New ward boundaries finalized

The finalized recommendations for new wards in Enfield

The Local Government Boundaries Commission has issued its final recommendations for redrawing ward boundaries within the London Borough of Enfield. A radical redrawing of ward boundaries in our part of the borough will create a new Palmers Green ward shifted westwards compared with the present-day ward of that name, with Green Lanes and the Triangle as its cenre of gravity and incorpor ating the whole of the Lakes Estate.

Subject to parliamentary approval (presumably a formality), the new boundaries will come into force at the time of the next borough elections in 2022.

Enfield will have a mixture of wards electing two councillors and other electing three. Palmers Green, Arnos Grove, Winchmore Hill, Bowes, New Southgate and Highfield will be two-councillor wards, but Southgate will continue to have three councillors.

New ward boundaries from 2022 in the Palmers Green area (click on the map to enlarge)

The Commission's initial redrawing of the ward boundaries, based on submissions during the first consulation phase, was published in May 2019. It drew mainly on proposals from Enfield North Conservative Association for a radical shakeup of wards. Following the second phase of consultation, the commissioners made some modifications and decided to reopen consultation about a group of wards in the west of the borough, including those in the Palmers Green area. Following this further round of consultation, the commissioners have made very few additional changes, rejecting various suggestions mainly on the grounds that the number of electors per councillor would change too much compared with the average across the borough. Thus, Burford Gardens, Cranley Gardens and Caversham Avenue remain in Winchmore Hill ward rather than Palmers Green ward, while the eastern boundary of Palmers Green ward runs along the New River.