Enfield RoadWatch message to supporters: The next London Plan
Excerpt from an email sent to Enfield RoadWatch supporters on 11 June 2025
While the Enfield Local Plan examination continues, a new London Plan is also in the works. Our Green Belt has been protected by the current London Plan, which expires in 2026, but that protection is likely to disappear in the new plan. The Government is requiring the London Mayor to find land for 880,000 homes over the next 10 years and the Mayor does not think that can be achieved on brownfield alone. As explained in our last newsletter, the Mayor is therefore conducting a pan-London Green Belt review to identify possible 'grey belt' sites and Green Belt that is well-served by public transport and therefore suitable for high-density housing development.
As with the Local Plan, the London Plan has to go through consultations and hearings and the first consultation is currently under way [Deadline June 22] This consultation is a broad Issues and Options survey to find out what people want London to be like and look like in the future. It covers everything from Green Belt to housing to climate mitigation and it is an excellent opportunity to let the Mayor know what you think while the new plan is in the formative stage and nothing has been decided. They also appreciate any evidence to go with your opinions. We hope you will take part! Some guidance follows:
The survey can be found here. There are two ways to respond. We suggest the Have your say on the next London Plan link which takes you to a survey divided into five sections. You don't have to complete them all, but you may choose to, as it is well laid out and easy to respond to. You will need to register to take part, but that's a simple process.
Because of our focus on the Green Belt, we are submitting opinions for sections relating to that and green spaces in general only. Our partner organisations will respond to the housing, heritage and more technical climate issues. In the next section, there is a list of the question numbers that we are answering and a short explanation of why we think they are important points. You can find our full responses within the Latest News section on our website here. Feel free to use or adapt our responses and add your own words.
Thanks, as always for your support. Together we are stronger.
Ian D’Souza
Chair
Section 1 - The London Plan Introduction
1.3 Population Growth -
Reason to comment - population projections are notoriously unreliable.
1.4 Viability and Delivery -
Reason to comment - With both so uncertain, it's important that Green Belt should not be released until it is definitely needed
1.5 This Document -
Reason to comment - The planning process is not the problem
1.9 Beyond London -
Reason to comment - why is so much new development being targeted to the SE region when the Government is pouring infrastructure money into the Midlands and North?
1.10 Good Growth -
Reason to comment - the Good Growth principles of the current plan have been important but the new plan seems to promise Growth At All Costs instead
Section 2 - Increasing London's Housing Supply
Reason to comment - increasing supply will not solve the affordable housing crisis.
2.1 A brownfield first approach -
Reason to comment - a London-wide brownfield register is essential
2.6 Industrial Land -
Reason to comment - there is a suggestion to consider Green Belt near strategic highways as grey belt and therefore suitable for industrial use. This could have implications in Enfield.
2.7 Wider urban and suburban London
Reason to comment - here we are supporting the development of underused retail and car park sites.
2.8 Other sources of housing supply
Reason to comment - this is about the Green Belt survey
2.9 Beyond London's existing urban area
Reason to comment - this is also about the Green Belt survey
2.10 Large-scale urban extension in the Green Belt
Reason to comment - we are concerned that proximity to public transport will trump all other considerations, such as biodiversity, heritage, public amenity, and so on.
2.11 Metropolitan Open Land [MOL]
Reason to comment - there is a commitment to protect parks/ MOL but not all parks [for instance Trent Country Park and Whitewebbs] are MOL and they need protection too. There is also an unjustified campaign against golf courses
Section 4 - London's capacity for growth and design quality
4.3 Supporting a denser London linked to transport connectivity
Reason to comment - we are concerned that high-density growth will destroy the character of existing neighbourhoods
Section 5 - London's infrastructure, climate change and resilience
5.5 Green and open spaces
Reason to comment - again we are concerned that proximity to public transport will trump consideration for biodiversity and climate change mitigation.
5.6 London's open spaces
Reason to comment - the current definition of open space includes public and private, accessible and not accessible. Inaccessible or partly accessible open space has natural capital with important functions for nature, agriculture, climate mitigation, etc.
5.7 Green infrastructure and biodiversity
Reason to comment - we are concerned that the way biodiversity is calculated is not accurate.
