London Assembly member Joanne McCartney on the local progress made during 2025 through her work at City Hall

Joanne McCartney has represented Enfield at City Hall for more than two decades (credit GLA)

As we start the new year it’s a great time to reflect on the successes of the past year and the challenges ahead.

Firstly, I was proud to join Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan in delivering the 100-millionth free school meal in the capital, and I have been pleased to lead the work on this initiative as deputy mayor.

Four million meals have been delivered across Enfield and thousands of families are seeing the benefit – an important step in tackling child poverty and giving every child a fair start.

Another piece of good news is that the front counter at Edmonton Police Station will remain open, ensuring the community has a visible and accessible police presence.

Early signs show that concerted action is paying off. Initiatives such as the ‘Clear, Hold, Build’ programme in Edmonton are making a real difference, with local crime figures improving and the focus on expanding neighbourhood policing teams helping residents feel safer.

Together we succeeded in our campaign to install average speed cameras along the remaining stretch of the A10, helping to reduce collisions and injury.

Turning to a bigger challenge: housing. The government’s recent announcement of a potential ‘new town’ in Enfield has rightly attracted attention. I have given this careful thought. Our Green Belt is precious, but the reality is clear: London needs far more homes than can be accommodated on existing brownfield sites.

Families are living in overcrowded or unsuitable conditions, young people struggle to find a first home, and London councils spend around £5million per day on temporary accommodation – an unsustainable cost, both financially and socially.

This is not just a statistic – it is reflected in the casework I see daily. Children living in damp conditions, families being relocated far from support networks. Simply put, we have not built enough homes for too long, and this government is finally putting funding behind measures to address this. With the mayor and Enfield Council ready to help deliver new homes, there is a real opportunity to act.

But this must be done properly. As the mayor has restated, minimal green space should be taken, and brownfield sites prioritised for development. Infrastructure – schools, health services, shops, and community facilities – must be planned from day one.

Transport is crucial: the Great Northern line needs greater capacity. I have been campaigning for Transport for London to take over the line and recently met and wrote to Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander to lobby for this. Currently, just two off-peak trains per hour serve the line; but at least six are needed. Bus services also need to be improved.

My role is to ensure that any development meets local needs and I will continue to raise questions about social and affordable housing, family-sized homes, transport, schools, health services, and access to green space.

So as we begin 2026, there is plenty more work to do and as ever I am happy to hear from residents about their plans and ideas for the area. I wish everyone a prosperous new year.

Joanne McCartney (Labour) is the London Assembly member representing Enfield and Haringey. She also serves as Khan’s statutory deputy mayor at City Hall. Get in touch:
Call 020 7983 5524
Email [email protected]

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