Healthy Streets

22 December 2014

Dear Andrew

Mini-Holland (Cycle Enfield) scheme from Palmers Green to Enfield Town

Introduction

1.    Thank you for your visit to Palmers Green on 1st December 2014 and for taking the time to listen to local business owners, residents and community organisations. Green Lanes Business Association (GLBA) represents the interests of businesses (mostly shopkeepers) on Green Lanes, with a particular focus on Palmers Green.

2.    We also thank Enfield Council’s Liam Mulrooney for accompanying you on your visit.

3.    Since the group on our walk around Palmers Green was necessarily small, I am writing this letter in the interests of transparency and as an aide-memoire in your further discussions with Enfield Council.

4.    We are in favour of promoting sustainable and healthy travel, including cycling, but schemes must balance various interests, including those of the local economy and overall taxpayer value for money. We highlight a number of concerns and recommendations and invite your response to these.

Governance

5.    The proposed governance arrangements (diagram attached) do not include adequate representation from business groups or vulnerable users. Enfield Council considers that Enfield Business and Retailers Association (EBRA) is sufficient. EBRA is wholly funded by Enfield Council, despite not having a signed current funding agreement, and cannot therefore claim to be independent.

6.    Recommendation 1: Business groups from individual town centres should be
represented on the partnership board covering their local area (Enfield North, Enfield West, Enfield South East).

7.    We recognise that Enfield Disability Action has a place on each partnership board but there are specific user groups in each area, which would benefit from having direct representation. For example, you met with representatives of the Ruth Winston Centre, who receive hundreds of older users each week. With an ageing population we must recognise, applaud and assist the efforts of such centres. A significant proportion of the Centre's users arrive by car or by Dial-a-Ride. Their access requirements are not trivial and the Council would be failing in its equality duty by not making suitable provision for them. As you saw for yourself, the stretch of Green Lanes at the Centre's location is not wide and it is near a tricky junction.

8.    Recommendation 2: Vulnerable user groups should be represented on the partnership board covering their local areas. As well as older users, these should include schools.

9.    Although Enfield Council has invited some local residents’ associations to partnership boards, it has not invited the umbrella body of all residents’ associations in Enfield, the Federation of Enfield Residents and Allied Associations (FERAA).

10.    Recommendation 3: FERAA should be represented on the partnership boards and the strategic consultative group.

Communications

11.    You recognised that Enfield Council has not adequately communicated with the public.  We still do not know what the overall timetable of each stage is, let alone the timings of surveys. The Mini-Holland bid documents contained initial proposals, such as removal of Palmers Green Triangle and also removal of much of the parking. During your visit, Liam revealed that the Triangle would in fact be retained and that its removal from concept drawings had been an oversight. A similar error had also been made in other layout drawings, where a roundabout in Winchmore Hill and a bus stop in Palmers Green were omitted.

12.    The general lack of proactive communication has led to deep mistrust. This has been further compounded this past week or so by the appearance of CCTV survey cameras, interviewers who did not properly introduce themselves and people carrying out parking surveys. That this work is happening without any prior warning, so soon after raising our concerns with you and Liam, is completely unacceptable.

13.    Road shows are also inadequate. One took place on 18 December between 2pm and 4pm. Further road shows appear to be planned at similar times. You will appreciate that this is not a convenient time for many businesses, or indeed parents collecting young children from school. Business associations such as ours exist not just to raise collective concerns but also to discuss matters with public authorities and to relay information to our members. It would have been sensible for Enfield to engage with us.

14.    Recommendation 4: Enfield Council should plan information events that are at different times of day (including evenings and weekends) and in locations that are convenient for local people. In each town centre there should be a permanent display of Mini-Holland information, in an accessible location. Local groups, such as ours, would be happy to help with the displays.

