Below is a list of topics which are being discussed on the email group. This will become more extensive as time goes on. To send an email on a particular issue, please just click on the appropriate title.
Please pass information to anyone that is interested.
Do the residents of Enfield want to see their "Market Town" developed into a shopping centre surrounded with multi-story car parks and heavily congested roads leading in and out of Enfield?
One of the major problems with the scheme as planned at the moment is the road plan. It diverts southbound traffic down Genotin Road and Northbound traffic up London Road.
I don't think the town centre is the main problem. All roads leading in and out of Enfield Town are small single lane roads. None of them are suited to an increase in traffic.
A park and ride scheme might be an alternative.
In one of the presentations, it was mentioned that Enfield Town is on the decline. I believe the statistics produced missed out on some pretty important facts.
Did they take into account the opening of out of town retail parks?
Did they take into account the increase number of supermarkets in the area?
I clearly remember when there was at least one butcher in the town, a couple of bakers and a greengrocer.
I would be interested to hear from the individual retailers that have been trading for sometime whether they have figures that point to a general decline in trade.
Does anybody know any businesses that have expressed an interest in moving into any of the new shops?
This information is being kept top secret by the developers. There was talk at one time of C&A or BHS being involved. I have also heard that Next may be interested in moving from Palace Gardens into the new development.
How many people are put off by the relatively high cost of parking in Enfield Town?
I have noticed that as the months and years roll on, more and more controlled parking zones have been introduced in Enfield Town's surrounding streets and therefore forcing traffic into the centre and into the car parks.
I have also noticed that at the same time, the parking fees in all of Enfield's car parks have steadily increased. Are we a captive audience?
I have also noticed that the cars parked in these car parks are captive prey to the traffic wardens. Easy pickings to troll through the lines of cars looking for out of time tickets. While I don't condone people parking without paying I think it unfair that they get a fine for going over their time by a few minutes.
I also think it is very unfair that all Enfield parking meters and ticket machines require a banded payment i.e.. 80p for an hour, 1.30 for two hours. Many a time I've only had a pound coin and the of course the ticket machine only gives you an hour. In fact if you've put a pound in you've paid 25% over the top. Effectively an additional 15 minutes. However, if a traffic warden were to catch you out in that 15 minutes you'd get a ticket. There must be a fairer way?
The Council are also planning to introduce charging for Sundays. This will affect the Churches, particularly the midday services. Please make sure you write to your Councillors and object to this.
If anyone has hard facts and figures on things like:
The number of additional shops
The plan is for 26 new shops
The number of additional parking spaces
About 50 extra spaces
The amount of revenue the council is hoping to raise from additional rent
The amount it is costing the council to develop this site
The amount of 106 money involved, where it is going to be spent?
How much it is going to cost to fit out the proposed new library and community centre?
I am not opposed to the centre of Enfield Town being developed. I object to being told what we want and need.
In an ideal World, it would be great to have more parking available in Enfield Town. Multi-story car parks are ugly, but there is a solution - go underground. Here there is no real restriction to space. You could go down 2 levels and have pretty gardens with seating areas on the top, or shops on top.
I have been told by the developers that underground parking costs about 3 times as much as a multi-story. Also, people do not feel safe in them. Underground parking has been used at Southbury corner, how do people feel about underground car parking?
The whole development area could house a massive underground car park with plenty of spaces for the increased demand. The car park opposite M&S would then house two stories of shops, and the car park in Cecil Road could become a beautiful open space with trees, benches, a water fountain with only entrances in an out of the underground car park. I must draw a plan, if only I could draw!
It is proposed to convert the recently reclaimed part of Town Park where the houses were demolished some years back into a temporary car park while the other car parks are being developed.
I doubt whether the trees in that area will survive the bulldozer.
At a recent Enfield Preservation Society meeting, Dr Jephcott pointed out to the developers that their descriptions of the trees on their plan was completely inaccurate. The developers said that it was difficult to indentify trees in the winter. We were told that a Council Planning Office will attend the site and decide which trees will be kept.
What is the plan for this car park?
At the same meeting, we were told that the car park would be temporary and only be used for about six months.
Will it only be temporary or will it become a fixture?
I dearly hope it will be temporary. I am sure there will be a lot of local pressure if it is not put back properly. What guarantees can we obtain to insure it is restored afterwards?
It is lovely walking through the park to the town centre at the moment. Do we really want to loose this?
In order to build the new southbound route through Enfield Town, two landmarks The Town House and The Enfield Arms, will have to be demolished.
The Enfield Arms is owned by Scottish and Newcastle. Steve Wehrle of Laings stated at the EPS meeting that they only need another foot and a half from the side of the Enfield Arms. He said present compulsory purchase laws dictate that the developers have to offer to buy the lot, but they could also offer to knock down the outer wall and rebuild it further back. I am going to write to S&N and ask their position.
