Councillors have poured cold water on plans to create a wetland area in a park amid fears the upkeep costs would be too high.

Enfield Council secured funding for a 1,500 square metre wetland in the south-west of Broomfield Park in Palmers Green in a bid to lower the risk of flooding in the area.

Officers claimed the wetlands would not cause substantial harm to the parkland, which includes the Grade II-listed Broomfield House and ornamental feature ponds.

But councillors at a planning committee on Tuesday (September 26) pointed out that the Friends of Broomfield Park had said they did not have the capacity to carry out the extra maintenance work the project would create.

Labour member for Southbury Councillor Chris Bond said: “We have got all the money to put it in, but after that the friends of the park do not have the capacity to look after it – and these things do need to be looked after.

“If they can’t do it, the council can’t do it. I think it is money we would like to have but we can’t afford because it will cost more for maintenance.”

Cllr Gina Needs, Labour member for Turkey Street, said: “I think a lot of our projects are great when they go in, but no-one looks at the maintenance – and that is where it falls down.”

Cllr Mike Rye, Conservative member for Town ward, said the scheme was unnecessary because there was no risk of flooding in the area, which lies just above River Lea tributary Pymmes Brook.

He said: “I have lived in the borough all my life and worked for 20 years in a house next door to Broomfield Park, and to date there has been no catastrophic flooding that has caused major damage to anything or anybody.

“We are talking about putting something large and unsightly there, forever.

“I think we should very politely say, thank you very much, but no thank you.”

Fellow Conservative member for Town ward Cllr Jim Steven added: “If we want to spend some money, let’s get the house back up again. It has taken 20 years to do something about that.”

Seven members of the committee voted to refuse the plans, with two abstentions.