The plans include second staircases in tower blocks that had previously been approved without them despite new fire safety legislation being drawn up

Detailed plans for phase 1b of Meridian One, the first part of the wider Meridian Water redevelopment in Edmonton (credit Hawkins/Brown) — The second phase of Meridian One includes a 30-storey tower block (credit Hawkins/Brown)

Revised plans for over 700 homes at Meridian Water have been approved – three years after Enfield Council and developer Vistry were forced to go back to the drawing board.

Phase 1B of Meridian One was originally approved by councillors on the council’s planning committee in September 2022, despite concerns being raised at the meeting about fire safety and the lack of second staircases in the proposed tower blocks.

Just four months later the council admitted that it would need to revise the plans to ensure they complied with new legislation on fire safety being drawn up by the government in response to the Grenfell Tower disaster in 2017. The key law change was around the requirement for second staircases in all new tall buildings.

Planning documents state that the inclusion of additional staircases has been achieved without any changes to building heights or the total number of homes, with internal layouts and building footprints instead being revised.

Meridian One is the first phase of the wider Meridian Water housing project in Edmonton, which is being led by the council in conjunction with development partners. Around 1,000 homes are planned in total at Meridian One but only 301 have been completed so far – with progress on the other 700 delayed by three years thanks to the revised planning application.

Last week it was confirmed the revised plans had finally won approval. Vistry now says it will be able to begin construction by the end of this year.

Rob Wilkinson, a managing director at Vistry, said: “Securing this planning approval is a significant step forward for Meridian One and demonstrates our commitment to delivering high-quality homes and community facilities in partnership with Enfield Council.

“With phase 1A now complete and phase 1B moving into the next stage, we are proud to be playing a key role in creating a vibrant, sustainable neighbourhood that meets the needs of local people.”

The news comes amid a shift in the council’s overall strategy for Meridian Water, with mounting delays and spiralling costs prompting a move away from the civic centre’s previous role as master developer and a greater role for the private sector in future.

Reacting to the approval for the 700 homes at Meridian One, council leader Ergin Erbil said: “We’re building homes for local families. We’re creating jobs for local people. We’re investing in our borough and growing our economy. We’re tackling poverty and the housing crisis. Our vision for Meridian Water is coming to life.

“This latest approval is a key milestone and shows the strong partnership we have built to bring real change to our borough.”

Progress is also being made at Meridian Two, the project’s second phase, where ongoing development at Leeside Road was celebrated with a topping-out ceremony in December. The scheme is being delivered by Vistry for Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH) and will provide 274 affordable homes by the end of the year.

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