Consultation on Enfield Chase launched as council seeks community input on next stage of project

Enfield Council wants to encourage more people to explore the new woodlands and open spaces at Enfield Chase, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

Enfield residents are being invited to have their say on the next stage of a major nature reclamation project.

The Enfield Chase Landscape Restoration Project is a scheme led by Enfield Council which aims to transform up to 1,000 hectares of farmland into a ‘publicly accessible natural space’.

It is the largest project of its kind in London and extends the ongoing woodland restoration at Enfield Chase, which has seen 140,000 trees planted over the past four years.

A public consultation which opened at the beginning of June aims to help create a plan that has “input from and benefits all Enfield communities”.

“The sky’s the limit,” says John Cole, chairman of the Friends of Enfield Chase volunteer group.

“There is an opportunity for climbers, runners and cyclists to learn more about it and put it on the map.

“The whole idea of ​​the survey is that it’s the beginning, we want to capture the thoughts and first of all make a more pleasant place and increase access. The survey is a start.”

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The friends group, the council and the environmental charity Thames 21 have collaborated on the project’s engagement process and are all encouraging people to share their views on how best to use the space.

On the consultation, which will run until September, John said it was also an opportunity for those living in “other parts of the borough” to share their views on it.

Currently, he said, Enfield Chase was underutilized and “possibly undervalued.”

Sculpture parks, a grass theatre, allotments, tree nurseries and community gardens were just some of the ideas John said could be implemented if there was interest.

John added that Friends of Enfield Chase are also looking for other local community groups “that could be a faith group or a youth group” to come forward if they think they would like to use the space in a way.

The council’s survey can be completed via its website. It will also conduct focus groups in the coming months in the borough, one recently held in Edmonton Green.

For more information and to complete the survey, visit Enfield Chase Landscape Restoration – Community Survey | Let’s talk about Enfield

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