People 'not listening' to North Circular Road plans (From Enfield Independent)

Enfield councillor Del Goddard claims people are 'not listening' to plans for the North Circular Road

3:44pm Wednesday 6th March 2013 in News By Hermione Wright

A total of 1,300 houses could be built along the North Circular Road

A senior councillor claims people are “not listening” to major development plans for the North Circular Road.

Concerns were raised during a planning meeting on Thursday that current facilities – including schools and community centres - will not cope with the influx of people if 1,300 homes are built in the area stretching from Southgate to Edmonton.

Although there are plans to build a community centre in the Ladderswood Estate in New Southgate, campaigners believe more infrastructure is needed in order to build a community. 

However, Councillor Del Goddard, cabinet member for business and regeneration, told the Enfield Independent: “Those discussions seem to keep coming up and I don’t think people are listening.”

He said “the problem seems to be that people don’t quite realise” it is too early for plans for community facilities to be set in stone.

The Labour councillor, who leads Palmers Green, said community facilities will be looked at under the housing association’s Section 106 agreement when money is ringfenced to improve infrastructure around an area.

He said the issue is something that needs to be looked at borough-wide, not just in the area covered by the North Circular.

Original plans to build 2,000 properties - 305 of which by Notting Hill Housing association - were cut following concerns surrounding density.

Following Enfield Borough Council’s school expansion programme, he insisted “we know we have enough” places to meet demand of new children moving to the borough.

He admitted the council has “got to keep examining” the issue of parking as people living in the area have complained the plans do not provide enough spaces.

Campaigner Simon Bliss, from the Broomfield Road residents' association, addressed the pack hall at Trinity at Bowes Methodist Church in Palmers Green on Thursday evening, and said people in the area are “not idiots” and know development is needed.

However, he said developers should work with people in the community rather than alienate them, and calls for greater infrastructure should be addressed.

He said cutting 700 houses from original plans, will simply mean people will be crammed in like “pilchards”, rather than "sardines".