Hierarchy of assets and character needs to be discussed.

 

 

 

 

 

Transport

 

The following points were received:

 

Sustainable active polices and active travel.

 

How:

 

walk to school, quality of schools,

employment close to home

Can commuting be reduced

Offices, workshops, industry in suburbs

Work hubs

Emphasis on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

WORK PROGRAMME 2021-2022 pdf icon PDF 94 KB

To receive the up to date work programme amended since the last meeting.

Minutes:

The amended work programme was agreed.

6.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Minutes:

The Forum received a request from Dennis Stacey (Bush Hill Park Conservation and Study Group) to invite Andy Higham (Head of Development Management) to a future meeting to provide an update on enforcement.


The Chair agreed to speak to the Cabinet Member for Licensing & Regulatory Services, Cllr George Savva. ACTION: Cllr Katherine Chibah

7.

DATES OF NEXT MEETING

To confirm the dates for future meetings as follows:

 

Tuesday 28th September 2021

Tuesday 19th October 2021

Wednesday 24th November 2021

Wednesday 12th January 2022

Tuesday 15th February 2022

Tuesday 29th March 2022

 

Minutes:

The date of the next meeting was confirmed as Tuesday 28th September 2021.

 

 

Dates for future meetings are as follows:

 

Tuesday 28th September 2021

Tuesday 19th October 2021

Wednesday 24th November 2021

Wednesday 12th January 2022

Tuesday 15th February 2022

Tuesday 29th March 2022