The deadline for responding to a statutory consultation regarding a permanent ban from driving on Devonshire Square is approaching. The 28-day period for submitting views about banning cars from the new pedestrianised space in Palmers Green will be up on 9th July.
This artist's impression of a redesigned Devonshire Square was published in May. The public engagement exercise about the new design has now finished, but a statutory consultation about "extinguishing" rights to drive on the square is open until 7th July
During May Enfield Council ran an engagement process designed to find out residents' views about the future design of Devonshire Square, following the council's decision to make the square a permanent feature of Palmers Green town centre. Work to replace the current temporary design is due to be carried out later this year.
However, concern that the council might be rushing the decision to permanently ban vehicles from the new square has since been expressed by the leader of the Conservative opposition on Enfield Council, Alessandro Georgiou. Enfield Dispatch has quoted Cllr Georgiou as saying during a planning committee meeting that "My problem with that is we won’t have the opportunity to hear from the public, there won’t be a statutory consultation done and that for me causes a concern."
Devonshire Square was in fact the subject of a six month long statutory consultation on the temporary traffic order that was used to create the new pedestrian space. Four people raised objections. The council has published a summary of the objections and its reponses to the points raised.
Map showing the part of Devonshire Road where rights to drive cars will be "extinguished" (extracted from the draft permanent traffic order)
The statutory consultation which is now running (deadline 9th July) relates to a permanent traffic order providing for
the extinguishment of any rights persons may have to use vehicles on the following highways in the London Borough of Enfield:
i) the carriageway of Devonshire Road N13 which lies between the north-western kerb-line of Green Lanes N13 and a point 2 metres south-east of a point in line with the common boundary of Nos. 399 and 399c Green Lanes N13
Although formally the statutory consultation is intended to provide opportunities to submit objections, it also gives supporters of the changes a chance to submit arguments and evidence supporting the terms of the draft traffic order.