Response to Enfield Council’s consultation on their Draft Traveller Local Plan
On 23rd September 2024, Enfield Council invited communities in the borough to submit comments on the content of their Draft Traveller Local Plan, and its supporting documents. Today, Friends of Firs Farm (FOFF) have responded to this to express our concerns about what the Council is proposing.
In summary, FOFF objects to the draft Plan’s proposal to locate a Traveller Transit site on the A10 near to Firs Farm Park. The grounds for our objection are:
- The site is designated as Metropolitan Open Land (MOL), and this proposed use is contrary to the policies set out in the London Plan and the New Enfield Local Plan.
- The site proposed is inadequate for the number of caravans which the Council indicates that it is intended to accommodate.
- The access to the proposed site is unsafe because of its location on the Great Cambridge Road (A10) and its proximity to the nearby signalled junction and bus stop.
- The location of the site on the A10, and the noise and air pollution resulting from this makes it an unsuitable site for a residential location for Travellers, as it may have an adverse effect on their health.
- The proposed Transit Site is in close proximity to the vulnerable ecosystems of Firs Farm Wetlands. We believe that the proposal is likely to have an adverse impact on this fragile environment, and potentially will cause irreparable damage to this important local resource.
- The proposal will adversely affect existing commercial activities at Firs Farm and the surrounding areas, and may lead to a reduction in the facilities and amenities available to the local community.
Follow the link below to see the document submitted to the Council setting out our objection and the grounds for this in full, which we trust they will take into account in revising the Traveller Local Plan prior to its adoption.
Traveller Local Plan Objection by FOFF
Categorised as: Wetlands