‘Supporting sustainable development;
preserving our character and natural environment;
strengthening protection of the Green Belt'
The government has published a list of proposed 'New Towns'. Detailed assessments will take another 6+ months, but one comprises 21,000 new homes on a vast area stretching from Crews Hill to Chase Park, i.e. from the M25 to Oakwood Underground station. The New Towns proposals are dictinct from the draft new Local Plan, and are not part of the current examination.
Latest news
-
The final (Stage 3) public hearings on the Council's draft Local Plan 2019-2041 are now taking place - click to see the examiner's questions/topics and the hearings schedule (21 Oct to 12 Nov 2025).
-
These hearings cover the proposed planning policies.
-
The previous hearings dealt with legal compliance and the proposed development sites. The site in Hadley Wood was discussed on 19th June, when we were represented by Rupert Warren KC.
-
The examiner is expected to issue his report in Dec/Jan.
-
The government wants 1.5 million new homes to be built, and has weakened the protections for Green Belt land. The Mayor of London's strategic review of which parts of the Green Belt can be built on will inform the 2026 update to the London Plan. This should not directly affect the site in Hadley Wood, as it does not meet the criteria for land that is effectively downgraded to 'grey belt'.
Local Plan vs Neighbourhood Plan
-
Planning applications are considered against the policies of both the Local Plan and Neighbourhood Plan.
-
The Hadley Wood Neighbourhood Plan only applies to our area and was developed, and voted on, by local residents. It reflects the community's view on what development should look like.
-
Enfield Council's Local Plan covers the entire borough. It sets a new housing target, and can remove land from the Green Belt for development (or add to it). Councillors, not residents, vote on the Local Plan.
-
The NP's policies can differ from the Local Plan policies, but must align with its 'Strategic Policies', such as the target number of new homes.
What's happening?
-
Enfield Council has for a few years been developing its new Local Plan for the period to 2041.
-
In spite of overwhelming objections in 2021, the Council produced a largely unchanged draft, which was subject to one last public consultation in early 2024.
-
In Sep 2024 the Council submitted that draft Plan for independent examination. Comments you sent in during the last consultation were passed on to the Examiner.
-
The new homes target has been increased by 33% over the 2021 draft. This is being used to justify the unchanged plans for material releases of Green Belt land for development, including the fields off Crescent West (see images below).
View from Crescent West
The Local Plan mentions 160 new homes, but the number could be much higher (500) based on the building density to be used at Chase Park, and buildings up to 7 storeys tall.