Bid to build homes on brownfield site in Crews Hill, reports Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

A developer plans to build 58 affordable homes on Green Belt land in the north of Enfield.

Lansdown Land wants to develop a 2.67-hectare site currently used by Anglo Aquatic Plant Company in Strayfield Road, Crews Hill.

As well as new homes, the application proposes five “live-work units” and the refurbishment of an existing building to provide “flexible, serviced office space”.

The brownfield site currently includes homes, offices, glasshouses, and storage and distribution sheds. Some of these buildings would be knocked down to make way for the new scheme.

Although national planning policy broadly protects the Green Belt, there are exceptions for certain types of previously developed (brownfield) land. There are also restrictions on the amount of development allowed on previously developed sites to ensure its impact is not greater than the existing development.

The Anglo Aquatic site was described as “potentially developable” in the council’s strategic housing and land availability assessment, published in 2020. However, it does not fall within one of the areas designated for possible Green Belt release in Enfield Council’s draft Local Plan.

An assessment submitted on behalf of the developer claims the site is “capable of being developed without compromising the objectives and purposes of the Green Belt, and without having a greater impact on the openness of the Green Belt than the existing development, or adversely impacting on the wider landscape character of the area”.

According to the plans, all of the properties would be designated as affordable two and three-bedroom houses. Half would be for social rent, with 40% intermediate housing and 10% for London Living Rent.

A public consultation on the plans has been launched after they were submitted to Enfield Council. They can be viewed by visiting the council’s planning portal and entering planning reference 22/01542/OUT.

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