The campaign to turn part of the Trent Park Mansion into a museum has made some very significant progress towards its goal. The planning application submitted earlier this month by Berkeley Homes envisages most of the ground floor and basement being reserved for public use - a museum, cafeteria and rooms for hire. The museum would celebrate the mansion's notable role in WW2 intelligence collection and its previous history as an aristocratic residence.
That Berkeley have eventually agreed to set aside such a large part of the building, which could otherwise have been converted into flats and sold, is due to the efforts of the Save Trent Park campaign, which has mobilised considerable public support through meetings, social media and TV interviews.
Cockfosters Ward Councillor Jason Charalambous, a leading figure in Save Trent Park, has expressed satisfaction with the outcome of its campaign. As well as providing for an adequately sized museum and, for the first time, public access to parts of the Mansion, the campaign has succeeded in persuading Berkeley to allow continued public access to the grounds of the former University.
Councillor Charalambous also has positive views about Berkeley's proposals for the rest of the former university site, which would restore heritage features and landscapes that have been neglected. The 262 homes proposed would, in his view, be "sympathetically designed and located".
Berkeley Homes carried out an extensive public consultation process to help develop proposals which would find favour with local residents and regular visitors to Trent Park. Since last December they have held four two-day consultation events and have announced a fifth and final event, to be held at the West Park Lodge Hotel on 4th and 5th November, when project team members will be available to answer questions and visitors will be able to view the plans that were submitted.
Whether the scheme goes ahead exactly as proposed will, of course, depend on its receiving planning permission from the Council. This is a large and complex scheme on a sensitive site surrounded by Green Belt land, so there will be much for the planning committee and its officers to consider. As with all planning applications, members of the public will be able to raise objections to the plan in whole or part.
For Save Trent Park and for the Trent Park Museum Trust, planning permission will by no means be the end of the story. They will need to negotiate a workable lease from Berkeley and secure the necessary funds, but they are optimistic that within a few years they will have established "a local attraction of national significance".
Proposed ground floor plan
Proposed basement floor plan
Click here to read the Facebook posting by Cllr Jason Charalambous
Details of consultation event on 4th and 5th November
Download the finalised proposals for the former University campus
Summary of Berkeley Homes' proposals
Demolition of 255,000 sq ft of Inappropriate 1960’s/70s Buildings
- Demolition of the ugly 1960s/70s former university buildings
- This will reinstate historic views across the site, recreate the grand original setting of the Mansion House and enhance the openness of the Green Belt
Restore Built Heritage Assets and other Statues/Sculptures on Site
- c.60,000 sq ft of heritage assets restored to their former glory
- This includes: The Grade II Listed Mansion House, Grade II Listed Orangery, Historic Walled Garden, Stable Block, Dower House, Garden Cottage, Rookery Lodge and the restoration of the Mansion House terrace and Union Jack forecourt
Significant Investment in the Restoration of 30 acres of Historic Landscape
- 30 acres (12 hectares) of historic landscape reinstated including Lime Tree Avenue and Wisteria Walk
- Restoration of Sassoon’s Long Garden and other formal gardens
- Refurbishment and replacement of historic statues
- The new landscape will require the planting of approximately 447 new trees
Publicly Accessible Walking/Cycling Routes throughout the Site
- Ungated public access to circa 3.5km of walking/ cycling routes integrated within the wider Trent Country Park
- New cycle parking facilities
- A bridge linking the site to the Japanese Water Garden and wider park
Public Access to the Mansion House
- Public access for the first time to the most historically significant areas of the Mansion House
- A viable and sustainable museum, café and events space to celebrate the history of Trent Park
262 New Homes for Families, Downsizers and First Time Buyers
- The delivery of 262 homes (including restoration) consisting of 1-5 bed houses and 1-3 bed apartments
- Homes for first time buyers, families and downsizers of all ages
- All homes are of a high quality design, sensitively located and contextually appropriate
Junction Improvements, a Shuttle Bus along Snakes Lane and other Transport Initiatives
- A courtesy shuttle bus open to the public from the site to Oakwood Station
- Widening of Snakes Lane/Bramley Road junction to improve traffic flow
- Upgraded pedestrian crossing facility on Bramley Road and enlarged pedestrian refuse
- Improvements to the surfacing of Snakes Lane
S106 and Community Infrastructure Levy Contributions
- c.£4.6m Enfield CIL and c.£800,000 mayoral CIL
- c.£1.7m Enfield S106 contribution
- Employment and training including construction jobs and commitment to apprenticeships
- Travel plan measures
High Quality Site Management
- Highly qualified estate management team to look after the site and grounds, maintaining it to a high standard
- Commitment to a long term landscape management plan
Sustainability
- A community plan will be developed and monitored with Berkeley’s Social Sustainability Framework
- A high level of environmental performance on site with a ‘fabric first’ approach
- Aiming for a 35% reduction in CO2 emissions over existing baseline
Job Creation and Resident Expenditure in the Local Economy
- c.£2.9 million annual resident expenditure in shops and services in the local Enfield area.
- On site employment including for the museum/ community space, estates management, grounds keeping and shuttle bus drivers
Other Community Benefits
- Currently in discussion with Enfield Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service to improve their centre facilities and Southgate Hockey Club to help resolve their additional parking needs
- Options are being reviewed for some public access to the Orangery swimming pool and tennis courts on site, both of which will be restored to the setting
For more details and future updates please visit our website www.trentparkmuseum.org.uk, where you can also join our mailing list, and like our facebook page www.facebook.com/trentparkmuseum.
