Enfield Council has been forced to amend materials promoting the creation of a temporary green space at its flagship housing scheme, reports Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

Advertising hoardings around the Meridian One development promote a 'community garden' that is set to be concreted over by 2026 — *Advertising hoardings around the Meridian One development promote a ‘community garden’ that is set to be concreted over by 2026*

Promotional material for Enfield Council’s Meridian Water regeneration scheme has been amended following an intervention by the advertising regulator.

Text on a website marketing the homes has been added to state that the “community garden” being planned for Meridian One – the first phase of the scheme currently under construction in Edmonton – is a “meanwhile space” that will be in place until “at least 2026”.

It comes after housing campaign group Better Homes Enfield contacted the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to raise concerns that the marketing information for the regeneration scheme failed to mention that the council ultimately aims to build housing on the site of the community garden.

Planning documents drawn up by Vistry Homes – the developer appointed by Enfield Council to build homes at Meridian One – state that the garden “will likely be brought forward for residential development in the future”.

Better Homes Enfield claimed in a blog post that the garden appeared to have been used “to help boost the environmental and social-value credentials of Meridian One” and “to generate interest and sell the flats at the best price”, but that this “seems to be a cynical marketing tactic when there is clearly an aim to build housing on the site of the community garden”.

The council says it has “always been clear” that the community garden would be a temporary feature.

The AQA’s website reveals a complaint against Vistry Homes was informally resolved on 19th October. Following the intervention, the extra information was added to the website to reflect the garden’s temporary nature. Better Homes Enfield says it has also asked for a promotional video and outline map of the development to be amended to address its concerns over the garden.

The housing campaign group has repeatedly raised concerns over the amount of green space being provided on the Meridian Water development. The council’s draft Local Plan, which last year underwent a round of public consultation, states that each phase of Meridian Water must meet a 30% open public space target as a minimum. But during a planning committee in September, Matt Burn from Better Homes Enfield claimed only around 11-16% of Meridian One would now be “permanent, open public space”.

The campaign group has called on the council to make the temporary garden a permanent feature. It points out that Upper Edmonton ward already has a deficiency of open public green space, and that retaining the garden would help to compensate for the loss of Ladysmith Road open space, part of which was developed to provide a new primary school several years ago.

A council spokesperson said: “Enfield Council has always been clear on the Meridian Water community garden being a temporary feature.

“As the community garden isn’t a permanent feature, the proposals for green spaces at Meridian Water haven’t included the community garden.

“There are no plans on making the community garden a permanent feature in the future, however the council’s current plans do intend to have the community garden in place until at least 2026.”

Vistry Homes and the ASA have been approached for comment.

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