Enfield Council needs to relocate its service helping people with substance addictions, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

The former magistrates court was used as offices before closing in 2023

A former court building in Enfield Town is set to be converted into a drug and alcohol help centre.

Enfield Council has approved a £1.8million refurbishment of the former magistrates court on the corner of Old Park Avenue and Windmill Hill. Enable Enfield, an NHS service which provides specialist treatment to adults with substance addictions, is now due to move into the building from July.

Enable Enfield is currently based at 14 Centre Way, on Claverings Industrial Estate in Edmonton. Since Claverings was sold to property developers Danescroft and Fiera Real Estate in a joint venture last year, Enable Enfield has been operating at the site under a leaseback agreement, which will end on 31st July.

However, the council has said that the full works to the court building cannot be completed by this date, with only the “urgent bare minimal requirements” being provided to ensure Enable Enfield can function once it moves in.

The “substantial works” needed will be completed while the service is “already on site” but the council stated that health and safety regulations will be “taken into account to ensure a safe environment”.

The two-storey building, which is locally listed, was used as a court house from 1900 until the 1960s, from when it was used as offices. Before being vacated completely in 2023 the site was used as a probation office.

Enable Enfield is classed as a “key service” that “cannot be disrupted” due to the “high risk to service users”.

Phase one will see the creation of clinical spaces and a staff area within part of the ground floor. The second phase will see the remainder of the works completed including space on the ground and upper floor for NHS clinical, administrative, police, and probation services as well as additional consulting rooms.

The third phase was intended to be a café, however the council has said there is “insufficient space” so is considering alternatives.

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