Consultation

15.    You may be aware that Enfield Council was taken to judicial review regarding two private rented property licensing schemes, which the Council were planning to introduce from 1 April 2015. This month the High Court quashed Enfield's scheme, which the judge described as “a continuing unlawful act”.1 The judge highlighted the lack of consultation by the Council of persons likely to be affected by the proposals (including in surrounding areas), as well as finding that the Council did not fully comply with the four "Sedley criteria". The UK Supreme Court recently endorsed a Court of Appeal judgment which described the criteria as “a prescription for fairness”:

i.    Consultation must be at a time when proposals are still at a formative stage;

ii.    The proposer must give sufficient reasons for any proposal to permit intelligent consideration and response;

iii.    Adequate time must be given for consideration and response; and

iv.    The product of consultation must be conscientiously taken into account in finalising any statutory proposals.

16.    A repeat of such a disastrous mistake would be highly regrettable and a waste of taxpayer funds. We are particularly alarmed by minuted comments already made by Cllr Doug Taylor (Leader of the Council) and Cllr Ayfer Orhan (Cabinet Member for Education, Children’s Services and Protection)²:

“Councillor Taylor, supported by Councillor Orhan, highlighted the flexibility already built into the governance structure to enable the inclusion of other key stakeholders as and when they were identified. Whilst keen to consult and engage with stakeholders it was important to note that no final guarantee could be provided as to how any views expressed would be reflected within final scheme proposals.”

Cllr Taylor’s view appears to be a prima facie violation of the fourth Sedley criterion.

17.    Recommendation 5: Enfield Council should consult on Mini-Holland and any other proposals fully in accordance with the letter and spirit of the Sedley criteria. Furthermore, the Council should consult in surrounding areas.

Design options

18.    During your visit, Liam highlighted three main options being considered for the Palmers Green Library to Enfield Town route:

i.    A lightly segregated route along the A105 Green Lanes, all the way from Palmers Green to Enfield Town;

ii.    A lightly segregated route with some “shared space” elements, e.g. at the Triangle; and

iii.    A parallel route.

19.    The current “all or nothing” approach seems odd. The cycle route is not a pipe which cyclists would enter at one end and exit at the other. It is part of a network of not just other (informal) cycle routes but also of the wider transport network, including vehicular roads and railways. It is not at all clear why these options should be mutually exclusive. With some thought it should be possible to use a combination of the approaches, where appropriate.

20.    The route proposed in the bid document, a lightly segregated route from Palmers Green Library to Enfield Town, is a road to nowhere. Its abrupt ending at the library means that it does not even cross the rather more hazardous A406 North Circular Road, with its many lanes, heavy vehicles and existing cycle paths.

21.    We would support a parallel route with as little deviation from the A105 Green Lanes as possible. One of our group demonstrated how currently inaccessible parcels of land could, for example, be connected to provide a much safer parallel route very close to Green Lanes. We believe that a parallel route will be safer and healthier. Routes away from main roads generally have lower levels of air pollution^3. By keeping the route away from Green Lanes, traffic congestion is likely to be reduced, with additional benefits in terms of air quality and journey times for all road users, including cyclists.

22.    Recommendation 6: The scheme designers should consider using a combination of approaches, including parallel routes. If they do not have local knowledge, they should engage with individuals who do, so that more imaginative, and arguably safer and less disruptive, designs can be drawn up.

23.    We are particularly concerned that only public spaces (such as the Triangle) falling exactly on the route would be eligible for funding from the Mini-Holland budget for improvement. We consider that elements such as the Triangle could be used as feeder routes to signpost a parallel route. Similarly, local primary schools (Hazelwood, Highfield, St. Paul’s C of E, Grange Park Preparatory) and secondary schools (Broomfield School, St. Anne’s Catholic High School for Girls – both sites, Palmers Green High School, Winchmore School, Edmonton County Lower School, Enfield Grammar, Chace Community School) could also be considered as feeder routes. There are also a number of nursery schools along and around Green Lanes.

24.    Recommendation 7: The public realm on feeder routes around the scheme should be improved, with clear signposting to the cycle routes.

