A herd of grazing cattle is set to be released into the public park in the next few weeks as part of council rewilding efforts, reports Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

Parts of Forty Hall Estate will be “overtaken” by “beasts” under Enfield Council’s plans to introduce grazing cattle, Conservatives councillors have claimed.

The opposition group said the animals could pose a safety risk and put people off visiting the historic estate – despite council chiefs’ attempts to reassure them that the “docile” breed would be carefully managed to avoid harm.

Plans to introduce red poll cattle at Forty Hall Estate and Trent Park were announced by the council last year, and a twelve-month trial scheme is set to be launched within the next few weeks. It is hoped the animals will help to manage grassland habitats and boost biodiversity.

But the Tories called in the decision to the council’s overview and scrutiny committee to urge a re-think, claiming the grazing herds would reduce public access to Forty Hall – although they did not oppose the introduction of cattle to Trent Park. A meeting of the committee was held on Wednesday to discuss their concerns.

Reece Fox, a Conservative councillor for Whitewebbs, who led the call-in, told the meeting he and his ward colleagues believed the plan was “not safe”, risked “excluding users” and would lead to “reduced public access to the park”.

He said residents might feel worried about the risk of physical harm to walkers, pets or the cattle themselves – and those fears could deter people from using the park. Cllr Fox claimed the risks had not been properly assessed.

In response, Cheryl Headon, the council’s director of parks, leisure and culture, said officers had been advised by specialists that the red poll is “the more docile [breed] of cow and the best type to use for this”. She added that a “robust project plan and risk assessments” had been drawn up.

Cheryl said “clear signage” would be put up to inform park users of the presence of cattle. The signs will include a QR code that can be scanned using a mobile phone to produce a live map showing where the animals are grazing.

Officers assured the committee that the cows would be kept within designated areas using GPS technology to create “virtual boundaries”. Animals will receive a small electric shock if they try to cross the boundary but are trained to recognise a distinctive melody that warns them when they stray too close to it.

Despite these assurances, Conservative committee members raised concerns over the proposals. Mike Rye said: “If you are not fond of cattle and distrust them, which I think a lot of Londoners probably are, you’re not going to use that area of the park that’s got all these signs up saying you’ve got beasts there.”

Cllr Rye said Forty Hall estate would be “disproportionately negatively affected” by the proposals. He said using a smaller area and number of cattle might have won the council more support.

Officers said the cows would only be allowed to roam within one part of the overall area designated for cattle use at any one period of time, and because they are herd animals they would tend to cluster together.

Cllr Fox said he and his colleagues had not met any local residents or groups who supported the proposals. But Ian Russell, the council’s principal watercourses engineer, insisted officers had received a “huge amount of positive feedback”.

Council bosses said the initial consultation on the plan lasted three weeks, not ten days as the call-in claimed. Chinelo Anyanwu, cabinet member for public spaces, culture and local economy, said the council would be getting “continuous feedback” throughout the twelve-month trial and did not intend to “push anything through” if it was not successful.

The council has won more than £30,000 to deliver the scheme from the Greater London Authority’s Rewild London Fund. If it is successful, the project could win funding from Natural England and be expanded to other parks in the borough. The scheme is also intended to reduce the need for mechanical mowing, which could also save money.

Under questioning from councillors, Cheryl insisted the scheme was “not about driving savings for the council” but rather about “being respectful and restoring history in these sites from an environmental perspective”. She said the financial implications of the project would be assessed as part of the trial.

Cllr Fox was unconvinced by officers’ comments and called for the decision to be sent back to the cabinet member for reconsideration. He insisted he was not against the principle of the idea, but he did not think it would work in Enfield.

Cllr Fox said: “What I have heard is there are major concerns from local people that their park that they go to for a bit of peace is basically being overtaken by a decision without consulting with them.

“Local people do not deserve to have their park and the access to it, a huge amount of it, taken away.”

Conservative committee members voted in favour of his proposal, but Labour councillors supported the original decision to approve the plans. During the meeting, officers indicated the trial would be launched within the next two to three weeks.

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