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16 Southbury Station Area

16.1 Introduction

16.1.1 Southbury Station serves the south-western part of the NEE area, and is an important arrival point for students at Enfield College and those visiting Ponders End High Street. It is somewhat isolated, being situated between:

  • the Great Cambridge Road and Martinbridge Strategic Industrial Areas to the west, along with the very large Asda distribution warehouse; and
  • the very large Tesco Extra and the bus depot to the east.

16.1.2 All of these uses are characterised by large floorplate buildings surrounded by parking and/or service access. They are therefore detached from the street scene. The recent residential-led mixed use development at Poppy Drive adjacent to the station presents largely blank frontages to Southbury Road. This will be softened once the two retail uses are let, although the amount of blank wall will remain significant. The result is that the station stands alone as the only building in the area that relates positively to Southbury Road.

16.1.3 There are limited opportunities to improve the area as there are no obvious development sites. Southbury Road is identified in the Movement chapter of this document as having the potential to form a key east-west movement corridor for pedestrians and cyclists. There are therefore opportunities to improve the public realm as part of this initiative Key issues are set out in Figure 16.1 and include:

  • Southbury Road is busy, and so segregated cycle lanes are preferred. There is a shared cycle land on the north side of Southbury Road but limited provision on the south side;
  • there is limited space in which to provide improved pedestrian and cycle facilities as the road width is constrained, particularly where it crosses the railway line;
  • there is a long right hand turning lane provided for vehicles turning right from Southbury Road into Kingsway. Further investigation and traffic modelling is required, but there may be potential to reduce the length of this lane and so free up some space for pedestrians and cyclists;
  • the bus stops are located some distance from the station building. It is difficult to move them closer as the humped back nature of the road over the railway line restricts sightlines - bus stops too near the railway crossing could cause a safety problem;
  • the low scale of the station building and the humped back of the road crossing restrict sightlines for pedestrians, making the station hard to spot. Better signage and/or artwork may help to increase the station’s presence; and
  • the green area on the northern side of the road opposite the station is overgrown - better maintenance / pruning of the greenery would help to make the area more attractive and feel safer.

Key plan showing location of Southbury Station Area within overall NEE area

Policy Context for Chapter 16: Southbury Station Area

London Plan

Policy 7.4 Local Character

Policy 7.4 Public Realm

Upper Lee Valley Opportunity Area Planning Framework (July 2013)

Objective 7

 

Core Strategy (Adopted Nov 2010)

Policy 30: Maintaining and improving the quality of the built environment

Policy 40: North East Enfield

Adopted Development Management Document (November 2014)

Policy DMD37: Achieving high quality and design-led development

Other Sources

National Planning Policy Framework

National Planning Policy Guidance

Cycle Routes in Enfield, Oct 2013

Figure 16.1: Southbury Station Area- Key Issues

Figure 16.1: Southbury Station Area- Key Issues

Figure 16.2: Southbury Station Area- Policy Principles

Figure 16.2: Southbury Station Area- Policy Principles

Policy 16.1: Southbury Station area

The Council will develop a comprehensive street design scheme which helps to improve the setting of the station and improve pedestrian and cycle movement. This scheme should include:

  • comprehensive de-cluttering and tidy-up of the street by rationalising signage, road markings and street furniture;
  • investigate the potential for creating continuous cycle lanes on both the north and south sides of the road;
  • create an improved crossing point immediately outside the station; and
  • improve activity on the station frontage - e.g. by including a cafe or small shop and providing views into the facility.

Project Ref

Description

16.1a

Create an improved crossing point along with continuous cycle lanes on north and south sides of the road

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