The owner of the Townhouse, Steve Nicholas does not want the Townhouse knocked down. He is in negotiations and I will keep you informed of his progress.
It seems a shame to for Enfield to loose these buildings for a road. I have heard that the increase in parking provided by the new multi-story car park is going to minimal, so therefore there isn't going to be the space to house more cars. Do we really need to change the road system so much?
Am I correct in thinking that most people who are really wanting to go for a serious shop would first think of heading for Brent Cross, Lakeside, Bluewater, Brookfield Farm or possibly even Wood Green?
Is there any point in trying to build something to try and compete with these? Surely the appeal of Enfield Town is its "Market Feel"?
It would be great to make Enfield a specialist centre with different shops to other town centres. I expect the developers will argue that it is not cost effective, but why should Enfield Town conform to the norm?
Comments please.
Does anybody know what the plans are for the derelict building off Market Square?
The building is owned by Six Continents PLC which bought Bass sometime ago. They have had various plans for the site which have included various themed bars. I am writing to Six Continents to find out what their plans are.
It would be a lovely idea to use this space for something useful. A shopping mall perhaps, with lots of small affordable units allowing specialist shops to be set up.
Your thoughts please...
I have heard from several sources that one of the reasons people like to come to Enfielf is to park in the open air car parks. They don't like multi-storey car parks. Once the proposed development is complete, there will not be any open air parking.
I have heard that all the Section 106 money is being used to build the new library and community centre within the new multi-story car park. There doesn't appear to be any left over to actually fit them out.
The developers have confirmed that they are just building the shell for the civic building and that the Council is responsible for fitting it out.
Does anybody have any idea how much it would cost to fit these out?
Do the residents of Enfield actually want a new library within a multi-story car park? I understand Enfield Town's existing library is too small. Does anyone have access to a report or information on the library services plans? What would be needed in the current library to bring it up to scratch? Would it be possible to have a larger out of town library that people can visit, park free of charge?
There is another possible site in Carterhatch Lane where the old Eastern Energy offices were based. The Council were asking for suggestions in the local paper a couple of weeks ago (17th April 2002 email jane.tebbutt@enfield.gov.uk).
May I suggest that this site be used for a new central library with ample free parking. I know the Council currently plan to build a library within the new Enfield Town phase 2 development, but is that really a suitable place for it. By building the library on the Eastern Energy site, the building costs could be vastly reduced and the money saved used to fit the library out. It would also mean that the existing library in Cecil Road could be kept as a satellite library and would remove the problem of what to do with it.
What is planned for the community centre?
Wouldn't it be ideal if Enfield Town stood out from all the other town centres? With this new development, Enfield Town is in danger of becoming identical to any other town centre. Populated by all the usual names.
I already see many shops becoming empty, especially the smaller independent shops. I would be interested to hear from any of their owners to find out why they have closed down. Was it because they couldn't afford the high rents and council rates?
There are a couple of points that really concern me about how we are going to be able to get into the shops.
The proposal as I last saw it, was to completely close Sydney Road that runs alongside M&S with no pedestrian access. I know this was a matter of hot debate at the time and I don't know whether this has now been altered.
The developers have agreed to open a walk way from Cecil Road along the existing pavement alongside Marks and Spencers. The walk way is planned to be about the width of the current pavement and will use some form of open blocks on the wall between it and the service yard to provide a more spacious feel. I would personally prefer the walk way to be much wider and feature seating and public art like the Church Street entrance.
From the south side of the Town the only way to access the shops was to go into the multi-story car park near the current bus stops, go up one floor in the lift, cross a covered bridge and then come down one floor into the shops. Not very easy for the elderly. There was no provision for a crossing or other access from the south side.
With the opening of the walkway, there will be crossings on Cecil Road. One of Laings visuals shows many people on foot in that area. I got the impression from the developers that they are not keen on this walk way and I have heard others refer to it as a "muggers alley".
In order to access the shops without using the bridge, you'd have to go to the junction which will be near the present location of the Town house and then walk past the Woolworth's and into the entrance there.
No longer the case due to the Sydney Road walk way.
This effectively cuts of the town centre from the town park!
As well as demolishing the Town House, the Enfield Arms, it is also planned to demolish the two old houses in Cecil Road and the Free Evangelical Church. I actually work in one of these buildings and I do think it a shame that they will be demolished. I think that particularly the two houses add to the older feel of the town.
That whole area will just become a concrete canyon with the shops and access ways on the north side of Cecil Road and the Multi-story on the other with a pedestrian bridge spanning the two.
Does anybody know who objected to the compulsory purchase orders?
The only person to turn up at the public hearing was the owner of the Townhouse!
The public enquiry was at the beginning of February 2002 and we should hear the results by the summer.
HOME Updated 13/05/2002