Chance to have say before planning application is submitted, reports James Cracknell

The owners of Edmonton Green Shopping Centre want to build 1,500 new homes – including a 30-storey tower block – as part of a sweeping redevelopment of the site.

While the existing three tower blocks, ASDA, and the bus station would be retained, much of the remaining older parts of the site would be torn down, with additional residential blocks built above newly created shopping areas.

The current indoor market would be demolished to help open up the site and create new public spaces and thoroughfares, with a replacement market built instead on the site an existing car park “to make it the focal point of the new development”.

Owners Crosstree Real Estate Partners have been working on the plans since buying the site from St Modwen for £72million in 2018, with surveys and public events being held over the last two years to gauge local people’s thoughts. A number of improvements to existing facilities have also been made in that time. Feedback suggested people wanted a mix of shops, restaurants and cafes, and the Crosstree proposals include a greater range of retail and hospitality units, including independent local shops and cafés as well as high street brands. A new ‘Library Square’ would also be home to an enhanced library, with a dedicated community hub created below Mendip House.

Opinions are now being sought on the plans, prior to the submission of a planning application to Enfield Council. Sabri Marsaoui, asset director at Edmonton Green, said: “We have already conducted a lot of consultation with residents and we hope they will see we have taken on board their feedback.

“Edmonton Green has so much potential and we feel these proposals will help realise this. It is vital the development remains grounded in what already makes Edmonton Green successful and that is why we have put the market at the centre of these proposals.

“We also believe our plans for new streets, spaces and squares will make this area safer, and a place for local people to spend time shopping or socialising with friends and family.”

The proposals have been drawn up by architects LDS. If approved by the council, the first phase of the scheme – on the ASDA car park – would be due for completion in 2023. The whole redevelopment is estimated to last between ten and 15 years.

The Edmonton Green plans are the latest in a string of high-rise schemes proposed for the borough this year. In September, investment giant Blackrock won planning permission to build 1,800 homes in towers up to 29-storeys tall on a retail park in Southbury; while in October, a proposal by Deutsche Bank to rebuild Palace Gardens Shopping Centre in Enfield Town, including a 26-storey tower and several hundred homes, was revealed. Both schemes are proving controversial among residents, being planned as they are for generally low-rise areas, but in Edmonton Green the skyline is already punctuated by existing high-rise blocks, the tallest being 25 storeys.

Regarding the height of the tower blocks proposed, a Crosstree spokesperson said: “Edmonton Green is identified in local planning policy as an appropriate location for tall buildings. The residential blocks will therefore range in height from four to 30 storeys. The centre of the site will feature taller buildings, with smaller buildings at the perimeter to tie in with Fore Street and other neighbouring streets.”

Residents can now have their say, until early December, by logging on to egconsultation.co.uk. A window display has been placed at 50 South Mall, a vacant shop within the centre, and online webinars are also being held. A community newsletter is being sent to more than 7,000 homes.

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