Transport secretary Louise Haigh has overturned the previous government’s ban on new housing on Cockfosters tube station car park, City Hall confirmed today. The controversial veto had seen a Transport for London scheme for 350 new homes stalled for almost three-and-a-half years.
The 40 per cent affordable scheme, including four tower blocks of up to 14 storeys in height, was approved on a casting vote by Enfield Council’s planning committee in February 2022, despite 2,852 objections and opposition both from local Labour MP Bambos Charalambous and his then Conservative neighbour in Chipping Barnet, Theresa Villiers.
Planners had recommended it for approval, arguing that the borough desperately needed new housing. The scheme complied with national and City Hall policy supporting development on “under-utilised brownfield sites in highly accessible locations”, while most drivers using the car park had alternative forms of public transport available, they said.
It also drew support from transport campaigners in the borough and from the Enfield Society, founded in 1936, which told the council that the station car park was a “poor use of space” and residential development on brownfield sites was appropriate to “help meet borough housing targets”.
Villiers, described by some as the “patron saint of Nimbyism”, nevertheless kept up the fight, lobbying the then transport secretary Grant Shapps to take action to protect the car park around the Grade II-listed station at the end of the Piccadilly Line, which she said performed an “important park-and-ride function”.
In what is thought to be the only use of “backstop” powers in the GLA Act 1999 requiring Whitehall consent for the sale of “operational” TfL land, the minister controversially stepped in to block the scheme on the grounds that its proposed retention of 47 parking spaces, including 12 blue badge spaces and short stay pick up/drop off parking, would be “inadequate”.
TfL’s attempts to reverse the ban, even after Shapps’ departure and communities secretary Michael Gove confirming more than a year ago that his department would not be “calling in” the original planning application for public inquiry, were consistently rebuffed, until now. The new minister’s decision represents a significant shift in approach from the new Labour national government, which will send ripples through the suburbs.
“I’m delighted to finally unblock this important project to kickstart the development of hundreds of much needed new homes in Enfield,” said Haigh. “This government is committed to getting Britain building and working with local leaders to boost regional growth.”
The decision was welcomed by Sadiq Khan. “After the previous government refused to approve the plans, I’m delighted that the new government has given us the green light to progress exciting plans for new homes at Cockfosters station,” he said. “Building homes right next to public transport connections is a key part of our plans to deliver the high-quality homes Londoners need. I look forward to continuing working with the government to build a better, fairer and more prosperous London for everyone.”
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