Enfield Council has published an updated version of the Enfield Town Improvement Plan, which it hopes to carry out in 2024, depending on the outcome of statutory consultation in 2023.
A new phase of public engagement is now under way between now and 25th September, seeking views on how well the plan meets the design principles, asking for ideas about a proposed sensory garden, and including a competition for the best suggested name of a new public square.
The changes are designed to make Enfield Town more people-friendly, bustling and vibrant and to reduce car use through improvements to arrangements for walking, cycling and using public transport.
However, implementation in full will depend on the availability of funding from Transport for London (TfL):
This is an ambitious plan for our Town Centre and the Council have already secured more than £5m to enable change to happen. To deliver the completed project, including changes to pedestrian crossings and other transport elements, the project will need additional investment from Transport for London (TfL). More certainty on funding from TfL is expected in Autumn 2022. Once this is known the Council can look to make decisions on the overall scope of the project.
Transport for London support to road and public realm improvement projects throughout London is currently pretty much suspended pending a solution to TfL's financial crisis, brought about by a catastrophic fall in fares income due to the pandemic. This will require the government agreeing an adequate longer-term funding arrangement for TfL. However, there are now signs of movement to resolve the stalemate over this issue.
The main changes proposed in the plan
- Enhancement of the Market Square in collaboration with the Old Enfield Charitable Trust and St Andrew's Church
- A new public square at the junction of Little Park Gardens and Church Street (outside Nationwide Building Society)
- A more vibrant public space on 'Fountain Island'
- A better experience when arriving at Enfield Town Station and entering the town centre
- An improved connection between the Market Square and the shopping centre entrance
- An upgraded link between the Library Green and Enfield Town Park
- Improved greening across the town centre
- Improved and new pedestrian crossings throughout the town centre
- Wider footways in some locations
- Safer cycling options and connecting the town centre with nearby cycle routes
- Improved bus stop accessibility
- Revised parking and loading restrictions
- Dedicated Blue Badge disabled parking bays throughout the town centre
- Improved safety, including improved CCTV and proposed 20 mph speed limit on all roads in the town centre
Design principles
- Making Enfield Town safe for all
- Developing a vibrant economy in Enfield Town
- Helping Enfield Town to be a great place to be
- Offering transport choices to, from and around Enfield Town
- Celebrating the heritage of Enfield Town
The design principles for the scheme were developed on the basis of public consultation during 2019. The first version of the proposed changes was published in 2020. Following co-design workshops held in 2020, the designs for several public spaces, such as the area in front of Enfield Town station, were published in 2021
A plaza for Enfield Town station
Planned new layout in front of Enfield Town station with taxi rank moved across Southbury Road. 1. Station Plaza; 2. New River Loop taxi rank; 3. New passenger pickup & dropoff-only bay
One of the most problematical places in Enfield Town from the point of view of pedestrians and people arriving or leaving by Overground is the area in front of the station with the taxi rank/car drop-off area blocking the way and the awkward and unpleasant two-stage crossings over Southbury Road at the Genotin Road junction. This was one of the areas where the council worked with residents to co-design a new plaza.
Looking across the planned Station Plaza towards the northern end of Genotin Road and eastern end of Church Street
At one time there was talk of moving the station building and the railway tracks back a little way to make more space for the plaza. That would probably have been the best option, but is unaffordable. The solution that's been found is to move the drop-off area eastwards to where there is presently a service road in front of the shops, freeing up the whole triangular space in front of the station for pedestrians, seating and raingardens. A new pedestrian crossing will cross Southbury Road in a straight line, taking people to a new taxi rank (for black cabs only) on the northern side of Southbury Road, next to the reconfigured entrance to the New River Loop car park.
There's much more detail about and artist's impressions of the plaza and other improved public spaces in the downloadable exhibition display boards.
Get involved
The new public engagement phase continues until 25th September. Throughout there will be an exhibition of the plans at Enfield Town Library, but there will also be a pop-up information stall in thhe Market Square on Friday 9th September from 1pm to 4pm and an online session (webinar) at 6pm on 2nd August.
The Enfield Town page on Let's Talk Enfield has been updated with the latest information about the project. The most authoritative information is in the document library on that page, and there are also direct links to some of the documents in the Links section at the end of this article.
There's a new online survey where you'll be asked:
- How does the proposed plan for Enfield Town respond to the Design Principles?
- What would you like to see as part of the sensory garden proposed in the Library Green?
- What are your suggestions for the name of the proposed new public square?
Links
Project page on the Let's Talk Enfield website
Communications, engagement and consultation plan
Equality impact assessment (EqIA)
Previous Enfield Town improvement project reporting on PGC
- Success for Enfield Town liveable neighbourhood funding bid (6 March 2019)
- Enfield Town consultation progresses to next stage (16 September 2020)
- Enfield Town plans revealed (24 October 2020)
- Enfield Town improvement project - what people have told the council (17 June 2021)
