A campaigning group set up to defend the borough's green belt and open spaces has published its submission to the council's consultation on a new "Blue and Green Strategy" for Enfield. While calling it "ambitious with some worthy goals", Enfield RoadWatch is concerned about omissions from the draft - in particular with regard to agriculture and horticulture - and remains anxious about the possibility of development on Green Belt land. It is encouraging individual residents to register these concerns when responding to the consultation, which runs until 11th January.
"More of a presentation about parks and open spaces than a true strategy"
Enfield RoadWatch started as a campaign against proposed building on land to the south of Enfield Road (between Enfield Town and Oakwood), but has now widened its remit to include defence of Green Belt land and other open spaces throughout the borough.
Enfield RoadWatch introduces its response to the consultation by commenting that the draft "appears ambitious with some good goals" but does not in fact lay out a long-term strategy, being
"more of a presentation about parks and open spaces than a true strategy for the long-term preservation and enhancement of all the borough’s public and private green and blue assets and the impact of that strategy on the climate crisis."
The group is particularly concerned by what it regards as important omissions from the draft. These include:
- commercial-scale food production on farms or at Crews Hill is neglected:
"This aspect of the strategy needs to be expanded with input from the many organisations dedicated to sustainable farming. These include local experts such as those at Forty Hall Farm, Capel Manor and Organic Lea and national organisations such as CPRE and The Nature Friendly Farming Network."
"An appendix should be added to the strategy document listing the farms in the borough, how they are currently used and what opportunities they offer for sustainable farming, agroforestry and other climate-friendly purposes."
- the failure to mention Crews Hill:
"Crews Hill is not mentioned, even historically as a centre for horticulture, and in the maps appears to have been removed from the Green Belt. Given the need for food security and a reduction in ‘food miles’ the strategy should include a vision to reinstate Crews Hill as a centre for local food and horticulture production."
- a policy about front and rear gardens to prevent permeable green space and habitat being lost
- a policy for the management of verges to benefit biodiversity
- a commitment to introduce new footpaths.
Other points mentioned in the response include:
- RoadWatch Enfield fear that providing additional green space in the east of the borough (which they agree with) might be done at the cost of building on some of the Green Belt in the west.
- Concerns about events in parks.
- Failure to consult local stakeholders before listing specific projects in the draft.
What is the Blue and Green Strategy?
Enfield Council is currently running a consultation (ending on 11th January 2021) as part of the process of revising its Local Plan, which will be embodied in a collection of documents relating to particular aspects. The draft Blue and Green Strategy document sets out our proposals for protecting, maintaining and enhancing the borough’s network of "blue and green assets" - parks, rivers, lakes, gardens, woodlands, canals, wetlands, allotments, playing pitches, woodlands, and much more.
The Strategy sets out the council's ambitions to:
- increase levels of physical activity and social interaction;
- overcome physical severance and exposure to air and water pollution;
- create more play spaces and cycle/pedestrian-friendly streets;
- enhance the public realm at key gateways (e.g. town centres);
- widen access to waterspaces and parks, especially within deprived areas;
- reduce flooding from rivers and surface water run-off;
- remediate degraded environments;
- increase biodiversity and sustainable food production;
- celebrate our rich landscape heritage; and
- promote green tourism.
The consultation home page on the Let's Talk Enfield website includes links to the draft strategy and to supporting documents used as part of the evidence base - an audit of the borough’s blue and green network and a review of the borough's nature conservation sites, priority habitats and priority species.
Also on the page is a link to the online survey, which takes you through a series of questions. Enfield RoadWatch chose to supplement this with a textual appendix providing answers in greater depth.
