The Enfield Council Planning Committee met on 16 September 2025, and approved plans for a housing development on Lincoln Crescent and a surfing complex at the Lee Valley Golf Course. The committee also approved the construction of a padel tennis facility at Southgate Hockey Centre.

Planning Decisions

69 and 71 Lincoln Crescent, Enfield, EN1 1JZ

The committee voted to grant planning permission for the demolition of existing buildings at 69 and 71 Lincoln Crescent and the erection of nine new houses. This decision was made despite 20 objections from the public, with one letter of support. The new development will consist of five three-bedroom houses and four four-bedroom houses, each two storeys high, with those on plots 1, 2, 8 and 9 having rear dormers. The houses will measure approximately 4.9m to the eaves and have a maximum height of 9.1m to the ridge. The development will also include a new access road and thirteen car parking spaces, cycle parking facilities and refuse storage. The committee agreed with the Head of Planning and Building Control's recommendation to grant planning permission subject to conditions, and also granted them delegated authority to finalise the wording of those conditions. The planning report noted that Councillor Aksanoglu had requested that the application be brought before the committee due to local interest, although applications of this scale are normally determined under delegated authority. The reasons given in the report for recommending approval were that:

• The proposal delivers much-needed housing, with the addition of 9 high-quality residential units of accommodation to add to the Borough's housing stock.

• It provides a mix of units, including three and four family sized homes with suitable amenity. The scheme supports the availability of choice in the market tenure.

• Crucially, the development makes use of an available site in an accessible location, bringing forward brownfield land in an established residential area.

• The development has been designed to be sensitive to its context, building forms and positions to address the character of adjacent homes. In addition, several design measures have been adopted to maintain neighbour amenity.

The committee noted that Enfield Council cannot currently demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites, and is subject to the Housing Delivery Test¹. As such, the presumption in favour of sustainable development applies.

Lee Valley Golf Course and Camping & Caravan Park, 61 Meridian Way, Edmonton, London, N9 0AR

The committee voted to grant planning permission for the redevelopment of the existing Lee Valley Golf Course and Camping & Caravan Park, subject to referral of the application to the Greater London Authority (GLA) and the completion of a Section 106 Agreement. The development will include:

• An outdoor surf lake (Use Class F2²)

• A two-storey clubhouse including terraces, with cafe, surf shop, health and well-being facilities, changing facilities, offices (Use Class E³), surfing operations and solar panels

• External plant, machine and store room structures for surf generation (Sui Generis⁴)

• Renewal and alteration of existing campsite and the provision of additional accommodation and ancillary buildings (Sui Generis) with communal space

• Use of land for pop up temporary outdoor events, with associated temporary structures

• Free standing shelter with viewing deck

• Engineering works including mounding and bunds

• Public park, view point structure, pavilion and external play areas

• Pop up seasonal structures

• Leisure facilities involving a pump track, skate bowl, sports courts, skate routes and external play areas

• Associated soft and hard landscaping, boundaries, lighting, flood lighting, parking and access routes.

The committee also granted the Head of Planning delegated authority to finalise the precise wording of the conditions and the Section 106 Agreement, and to include any additional planning conditions or Heads of Terms requested by the GLA.

The planning report noted that the site is located within the Green Belt, where development is considered inappropriate unless it complies with one of the exceptions identified in paragraph 154 of the NPPF. The report concluded that the principle of appropriate outdoor sport and recreational facilities in the Green Belt is 'appropriate' in Green Belt terms. However, there are elements of the proposals which result in either very low or low harm on the visual and spatial openness of the Green Belt, meaning that these elements are inappropriate and the resultant harm requires Very Special Circumstances (VSC) to outweigh this harm. The report detailed the VSC as:

• The role of the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority enacted in law

• Lack of alternative sites and the scale of the site required

• Designation as major development site in the Green Belt in the adopted Core Strategy (2010) and the adopted Development Management Document (2014), with planning policy support

• Health and well being benefits

• Sustainability, including restoring the Enfield Ditch

• Local Community, including the creation and free access to a newly created park and employment opportunities post construction

• Provision of sports facilities

• Biodiversity net gain improvement

• Improved transport connectivity

Southgate Hockey Centre Snakes Lane Barnet EN4 0PS

The committee voted to grant planning permission for the construction of a padel tennis facility and canopy at Southgate Hockey Centre, subject to referral of the application to the Greater London Authority (GLA). The development will include six padel courts, a clubhouse, and a canopy structure. The committee also granted the Head of Planning & Building Control delegated authority to agree the final wording of the conditions, and to include any additional planning conditions requested by the GLA or any other government body.

The planning report noted that the site is located within the Trent Park Conservation Area and Metropolitan Green Belt. The report concluded that the proposal would result in some harm to the openness of the Green Belt, and that the level of harm to the Trent Park Conservation Area and Registered Park and Garden is considered a low level of less than substantial harm. The report detailed the VSC as:

• The canopy enables year-round use of the padel courts, supporting physical activity in all weather conditions and contributing to public health and well-being

• According to Sport England and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), there is significant unmet demand for padel tennis in the borough.

• The applicants have agreed to a Community Involvement Strategy (to be secured by condition) which will set out what benefits will be provided to residents in Enfield

• The development will provide employment for up to 13 local people

Other Business

The committee also received and noted the covering report of the Head of Planning and Building Control, Karen Page, which advised members on process and updated them on the number of decisions made by the council as local planning authority. The report noted that, in accordance with delegated powers, 531 applications were determined between 8 July 2025 and 2 September 2025, of which 430 were granted and 101 refused.