Enfield Borough Council is believe to be the first authority to apply for housing zone status at Meridian Water.

The £1.5billion regeneration scheme is looking to make a provision for £60million of investment into Meridian Water from the Greater London Authority.

The 85-hectare development will provide up to 3,000 new jobs and up to 5,000 new homes as well as schools and a new railway station.

As part of the bid, the housing zone will hope to speed up the process of the development and 3,000 extra homes near Meridian Water.

The Leader of Enfield Council, Councillor Doug Taylor, said: "Making Meridian Water a housing zone would make a real difference to making our aspirations a reality and help us build homes and vital enabling  infrastructure that we need more quickly, which is why we are the first council in London to have made a housing zone bid.

"A housing zone would also help to stimulate the construction of additional homes in areas adjoining Meridian Water, potentially increasing total supply in both areas from around 5,000 homes to approximately 8,500 homes.

"If we receive funding support from the GLA to make Meridian Water a housing zone we could start work on key infrastructure later this year, which would be brilliant news for Enfield and good news for Londoners generally."

Leader of the Conservatives, Councillor Neville was supportive of the move but believes progress has been slow since 2010.

He said: "We badly need more housing in this borough now.  That’s why the Conservative council initiated action on the Meridian Water site and progressed it from 2008 until the election in 2010.

“Whilst I am glad that the council is taking advantage of the new provisions introduced by the Conservative-led government, to secure housing zone status for the site,  the reality is that for the past four years Labour has been treading water on  this site since they inherited it from us in 2010 and all the while the price of housing and has been rising, thus pushing up the eventual cost.”