The long-awaited development of 369 homes with half designated affordable has been approved by councillors, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

Plans by Fairview Homes for new housing at Chase Farm (credit Formation Architects)

The final phase of a decade-long plan to redevelop the original site of Chase Farm Hospital has been approved.

Last night (Tuesday 18th) Enfield Council’s planning committee discussed the latest application submitted by Fairview New Homes for the hospital, which was relocated to a modern building on an adjacent site in 2018.

Previous phases of the redevelopment saw 138 homes built, plus two new schools. Now, another 369 new homes are set to be constructed on the remaining part of the former hospital site in The Ridgeway.

Mark Jackson, director of planning at Fairview New Homes, said the proposal fulfilled the “final piece of our vision”. It includes a revised affordable housing offer, subject to grant funding, of 50% social rent, calculated by habitable room.

Funding for the affordable housing element, Fairview said, has been secured from a registered social housing provider and the Greater London Authority (GLA).

Compared to the original outline plans, two residential blocks will be seven storeys rather than six.

The committee was further told that the scheme treated the site’s locally listed buildings “with care”. A porters lodge, clock tower, and post-graduate building would all be “retained, restored, and returned to active use”.

The clock tower at the old hospital will be restored and converted into housing

However, Conservative councillor Edward Smith raised concerns about the “low level” of three-bed properties and car parking on the scheme.

Cllr Smith also expressed his fears the two tallest blocks, at seven storeys, would look “massive” compared with the rest of the site.

The plans consist of 91 one-bedroom homes, 193 two-bedroom homes, and 85 three-bedroom homes.

The proposals also provide a total of 138 car parking bays, plus 704 cycle parking spaces.

The council’s head of planning and building control, Karen Page, said the increase in height from six to seven storeys for the two tallest housing blocks was considered “very minor and minimal”.

Following the discussion, ten of the eleven members voted in favour of the application with only Lee Chamberlain, a Conservative member, abstaining.

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