Poor maintenance, security gates that don’t lock, insufficient parking for disabled residents and antisocial behaviour are among many issues at the council-led development in Edmonton, reports James Cracknell
Multiple “serious failures” are making life at Meridian Water miserable for many Enfield Council tenants, the Dispatch can reveal.
One family of five who were moved to the new-build housing development last year have endured months of issues that they have tried and failed to get fixed.
The problems include a broken disabled shower that has remained out of action for nearly six months, a leaking water pipe creating damp in the living room, broken security gates which have led to crime and antisocial behaviour blighting a communal garden area, and a lack of parking for Blue Badge holders.
The family live in Oxeye Way, which is part of the first phase of the wider Meridian Water development, called Meridian One.
Having been living in temporary housing in Palmers Green following a previous eviction from a private rental property, the family of five were told last year that they had to accept the offer of a council property at Meridian Water despite the children all attending schools in Palmers Green. If they had not accepted, they would have been forced to leave their temporary accommodation.
Despite the difficult location, the move to Meridian Water did at least offer an appropriately-sized home for the family with an accessible shower for their disabled daughter.
However, the problems of living there soon became apparent.
The father, who did not want his name used in this story, told the Dispatch: “We are paying a service charge for maintenance but it is not happening.
“There is a water leak that has not been fixed. The disabled shower has been broken since December.”
The lack of parking spaces is also a big issue, especially since the parents need a large vehicle to transport their disabled daughter in her wheelchair.
“They are forcing me to live somewhere I cannot park because there are not enough disabled parking bays,” the father said. “When I lived in Palmers Green I had a dedicated parking bay but now I don’t.
“Living here, you are disconnected – there is no convenience store, nothing. You have to have a car to live here because normal life is difficult.
“I got a parking ticket for dropping my daughter outside our house.”
There are three disabled parking bays for social housing tenants at Meridian One currently, with more supposedly planned as further homes are built.
However, the current provision is clearly not enough to match the number of people with Blue Badges living in the area. When the Dispatch visited in the middle of a weekday afternoon, all three bays were occupied.
The lack of parking spaces generally is also a problem and, when the Dispatch visited, one vehicle parked illegally in Oxeye Way had six penalty notices placed under its windscreen wiper.
Another big issue affecting multiple families in Oxeye Way is the lack of security for a communal garden where access is supposed to be restricted to residents.
For several months, the gates on both sides of the garden have been broken, meaning anyone can walk in without a key fob. The garden also contains the bike shed used by residents, and the door for this is also broken.
The father said: “There are people here with kids but we know there is a lot of drug activity and crime, anyone can walk in. My son is nine and his bike was stolen. Our neighbours have lost three bikes.”
One of the gardens gates, as well as no longer being locked, also has a design fault meaning it can only be opened wide enough for people to walk in, rather than providing access for people using wheelchairs, buggies or bikes.
The father also explained that when he first raised the issue with the water leak in his living room, he was told to contact Vistry, the council’s development partner for Meridian One, because the house was still within a one-year warranty following its construction.
However, Vistry took too long to investigate, and the warranty has since expired. Responsibility for fixing the problem now falls on the council, but no repairs have yet taken place.
Responding to all of the issues raised, a spokesperson said: “Enfield Council always aims to ensure its homes and communal areas are safe, well maintained and properly managed for residents. The council also expects new homes to be delivered to a high standard and, where issues arise, officers have worked to identify and deliver appropriate repairs as quickly as possible.
“The council is aware of the issues raised by the resident and has been working to address them, including carrying out several inspections and repair visits to the property. Work to install a replacement shower unit was scheduled for 22 May but could not proceed as access was not given. A further appointment will now be arranged.”
The father told the Dispatch that he was not warned ahead of time about the repair job scheduled for last Friday (22nd) and that he was unable to be present at the property because he was in hospital for a scheduled operation.
The council spokesperson continued: “Security and antisocial behaviour are taken seriously and the council continues to carry out works to communal areas at the block including the entrance and bike storage, while also operating dedicated evening patrols in partnership with community safety teams.
“Parking arrangements and facilities at Meridian One A [the completed development] are clearly communicated to residents before they move in and acknowledged by residents when they sign their tenancy agreement. We are currently assessing residents’ feedback to review the parking pressures on the site.
“Further amenities and facilities will become available at the Meridian One development with the upcoming completion of Meridian One B, which will bring the total number of homes to almost 1,000.
“Our ambition is for Meridian Water to become a vibrant neighbourhood.”
However, the Oxeye Way resident described the response from the council as “unacceptable”.
He said: “What is concerning is the apparent lack of meaningful intervention or accountability from Enfield Council. Complaints have been raised with council departments, councillors, complaint teams and senior officers, yet residents often receive no acknowledgment, no proper investigation, or no meaningful action.
“Many residents now feel abandoned within a development that still appears years away from becoming a properly functioning and liveable community.”
Last year, the council announced a “comprehensive review” of Meridian Water, with the decision subsequently taken this year to relinquish the council’s master developer role and bring in more outside investment. Since construction began nearly five years ago, only 301 homes have been completed.
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