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5 Housing

North East Enfield has the potential to contribute towards housing targets in the Borough set out in the adopted Core Strategy and in line with the adopted London Plan targets. There are also opportunities to improve existing housing areas.

5.1 Introduction

5.1.1 Housing Numbers: The adopted London Plan (2011) sets a borough-wide ten year target of 5,600 new homes over the period of 2011 - 2021 with an annual target of 560. These targets have been revised by the Mayor in early 2014. The adopted Core Strategy policy (Core Policy 2: Housing supply and location for new homes) identifies that there is scope to deliver 1,000 new homes across the North East Enfield area in the plan period 2010-2025, with the main opportunities being in Ponders End.

5.1.2 In addition to its own work in identifying development opportunities, the Council has undertaken two call for sites in an effort to identify further sites as part of both the borough-wide local plan evidence base and in support of the NEE AAP Interim Direction Document (2012). The outcome of this process confirmed that the NEE area has limited opportunities for large-scale development of new housing.

5.1.3 The principal sites identified in the Core Strategy for new housing in NEE are the Former Middlesex University Site, Ponders End High Street and South Brimsdown, each expected to deliver 200 and 400 new dwellings respectively. The University site is now being taken forward to provide a Free School. The owner of South Brimsdown has indicated to the Council that residential development is unviable, and they wish to bring forward employment development on the site. Neither of these sites is therefore available for residential development, so reducing the available amount of new housing development by 600 units.

5.1.4 In developing this AAP, the Council has carefully considered all sites that may be available for residential development within NEE and has concluded that it is possible to bring forward 552 units net (set out in Table 5.1 overleaf). The Council is mindful of the need to deliver new housing in the borough and the housing trajectory figures at a boroughwide level indicate that the Council is maintaining an overall 5 year supply of housing land. However, the Council will undertake a review of the Core Strategy to ensure that it continues to meet its borough-wide housing numbers in the context of the Mayor’s revised targets.

Policy Context for Chapter 5: Housing
London Plan	Policy 3.3 Increasing Housing Supply Policy 3.4 Optimising Housing Potential Policy 3.5 Quality and Design of Housing Developments Policy 3.8 Housing Choice Policy 3.9 Mixed and Balanced Communities Policy 3.11, Affordable Housing Targets
Upper Lee Valley Opportunity Area Planning Framework (July 2013)	Objective 4 2.2: New housing 8.4: Ponders End Indicative Masterplan
Core Strategy (Adopted Nov 2010)	Policy 2: Housing supply and locations for new homes Policy 3: Affordable housing Policy 4: Housing Quality Policy 5: Housing types
Adopted Development Management Document (November 2014)	Policy DMD1: Affordable housing Policy DMD2: Affordable housing Policy DMD3: A mix of different sized homes Policy DMD6: Residential character Policy DMD8: General standards for new residential development Policy DMD9: Amenity space
Other Sources	National Planning Policy Guidance Affordable Housing Viability Study, 2009 Enfield Housing Trajectory Justification Report, 2009 Enfield Strategic Housing Market Assessment, 2010 The London Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment and Housing Capacity Study, 2009 Enfield’s Economic Viability Study, May 2013

The regeneration of the Alma Estate will provide new homes in Ponders End

The new development at Dujardin Mews will provide new family homes and flats

Table 5.1: Housing Sites

5.1.5 Affordable housing: Consultation responses to the Interim Direction Document indicate that local people feel that more housing is needed in NEE and that some of this should be affordable. However, questions were raised as to the amount of affordable housing that should be provided in the area as NEE already has a high proportion.

5.1.6 Core Strategy Policy 3 seek to achieve a borough-wide target of 40% affordable housing units in new developments, applicable on sites capable of accommodating ten or more dwellings. 70% of new affordable homes should be social rented and 30% should be intermediate housing. However, the Development Management Document notes that sites in the east of the borough are generally not as viable as those in the west, and suggests that for some sites east of the A10 (that is, within the NEE area), a higher proportion of intermediate housing may be sought, with the split generally being 60% social rented and 40% intermediate.

5.1.7 This flexibility would be permitted if it is demonstrated to assist with viability to maximise delivery of new affordable homes, and contribute towards the creation of sustainable, mixed and balanced communities.

5.1.8 Mix of housing types: The potential for new family housing to make a contribution to creating a more sustainable area has been highlighted through consultation. There is potential for family housing to create stable communities that will, in turn, support shops and community facilities.

