Around 300 homes are proposed for Palace Gardens as well as new shops and public spaces, reports James Cracknell

An image showing the scale of previous Palace Gardens proposal (in red) with the new plan coloured in brown/beige (credit DWS) — An image created by DWS Group showing the scale of the previous Palace Gardens proposal (in red) with the new, smaller development coloured in brown/beige

Enfield Town residents are again being invited to share their views on fresh proposals for Palace Gardens Shopping Centre – with 300 homes planned as well as new shops.

At a public exhibition event taking place today (Wednesday 4th) and also on Saturday (7th), new details of the scheme have been revealed for the first time.

Five years ago, plans for tower blocks of up to 26 storeys drew widespread opposition, including from two local MPs. The new plans instead propose residential buildings of up to 15 storeys, which would rise over a rebuilt shopping centre.

The image above shows the scale of the previous plan marked in red and the new, smaller proposal coloured in brown/beige.

Site owner DWS Group, formerly known as Deutsche Asset Management, is working with RivingtonHark on plans for the ageing shopping arcade, after the previous high-rise plans for the site were ditched in 2021.

While existing large shops such as Pearsons and Marks & Spencer would stay as they are, a large part of Palace Gardens would be demolished and redeveloped with new retail areas and public spaces, as well as additional walking routes connecting the town centre with Cecil Road.

New exhibition boards which went live today show that, if the plans win approval, there would be six residential blocks built in total, ranging from six to 15 storeys. Confusingly, however, these are labelled as “Ground +5” and “Ground +14”.

The Dispatch has been able to verify that “Ground +14” does mean 15 storeys in total.

Describing its plans, DWS states: “New homes are a key part of the proposals for Palace Gardens and play an important role in delivering the wider improvements people told us they want to see in Enfield Town centre.

“New residents will help bring more activity into the area throughout the day and evening, supporting local shops, cafés and services while contributing to a safer, more welcoming public environment.”

A map of the proposal for Palace Gardens (credit DWS)

According to DWS the new homes would be “build to rent” flats, with a “proportion” of these being designated as affordable housing, discounted from market rates. They would be a mixture of one, two and three-bed properties.

The future of Palace Gardens was debated last year at the Enfield Local Plan public examination, with building heights the main point of contention. At the hearing in October, Enfield Council was accused of “ignoring its own advice” by including a maximum of 39 metres (around 13 storeys) for any new development in its draft Local Plan.

The Enfield Society argued any new buildings at Palace Gardens, sitting in the centre of Enfield Town Conservation Area, should be limited instead to 27m, or around nine storeys.

However, there are three examples of existing buildings immediately outside the conservation area which currently rise to twelve or 13 storeys, including Tower Point in Sydney Road which is only around 100 metres away from Palace Gardens.

A series of anonymous notes left by local residents at this week’s exhibition indicate that the fresh proposals for Palace Gardens have drawn a mixed reaction so far, with the reduced height compared to previous plans being praised, but with fears over the impact on the local area still being expressed.

One note said: “Think that the height is a problem and the scale of building is inappropriate.”

Another said: “Pleased they reduced the height of the building from the original – now more in keeping with the area.”

And another said: “The lower height proposed is still too high.”

The newly proposed development in brown/beige with the scale of the previous proposal outlined in red (credit DWS) — The newly proposed development in brown/beige, as seen from Cecil Road, with the scale of the previous proposal outlined in red (credit DWS)

Regarding the new shops set to be provided as part of the scheme, DWS states: “The proposals aim to strengthen Palace Gardens as an everyday shopping destination while introducing new food and drink outlets that support activity into the evening. We want to extend the use of the site, creating a new square where people can spend time and meet up.”

There have also been anonymous comments made about local shops and services at today’s exhibition event.

One said: “There is no point ramming in more homes without infrastructure such as parking and GP surgeries.”

Another simply said: “Less fast food.”

No planning application has yet been submitted to Enfield Council, but DWS is aiming to submit the plans this summer. DWS says that feedback from both the current exhibition and a previous consultation before Christmas will be considered before plans are finalised.

The latest Palace Gardens consultation events are taking place today (Wednesday 4th) until 7pm and on Saturday (7th) from 10am to 2pm. The location of the exhibition is opposite Monsoon, within the shopping centre.

For more information and to take part in the consultation:
Visit palacegardensconsultation.co.uk

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