The Overview & Scrutiny Committee of Enfield Council met on Wednesday 7 January 2026. The primary item scheduled for discussion was a call-in regarding the provision of the Barrowell Green Recycling Centre. The committee was also scheduled to note future meeting dates.

Call-In Regarding Barrowell Green Recycling Centre

The committee was scheduled to consider a call-in concerning the decision made by Councillor Rick Jewell, the Cabinet Member for Transport & Waste, regarding the provision of the Barrowell Green Recycling Centre (KD5648). This decision had been included on the Publication of Decision List issued on 9 December 2025.

The process for considering this call-in was outlined, involving:

• A presentation of the reasons for the call-in by a representative of the councillors who initiated it.
• A response from the Cabinet Member and relevant officers to these reasons.
• A debate among the Overview & Scrutiny Committee members, followed by an agreement on the action to be taken.

The report pack indicated that the original decision proposed the transfer of the operation of Barrowell Green Reuse and Recycling Centre to the North London Waste Authority (NLWA), to be managed by its operating company, LondonEnergy Ltd. Concerns were raised in the call-in that this transfer might not provide sufficient assurances against changes in the site's use, potentially leading to its effective closure to the public even if not formally designated as closed under the contract.

Officers' responses detailed safeguards and governance arrangements intended to ensure the council's continued involvement in any future decisions about the site. These included Enfield's direct representation within the NLWA decision-making body, the existence of established advisory and policy boards, and the NLWA's practice of stakeholder engagement and public consultation for any proposed operational changes. It was also noted that an agreement between the NLWA and the London Borough of Enfield, to be included within the lease, would restrict the site's use to a public reuse and recycling centre only.

The report pack also outlined the rationale for the NLWA's interest in taking over the site, stating that it aligns with their existing network of reuse and recycling centres across north London. The preferred option was the transfer of operations to the NLWA, which was presented as offering the best value for money for the London Borough of Enfield. The report highlighted that the NLWA has no financial incentive to reduce services, as the costs are levied to boroughs based on resident usage, meaning any cost savings from reduced services would primarily benefit the boroughs, particularly Enfield.

The call-in lead, Councillor Lee Chamberlain, requested that the decision be referred back to the Cabinet Member with a request to establish the risks to service provision and include protections against any loss of service.

The committee was also scheduled to review the original decision documents related to KD5648, which were available in Part 1 and Part 2 of the agenda, with Part 2 containing exempt information.

Future Meetings

The committee was scheduled to note the dates of future meetings, including provisional call-in dates for January, February, and March 2026, and scheduled business meetings, including a budget meeting in January 2026.