5.1.9 Core Strategy Policy 5 sets out specific requirements for the mix of housing types within market and social rented housing. However, it allows flexibility for intermediate housing and the importance of housing for families is stressed. DMD policy supports the Core Strategy’s approach but further reinforces the need for family housing by stating: ‘Developments of every size should seek to prioritise the delivery of family sized units where the site context and conditions are appropriate.’

5.1.10 Estate Regeneration: The Alma Estate Regeneration is due to start on site, subject to planning, in early 2015 and this is a significant opportunity to provide high quality new housing and address existing problems such as the quality of streets and spaces.

5.1.11 The Council is in the process of drafting a Housing Development Strategy in parallel with this AAP that considers how the Council invests in new housing and the renewal and redevelopment of its existing housing. Within this strategy, a holistic methodology is used to determine a shortlist of future housing estate renewal projects across the borough that the Council will aim to complete over the next thirty years, subject to consultation with residents.

5.1.12 Improving existing housing areas: There are also opportunities to improve existing areas of private housing. North East Enfield has large areas of privately owned housing, much of it dating from the 1930s - 1950s with some earlier Victorian terraces and areas of more recent development such as Enfield Island Village which was constructed in the 1980s. Most housing areas are arranged in traditional streets, with front gardens and on-street parking.

5.1.13 As homes in these areas are privately owned by individuals, change in the buildings themselves is up to householders - large-scale interventions by the Council are neither possible or appropriate. However, there are opportunities to improve the public realm of these residential areas.

5.1.14 Chapter 4 proposes six new or improved strategic pedestrian / cycle routes. Five of these run east-west and one runs north-south along the Hertford Road. These connect together stations, local centres, major open spaces and existing pedestrian/cycle routes. These strategic routes need to be supported by a finer-grain network of local routes within individual housing areas. These local routes would create clear and attractive connections, with improved lighting, signage, street tree planting, crossing points and paving. The local routes would help to better integrate existing housing into their neighbourhoods, and supporting sustainable means of getting around.

5.1.15 Housing quality: New housing will be expected to accord with higher level policy in relation to housing standards and design quality, including:

• London Plan space standards;
• London Plan standards for children’s play space;
• Core Strategy Policy 4, which requires a minimum standard of Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3 and requires all homes to be built to Lifetime Homes standards;
• DMD Policy 6, which requires proposed development to be of a density appropriate to the locality and meets a range of other design criteria; and
• DMD Policy 8, which sets general standards for new residential development including scale and massing, daylight and sunlight, and standards for amenity space including children’s play.

The Alma Estate Regeneration will deliver a mix of different housing types
	There are opportunities to improve the public realm in existing housing areas from simple traffic calming / crossing points (middle) to schemes incorporating public art (bottom)

Policy 5.1: Affordable housing New residential developments should provide a minimum of 40% affordable housing in accordance with Core Strategy Policy 3. However, given the viability issues of sites within North East Enfield, the Council will take a flexible approach to the split of social rented, affordable rent and intermediate housing in order to support the delivery of new affordable homes. The target will be 60% social rented and affordable rent; and 40% intermediate.

Policy 5.2: Mix of housing types New residential development should provide a mix of housing types for market and social rented accommodation that accords with Core Strategy Policy 5. Intermediate housing should prioritise family units.

Policy 5.3: Improving the public realm The Council will develop a strategy for public realm improvements within individual neighbourhoods that connects to and supports the strategic pedestrian / cycle links identified in Chapter 4 and the green corridors proposed in Chapter 8. Principles should include: creating routes accessible to all pedestrians, including disabled people and those with children in pushchairs. Dropped kerbs or raised crossing points help to create accessible routes; integrating traffic calming with improvements to pedestrian routes through the use of raised tables; using design to distinguish between the relative importance of connections so creating a readily understandable hierarchy of routes - that is, those routes that are the most important should look important; introducing street trees and other forms of planting in carefully considered locations, so that the landscape supports the hierarchy of routes and also contributes to the biodiversity of the area - for example, by providing a green corridor linking open spaces; using good quality materials that are appropriate to the character of the area; and generally using a consistent palette of materials and street furniture to give a coherent character. However, distinct materials and street furniture may be appropriate for locations which form a strong focal point to an area.

5.1.16 Environmental Considerations: In identifying sites for housing, the Council has been mindful that the population of the area will increase and this has the potential to indirectly affect sites of nature conservation importance.. The detailed design of new housing will need to ensure that any adverse effects are avoided.

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