What next for Broomfield House and Park?

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  Category: Broomfield House

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Enfield Council has submitted a bid for heritage lottery funding for the development stage of its plans for Broomfield House and Park, which would see the remains of the derelict mansion dismantled and "memorialised" and landscaping of parts of the park to reflect its history.

unlocking broomfield park for the community title page of slides presentation for enfield heritage forum

Last week the Heritage Forum was briefed on the council's vision for the future of Broomfield House and Park

In October 2022 Palmers Green Community reported that, with all options for rebuilding Broomfield House exhausted, Enfield Council would be bidding for Heritage Lottery funding to cover the cost of dismantling the derelict shell of the former mansion and "reconnecting the Park and House through memorialisation, interpretation and landscaping".

The first funding bid has now been submitted, and last week the borough's Environment Forum was briefed on the council's vision for both House and Park. If this bid, and a subsequent bid in 2025, are both successful, the project will take until July 2028 to complete.

In line with Enfield Council's vision, as set out in the briefing, Broomfield Park

  • Becomes a flagship park for North London, known for its historic landscape and heritage assets, natural environment, and community provision.
  • Provides opportunities for Enfield borough communities to thrive and learn about its history and to volunteer and participate in its upkeep and activation.
  • Inspires residents and visitors to live ecologically and sustainably, with community growing spaces and orchards, flourishing wildlife, and beautiful gardens.

ruins of broomfield house photographed from the airThe remains of the mansion once at the heart of Broomfield Park have stood derelict for nearly forty years

Realising this vision requires two phases - Development and Delivery - each lasting two years and each dependent on lottery funding, as shown in the Project Timeline:

Project Timeline

  • Round One application submitted – 17th August 2023
  • Decision expected from National Lottery Heritage Fund November 2023
  • Start the Development Phase February 2024 – this will last two years
  • Deadline for Round Two application – November 2025
  • Decision made by National Lottery Heritage Fund – March 2026
  • Start the Delivery Phase – May 2026
  • Works complete – July 2028.

Development Phase (2024-25)

  • Procurement and team assembly
  • Surveys
  • Co-curation of memorialisation of house
  • Community pilot activities
  • Securing planning and statutory consent for proposals
  • Fundraising and business planning
  • Evaluation

Delivery Phase (2026-28)

  • Dismantle Broomfield House
  • Memorialise Broomfield House and reintegration into Park
  • Works to the Upper and Middle Lakes
  • Restoring and enhancing historic Baroque landscape
  • Relocate salvaged material from Broomfield house
  • Install interpretation and improve wayfinding
  • Cultural and heritage events

Community involvement

The degree to which local residents take an interest in the future of Broomfield House and Park is indicated by the scale of the response to an online survey during July this year: a total of 1,250 people provided answers to questions under the title Unlocking Broomfield Park for the Community.

Although the responses suggested that people value the park more as a way of experiencing nature and maintaining health and wellbeing and less for its historic and heritage value, 95% of respondents said they were interested in the park's history.

Community involvement is planned for both Development and Delivery phases, as shown below.

Development Phase

  • Murals
  • Wellbeing activities
  • Community archaeology
  • Broomfield House memorialisation ideas
  • Schools

Delivery Phase

  • Programme of heritage and cultural events
  • Community outreach projects
  • Programme of accessible tours and activities for adults, young people and children
  • Activities to enable young people to develop skills
  • The co-curation of family activities and resources
  • School projects
  • Learning for life opportunities
  • Paid training opportunities and accessible work opportunities
  • New volunteering opportunities

Links

Unlocking Broomfield: Slides used in Heritage Forum meeting September 2023

An update on Broomfield House (Friends of Broomfield Park website February 2023)

Enfield Council's new proposals for Broomfield House and Broomfield Park (Palmers Green Community 10 October 2022)

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Posts in discussion: What next for Broomfield House and Park?

Darren Edgar's Avatar
Darren Edgar posted a reply #6960 21 Sep 2023 09:05
Perfect. Exactly what I suggested. Beyond saving so scrap the whole thing. Put in a plaque and some other bits then return the site to nature.
Roger Blows's Avatar
Roger Blows posted a reply #6961 21 Sep 2023 18:30
These proposals represent a generous portion of apple pie and they surely deserve support. Pluck out the rotting tooth and you’ll enjoy your pudding and you can smile again with confidence.
After decades of failed initiatives, let’s hope that someone up at the Civic Centre is championing this latest one and is prepared and able to develop community support and to bring the project to fulfilment.
The House may be beyond saving but the Stable Block, despite a mysterious fire a few years ago, is not derelict and has quite a large yard around it. What is its future? Is there, lurking behind the latest proposal, a development scheme that has yet to be revealed?
Karl Brown's Avatar
Karl Brown posted a reply #6963 23 Sep 2023 11:31
A resolution of the house and planned investment into the wider park will be in everyone’s interests but after three decades and an immense level of resources expended to get here I have to suggest that a thorough appraisal of the tortuous route and the lessons to be learnt for the council, this community plus other stakeholders may be the best investment of them all.