Fore Street selected as one of twelve London high streets to benefit from a £50,000 grant to support the local economy

Enfield Council has been awarded £50,000 by City Hall to help improve Edmonton Green’s local economy.

A new £600,000 funding pot created by Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan’s office will support twelve high streets across the capital – including Fore Street in N9.

The mayor said the High Street Place Labs (HSPL) programme would help the chosen town centres attract investment, improve public spaces and boost the local economy, while also supporting his growth ambitions “to turbocharge productivity and add more than £100billion to the capital’s economy”.

Council leader Ergin Erbil, who also represents Edmonton Green ward, welcomed the investment and said it would help “create a beautiful, friendly and sustainable town centre”.

High streets are said by City Hall to play a “huge role in the everyday lives of people across the capital”, with 90% of Londoners living within ten minutes of a high street. However, high streets have faced significant challenges in recent years including the cost-of-living crisis, recovery from the pandemic, a long-term shift in working practices and changes to shopping habits.

The HSPL programme is aimed at creating more affordable workspaces, bringing empty shops and buildings back into use, designing and maintaining high quality and accessible streets, and growing evening economies.

In Edmonton Green specifically, the money will build on work the council has been doing in recent years, such as the creation of a new multi-purpose events space near the railway station.

Khan said: “I‘m determined to protect, restore and improve London’s high streets – which is why I’m so pleased to provide this new funding for boroughs across the capital that will help them grow and thrive.

“My High Street Place Labs programme plays an important role in driving progress on the London Growth Plan, which will deliver economic growth in every corner of our city to raise living standards, put more money in people’s pockets and enable us to invest in our public services.

“I look forward to working with boroughs to deliver these important improvements for communities across the capital as we continue to build a fairer and more prosperous London for all.”

Cllr Erbil said: “We’re delighted that Edmonton Green has been chosen as one of the locations for the High Streets Place Labs project, and we thank the mayor of London for this important funding.

“This money will help us move forward with our long-term plans for Edmonton Green. It builds on past successes, like the award-winning Pavilion on The Green and improvements along Fore Street and Hertford Road.

“Our goal is to create a beautiful, friendly and sustainable town centre that works better for people who live and work here – both now and in the future.”

London Assembly member Joanne McCartney also welcome the cash and said: “Supporting our local high streets to thrive is a huge priority for me as an assembly member.

“I am pleased to see this new £50,000 funding for Edmonton Green which will help to improve our local area and help local businesses flourish.

“It’s good we have a mayor who supports growth in all corners of our city. Local businesses, residents and community groups alike will all benefit from this investment.”

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