25.    You mentioned the Waltham Forest trial in October this year, and that it had mixed reviews. This is a low cost method of simulating potential routes, before further design work, or indeed, more expensive construction. In the interests of taxpayer value for money, we would support a trial suspension of parking bays along the route, together with the temporary segregation of a cycle lane. We invite Transport for London to take part in the trials, and in particular to assist in journey time measurement for bus routes. It would be far more sensible to conduct a trial sooner, rather than later, and certainly before any compensation claims are made if businesses are adversely affected following the implementation of any scheme.

26.    Recommendation 8: Enfield Council should undertake a trial suspension of parking in Palmers Green, together with a trial segregation for cycle lanes, for a minimum period of 2 weeks. Before and after measurements should be taken of journey times (including for buses), response times for emergency vehicles, average vehicle speeds, shopping footfall and air quality.

27.    Liam confirmed that Enfield Council’s “Quieter Neighbourhoods” plans are proceeding entirely separately from Mini-Holland. In particular, the Fox Lane area within those proposals could provide at least part of the parallel route. While we call into question the rationale for the additional schemes during a time of cuts to essential public services, it seems entirely illogical to consider additional road works in isolation. Furthermore, the Council is not consulting on these proposals, other than in the areas proposed for treatment. Given the recent High Court judgment against the Council, this does not seem like a reasonable course of action. A survey, “Why did the chicken cross the road?”, has been issued in the proposed areas⁴.

28.    Recommendation 9: Enfield Council should wait until Mini-Holland proposals are finalised before consulting on Quieter Neighbourhoods. Any consultation should give outline costs and an indication of which services will be cut to pay for the schemes.

Parking

29. Parking is a major concern for shop owners in Green Lanes. Parking is particularly important for those operating takeaway food businesses or similar pick-up/drop-off businesses (e.g. dry cleaners, bakeries). Many shoppers currently come to Palmers Green by car, on the off chance that they may find parking on Green Lanes. If they do not, they may park elsewhere and still visit local shops. As highlighted by one of the shop owners on your tour, if car drivers have a perception that there is no parking, they may not visit at all.

30.    We note the East Village Shoppers Study, which Enfield Council considers analogous to the Palmers Green setting⁵. This analogy is completely flawed. Palmers Green is not a trendy district of New York. Furthermore, the study methodology used a very arbitrary method of banding spend data. That data was then arbitrarily weighted, depending on whether the shopper lived locally or was employed locally. Although Enfield Council can argue that cyclists in the East Village were the highest spenders per head (despite the methodology limitations mentioned), this argument is irrational. Even if this were true in Palmers Green, cyclists would be far outnumbered by shoppers arriving by other means. Many pedestrians spending a little would generate much more revenue than very few cyclists spending a lot. The findings of the East Village study are useful background but are nothing more. Enfield Council is not acting properly in advancing that as some sort of evidence that shopping in Palmers Green will be boosted by the scheme. The reality is that nobody really knows because there is presently not enough data on this specific setting.

31.    Although completely unannounced, we welcome the shopping and travel survey. However, we have some reservations about the current approach. Pilot interview questionnaires have been distributed to some shops. It is not clear how these shops have been selected. The layout of the form shows that it is designed to be filled in by the interviewer but, to date, these have been left with whoever is on the premises and collected a short time later. Many of the shop owners do not have English as a first language and may be confused by some of the questions. One of the last questions (see Q25, attached) asks whether the interviewee was pushing or carrying something. It is entirely feasible that some businesses may not be carrying or pushing anything at that moment but if they bring stock to the shop or do deliveries, then that surely requires them to have access to a vehicle. However, this is not an option on the form.

32.    Recommendation 10: Enfield Council should publish its shopping survey methodology. The Council and its survey providers should consult with local groups on what they consider to be important factors for their business to succeed (such as access for deliveries).

33.    In 2011, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister commissioned Mary Portas to conduct an independent review into the state of our high streets and town centres .6 One of the key recommendations of the Review was⁶:

The Portas Review: An independent review into the future of our high streets, December 2011 “Local areas should implement free controlled parking schemes that work for their town centres and we should have a new parking league table.”

