Planning & Development

The the announcement that Hazelwood Primary is one of the schools chosen for the next batch of school streets could not have been more perfectly timed, as on Friday the team behind the Hazelwood Lane Project will be submitting their ideas to the council. There's still time to sign the petition and let the council know that people want a safer and pleasanter walk to school.

Enfield's Council's deputy leader has revealed that a school street scheme will be installed outside Hazelwood Primary and should be in force by May. However, phase 2 of the Connaught Gardens LTN, which would solve chronic problems further along Hazelwood Lane, remains a more distant prospect.

Enfield Council is inviting 'final comments' on the low-traffic neighbourhood (LTN) trial in the west of Bowes ward - formally referred to as the Bowes Primary Area Quieter Neighbourhood. Comments must be made by email or post and the deadline is 21st November.

Enfield Council is proposing to extend the operating hours of the northbound bus lane in Green Lanes just south of the North Circular Road so that it is in force from 7am to 7pm seven days of the week, rather than, as now, in the Monday to Friday evening peak only (4pm to 7pm). Only two parking spaces will be available (in the inset bay next to Zourtos butcher's shop), but the council say there is enough parking available on side streets to compensate.

It's not difficult to live in Palmers Green while remaining unaware of the existence of one of its most interesting and unusual businesses, but this week a feature in a London-wide online news website has drawn the curtain aside and revealed some fascinating facts about the antiques dealer that is hidden away behind 90 Aldermans Hill.

A Southgate resident who is unhappy about the appearance of a newly developed part of Southgate Cemetery has started an online petition asking Enfield Council to take steps to preserve the cemetery's green and biodiverse character and to plant greenery in the new part to bring its appearance into line with older sections.

There have been signs this week that Enfield Council has moved the question of the future of Broomfield House out of the Pending (or Too Difficult) tray, where it had been gathering dust for many months, and into the For Action tray.

A senior manager of the parent company behind a new 24-hour slot machine arcade in Palmers Green has has said that he is sure that visitors to the 'entertainment centre' will be as excited as he is about the new venue. However, many local residents are less than enthusiastic about the opening, which followed a widely supported but ultimately unsuccessful campaign for the withdrawal of the arcade's operating licence.

A group comprising parents of children at Hazelwood School and nearby residents are asking the public to sign a petition to Enfield Council in support of the Hazelwood Lane Project, which was launched this week to coincide with Walk to School Week.It proposes major improvements to pavements, road crossings and public spaces between Green Lanes and Hazelwood School, all of which are currently in a very poor state. The objective is to encourage sustainable and active travel, reduce the number of car drop-offs outside the school and make it easier for children to travel to school independently.

The official transport decarbonisation plan - a vital part of the government's climate plan - says that 50 per cent of journeys in towns and cities must be walked or cycled by 2030 - only eight years away. How can we make this big change in our travel habits quickly enough? What can the council and individuals do? An online event run by Better Streets for Enfield will address these questions.