Report on Proceedings of AGM & General meeting, held at 7.30pm on Nov 5th 2024 at Southgate Compton Cricket Club, Chalk Lane, Barnet. [With added explanatory notes.]
AGM – The Chairman opened the AGM and welcomed 15 members and guests:
Cllr Alessandro Georgiou
Cllr Edward Smith
Cllr. Ruby Sampson
Colin Bull, Chair CLARA
Nollaig Whyte, Chair Trent Park Residents Association
The minutes of the previous meeting, having been distributed, were agreed.
ANNUAL ELECTION OF OFFICERS:
The following candidates were presented for approval and voted in to hold office for 2024/5:
Chairman – Peter W Gibbs
Vice Chair and Treasurer – Carol Fisk
Membership secretary – TBA. Brenda Nathan standing down.
The Friends Committee was also proposed and approved to serve for another year comprising the above officers plus: Juliet Barnett [representing Trent Park Conservation Committee], Ronald Cohen, Tony Hillman, Shanna Marrinan, Kirsty Johnstone.
Additional Committee members sought. Please volunteer whatever time you can and contribute to shaping of our park.
TREASURER’S REPORT – AUTUMN 2024
The report was well received by the meeting and voted for acceptance. As a consequence, the committee recommended no member subs were required 2025, subject to review. Adopted.
The AGM closed
General Friends meeting:
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
Since June this year two major changes have taken place:
The management of parks at LBE has changed, and this is to be welcomed since little or no progress towards meeting the needs of the Park was achieved by working with outgoing managers. The Friends are now in consultation with the new management hoping to make progress and achieve a better distribution of LBE funds towards meeting the noticeable maintenance needs of the Park.
It is also hoped that realism now prevails in LBE towards the true revenue gain arising from major commercial events in the Park. LBE has so far refused to confirm that it accepts the Park is not suited or equipped for major events, but has noted that net revenue from attracting large events over the past 8 years, has caused much damage to the park costing a great deal to restore, negating any apparent income. In addition the impact on the whole community from over large events in Trent Country Park is proving substantial, resulting in real loss of amenity and acute feelings of personal insecurity.
The second change, resulting from the change of government, has led to the removal of protection for the car park at Cockfosters station which, if development is carried through as earlier threatened, would lead to significant visual and amenity impact on the park and neighbourhood.
The value of the Park and all the other open spaces in Enfield could not be more significant – large development schemes are afoot and each expansion of the borough’s population (currently 333,000) means an even greater reliance on open space for health, recreation and community cohesion. So-called “community recreation assets” featured in current planning applications are in reality nominal, designed not to impede maximum housing density.
Enfield council has steadily removed support from parks, and in the current draft Local Development Plan is bearing down on green belt despite issuing insubstantial assurances that open space is valued. Assets have languished and maintenance fallen well into arrears.
We are assured LBE is returning to more Formal Park planning programmes, but have seen nothing substantive as yet.
Events (Colin Bull)
Negotiations with officers in Barnet and Enfield have moved towards a better understanding of how to control crowds and extra traffic generated by over-sized commercial events. Adequate safety, and preservation of access and amenity are costly and some events promoters have moved their activities to boroughs where sites are less onerous in terms of costs.
The whole events market, which went through near collapse during Covid, is recovering but slowly and choosing its operating sites with greater care, having regard to safety and cost management.
We cannot be sure 2025 will be as quiet in the Park as this year, LBE refuses to disclose whether it is still seeking events and under what conditions.
Over-sized supply vehicles trying to enter the Park from Cockfosters remain a burden and we are pressing LBE to enforce its size limitations on events contractors to preserve the safety of visitors, as well as the heritage assets and roadways, already heavily damaged by heavy trucks.
We remain firm in our support for local community activities, organised professionally and sized to the capability of the Park to host them. The summer holidays, a time of heavy demand for families, should be kept free of disruptive events and we expect LBE to enforce a moratorium during these weeks.
Raves and security
We note that LBE has been effective in clearing illegal raves from the Park, in contrast to earlier years when it was claimed nothing could be done. We urge LBE to maintain its new policy in this regard.
Berkeley estate
Good progress was noted with over half the development completed and the grounds looking very attractive. Prospects for the new museum, slated to open early 2025, look exceedingly good. Parking arrangements have still to be resolved for museum visitors.
Local Development Plan / ERW (Carol Fisk /Cllr Alex Georgiou, Cllr Edward Smith)
Enfield RoadWatch was set up 10 years ago to resist unwarranted development of Green Belt along the Bramley Rd. It has now joined with other groups to resist the transformative proposals announced in Enfield Council’s draft local Development Plan.
The key objections surround the huge development proposed for Vicarage Farm (Enfield Rd) Hadley Wood, and Crews Hill, amounting to over half the 35,000 new houses proposed by 2041. If approved and built to this scale, Enfield would be transformed, its character reduced to inner suburb congestion and loss of amenity, and the quality of life for current residents substantially degraded. The additional 70,000 residents would place an intolerable strain on amenities.
Fundamentally, the housing needs of the borough are some 5000 units, the additional 30,000 units are a projection of need which in the current climate we cannot see materialising. Building so destructively would be for borough revenue purposes, not to meet housing need.
This is important for the Park because, without moderation, large tracts of land close to the park will be opened for building; in the current climate this could well be over-height tower accommodation, with severe impact on the environmental and heritage value of much of western Enfield.
All groups, including Friends, reject gross exploitation of the Green Belt as not called for. Re-working “brownfield” sites across the borough, fulfilling regeneration opportunities in wards with older less efficient properties is the obvious first choice.
The final stage of the Plan is under way with the government’s planning inspector judging its soundness. He has already issued a long list of requirements and notes which the Council is attempting to answer.
It is anticipated the Plan will not be finalised until mid-2025. Friends should pay close attention to the debate. The Plan is intended to set the shape for the evolution of the borough for the next 2 decades, but we already know commercial pressures will seek to exploit every opportunity for gain. Sanctuaries such as the Park can only lose character and amenity if developers are allowed unfettered rein.
PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS: Members are requested earnestly to address concerns to us and also make their views known via the following LBE councillors / officers:
- Leader of Enfield Council: Cllr.Ergin.Erbil@Enfield.gov.uk
- Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainability: Cllr.Chinelo.Anyanwu@enfield.gov.uk
- Assistant Cabinet Member: Cllr Chris.james@enfied.gov.uk
- Cockfosters Ward local councillors: Cllr.Alessandro.Georgiou@enfield.gov.uk Cllr.Ruby.Sampson@enfield.gov.uk
- Conservative lead for parks: cllr.Edward.Smith@enfield.gov.uk
- Enfield’s website has a “Report it” facility to notify anything untoward seen in the park. LBE promises to scrutinise all reports and take appropriate action. https://new.enfield.gov.uk/services/leisure-and-culture/parks-and-open-spaces/parks/
Social Media
Please Like our Facebook page and share it with friends and family. This is the first place to look for news of events, alerts or just pretty pictures of the park. We would like to increase our Twitter and Instagram activity. If anyone can help, please get in touch.
Next Friends meeting
The next meeting is planned for May 2025. A further newsletter will be issued early next year. If you would like to be added to our database, please email info@friendsoftrentcountrypark.org.uk
Meeting closed 21.15 hrs. PWG 12.11.24