Local plan petitioners hit signatures target

With one day remaining before the 1st September deadline for residents to sign the Debate Enfield's Local Plan petition, signatures have already considerably exceeded the number required to force a debate about the local plan in full council.

The rationale behind the petition is that both councillors and the public need to fully understand the implications of the council's proposals and be able to amend them, if necessary, before the new plan is sent to the Planning Inspector. The petition therefore calls for an adequate opportunity for councillors and residents to digest and debate the plan's content.

Two thousand conversations with borough residents

Action for Enfield's Future, the coalition of local community groups that has been promoting the petition, say that as of 30th August total signatures had reached 4197, when the number required to trigger a deputation to full council and a debate is 3124.

2299 people had signed the petition online, while campaigners had collected 1897 signatures on paper through knocking on doors and street campaigning. While collecting signatures they had around two thousand conversations with residents of the borough. Signatories come from all parts of the borough.

The deadline for signing the petition online is 11.59pm on Thursday 1st September.

What are the aims of the petition?

Action for Enfield's Future say that the local plan will affect all our lives until 2039 and beyond and its approval should be conducted with full transparency, proper consultation and collaboration between residents and their elected representatives.

The petition’s aim is to make sure that residents and councillors have a realistic opportunity to digest the plan and its implications before the debate. Therefore, the petition also asks for a twelve-week period between publication and the full council debate. Residents can then feed back to their ward councillors - e.g. at ward forums - before councillors vote on the plan in a roll call (which means that there will be a public record of how each individual councillor votes).

The petition has also raised awareness of the importance of the plan so that residents can take the opportunity to feed back to the national planning inspector as part of Reg 19 procedures.

Enfield's local plan timetable

According to the timetable laid out in the Local Development Scheme, Enfield’s proposed “New Local Plan” was due to be published for Reg 19 submission by summer 2022.

At full council on 9th June councillors approved the Draft Enfield Local Plan 2019 – 2039 for statutory Reg 18 consultation. Council leader Nesil Caliskan moved the report with two minor amendments: to have a twelve-week consultation period on the local plan; and, following the consultation, the final version of the local plan to be brought back to a full council meeting.

Action for Enfield's Future say they understand that the Reg 18 consultation yielded 7000+ responses and that this has delayed the production of the revised plan. They have not received confirmation of the revised timetable. In June an Enfield Dispatch report quoted a council spokesperson as saying:

“In regard to the Enfield Local Plan, there will be opportunity for members to debate the next draft of the plan at full council before it is approved for submission to the secretary of state for examination. The council’s approach to the Local Plan programme is published on our website.”