Friends of Firs Farm Wetlands have launched a campaign against a proposal by Enfield Council to build a crematorium on land at Firs Farm where the Friends have been planning to build a community hub.
The list of "site allocations" contained in the draft Enfield Local Plan, which is out for consultation until 13th September, includes the former car park on the Firs Lane side of the park and wetlands, listing it as suitable for construction of a new crematorium. However, the Friends say that the same parcel of land is where they hope to build the new community facility, which would incorporate a café, toilets and flexible space for the use of the local community. Included in the plans are a Changing Places toilet for the use of people with disabilities, as well as a sensory garden for people of all ages to enjoy. A planning application for the hub was submitted jointly by the Friends and Enfield Council.
The area within Firs Farm allocated for provision of a new crematorium
The Friends' chair, Tony Guiver, is demanding that the council provides urgent clarification as to how the listing came about:
"So many people have worked hard since 2014 to create this valued community asset and flood relief scheme that ticks all boxes: health, education, environment, recreation, biodiversity and sports. Enfield Council has spent more than £1m in developing Firs Farm Wetlands; while many organisations and big stakeholders have and continue to put funding into the community hub and future development of Firs Farm for all in the community."
The facilities that Friends of Firs Farm say will be lost if the crematorium is built
In a press release, the Friends ask supporters to object to the allocation on the grounds that it contradicts several policies set out in the Local Plan, that it will reduce the effectiveness of the flood alleviation scheme and that the inclusion of the land previously earmarked for the community hub jeopardises the continued availability for funding for local groups pledged by Thames Water and other donors. They include the form of words that supporters should use when submitting an objections - the deadline for objections is 13th September.