34. On 17 October 2014, Enfield Council announced a pilot of free parking in town centres, although the trial is limited to 2 or 3 spaces in each town centre⁷. However, Palmers Green is conspicuously absent from the trial.

35.    Recommendation 11: Palmers Green should be included in the trial of free, short-term, on-street parking.

36.    You were also able to visit the Lodge Drive car park. As you saw for yourself, this car park is poorly signposted and has limited opening times. This harms the night-time economy. The poor lighting along the path at the back of the car park, where there was a relatively recent bad assault, is also very damaging to the perception of safety in and around the car park. Although there is CCTV, it is still an isolated location.

37.    Recommendation 12: Enfield Council should review Lodge Drive car park opening times and should improve lighting along the footpath adjoining the St Anne’s site.

Business case and value for money

38.    The proposed scheme has a total budget of £40.916 million, with the majority of that budget coming from Transport for London. It is therefore imperative that value for money is maximised for all road users, not just the minority who are cyclists. Enfield Council’s Mini- Holland Bid document contains a benefit/cost ratio of 2.95.8 It is unclear how the underlying assumptions for this figure have been obtained. One of the key assumptions is that the 0.9% of work trips currently undertaken by cycles will be 6.3% in 2025. Transport for London itself recognises that “cycling is a minority mode [and hence is] prone to high forecasting error and low levels of confidence”⁹.

39.    Recommendation 13: Enfield Council should disclose its full methodology and workings for assumptions underpinning the Mini-Holland business case, including those that have been used as inputs to the World Health Organization Health Economic Assessment model (WHO HEAT).

Next steps

40.    As a courtesy, I am copying this letter to individuals and organisations mentioned herein, as well as other interested parties.

41.    I would like to thank you again for your visit and look forward to your response.

42.    I look forward to welcoming you to Green Lanes again. Our Association wishes you well for a restful Christmas and New Year period.

For and on behalf of the Members and Committee of GLBA

Costas Georgiou
Chairman

Distribution list
Jessica Ellery    Borough Cycling Programme Manager    Transport for London
Liam Mulrooney    Group Leader Traffic, Road Safety & Parking    Enfield Council
Cllr Doug Taylor    Leader of the Council    Enfield Council
Cllr Chris Bond    Cabinet Member, Environment & Community Safety    Enfield Council
Cllr Ayfer Orhan    Cabinet Member, Education, Children's Services & Protection    Enfield Council
Cllr Bambos Charalambous    Associate Cabinet Member, Enfield West    Enfield Council
Cllr Terry Neville    Leader of the Opposition    Enfield Council
Cllr Joanne Laban    Deputy Leader of the Opposition    Enfield Council
Joanna McCartney AM    London Assembly Member for Enfield & Haringey    G LA
Caroline Pidgeon AM    Chair, Transport Committee    G LA
Dale Langford    Principal Committee Manager (Transport)    G LA
David Burrowes MP    Member for Enfield Southgate    House of Commons
Nick de Bois MP    Member for Enfield North    House of Commons
Andy Love MP    Member for Edmonton    House of Commons
Penny Mordaunt MP    Parliamentary Under-Secretary    DCLG (High Streets)
Robert Goodwill MP    Parliamentary Under-Secretary    DfT (Cycling)
Olly Prigmore    Enfield Business and Retailers Association    
Mark Leaver    Enfield Business and Retailers Association    
Huw Jones    North London Chamber of Commerce    
Robert Taylor    Federation of Enfield Residents’ and Allied Associations    
Helen Osman    N21 Live Local Spend Local    
Yvonne Quigley    Ruth Winston Centre    
Teresa and David Colman    The Only Place for Pictures    
    Hazelwood Primary School    
    Highfield Primary School    
    Grange Park Preparatory School    
    St.Paul’s C of E Primary School    
    Broomfield School    
    St. Anne’s Catholic High School for Girls    
    Palmers Green High School    
    Winchmore School    
    Edmonton County Lower School    
    Enfield Grammar    
    Chace Community School