"A mixture of deflection and delusion": Full council debates the Enfield Local Plan
"Tensions were high during a three-hour debate at Enfield Civic Centre as Conservatives slammed plans to build thousands of homes on the Green Belt while Labour councillors blamed government for the housing crisis," reports Enfield Dispatch editor James Cracknell, who was on the scene watching the debate. Also in the Civic Centre were some two hundred Enfield residents, remarkable testimony to the depth of feelings stirred up by some aspects of the Labour administration's vision of how the borough should develop between now and 2041.
The most controversial aspect of the Enfield Local Plan that was being debated (and, to no-one's surprise, was approved by the council) is the proposal to declassify large areas of Green Belt between Enfield Town and Oakwood and in Crews Hill so that new housing can be built there. That large quantities of new housing are required is not in dispute, but will the people most in need of that new housing be able to afford to buy or rent in "Chase Park"? And where are the plans to provide essential cooler, green spaces in the densely populated east of the borough, which will suffer first and worst as climate change continues unabated?
Also watching the debate, online in his case, was Francis Sealey, who in a forum contribution describes it as "a mixture of deflection and delusion with a touch of the theatre of the absurd". Click on Read More below to see what he has to say - and join in the discussion.
There will now follow a formal public consultation about the draft plan, but any submissions need to be drafted very carefully - watch this space for advice from local groups.
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Southgate urban realm enhancement discussions at the Southgate Club
After admiring Dan Maier's new window art at the library and visiting the two new parklets on Ashfield Parade, people following the Southgate Launches itinerary on Saturday 9th March made their final stop at the Southgate Club on Chase Side, where they were able to meet the designers who will be creating the Portrait of Southgate mosaics, as well as finding out about plans for rain gardens along this currently very ungreen street.
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Volunteers sought to help introduce children to local wildlife and nature
Richard McKeever from the Friends of Broomfield Park is looking for new volunteers to help the Friends run their expanding programme of visits to the park by local schoolchildren.
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Karl Brown reports on a meeting of the Safer Neighbourhood Board
In his role as chair of the Palmers Green Ward Panel, Karl Brown gets to attend the borough-wide Safer Neighbourhoods Board, giving him a broader impression of crime and policing. He sees currently ongoing reform of the way the SNB runs as promising, reports small increases in the number of constables and sergeants in Safer Neighbourhood Teams and a (possible) significant increase in the number of PCSOs.
Karl's closing message: "Report the bad stuff and think about volunteering: what should and can be important parts of our society frequently requires community hands to make work."
You can find agendas and minutes for SNB meetings on the council website.
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Show some love for the Wolves Lane Centre
Wolves Lane Centre isn't in Palmers Green, but it's not far away. This remarkable community and environmental project is raising money for improvements and expansion of its food growing and educational capacity - and you can have your donation doubled.
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An important platform for local poets
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