Enfield Council leader says extra cash will “pave the way” for construction of new homes at Edmonton redevelopment zone

The government has agreed to hand over an additional £25million to help Enfield Council deliver crucial infrastructure works including new streets, bridges, cycle lanes, footpaths and parks at Meridian Water – but previously planned upgrades to rail capacity remain on hold.

The first new homes are currently being built on a site adjacent to Meridian Water Station but progress on the next phase of the 10,000-home regeneration zone is heavily dependent on new infrastructure being delivered with government cash.

While the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) had agreed a £170m funding package three years ago, the projected costs have since risen thanks to high inflation. The council has been negotiating with the department for more money to cover the works and announced yesterday (Tuesday 19th) that it had secured a larger funding package of £195m.

However, the Dispatch has been told that this higher figure still does not cover the cost of long-planned railway upgrades that would enable Meridian Water Station to be served by four trains per hour. It was revealed earlier this year that they had been put on hold.

The £195m figure does cover “an extensive range of works” including the naturalisation of Pymmes Brook, two new parks, roads, bridges, footpaths and cycle links to be delivered over the next few years. 

Council leader Nesil Caliskan said:  “The infrastructure funding will pave the way to continue building much-needed homes for the Edmonton community.

“This funding is a further vote of confidence from the government in Meridian Water. It shows how important the scheme is in providing new homes, at a time when the DLUHC government department returned £1.9billion earmarked to tackle England’s housing crisis back to the Treasury, as they could not identify projects to spend it on. Meanwhile, we are moving forward positively. 

“Meridian Water is increasingly becoming a hub of activity as the project is rapidly progressing in all areas. We are set to unveil our first council homes later this summer and the first phase of Meridian One is well on its way to deliver 300 homes. 

“In addition, Enfield Construction Skills Academy has opened its doors to students so that hundreds of local people will be able to acquire new skills and training opportunities, preparing them for jobs in construction at Meridian Water and beyond.” 

Phil Skegg, managing director at Taylor Woodrow, Enfield Council’s main contractor for infrastructure at Meridian Water, said:  “We are delighted to be able to support the London Borough of Enfield in this transformational project. Central to our role is ensuring that we create a lasting legacy through the investment programme by focusing on local skills and employment, whilst ensuring that we minimise our environmental impact through the construction phase and in preparation for the whole life cycle in the future.”

Meridian Water is one of London’s biggest regeneration projects and is key to the borough meeting its housing targets, but the scheme has suffered a series of setbacks over recent years. Earlier this year the council made a number of redundancies to its Meridian Water team, shortly after the project’s boss of eight years quit to work for Ealing Council instead. It was also confirmed last year that half of the projected 10,000 new homes will not be built before 2039.

For more information about Meridian Water:
Visit meridianwater.co.uk

No news is bad news 

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts. 

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less. 

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation. 

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit 

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.  

More information on supporting us monthly or yearly 

More Information about donations