A letter sent to local residents last week has sparked alarm about the Council’s plans for the future of Grovelands Park.
The letter, from Gary Barnes, Assistant Director of Regeneration, Leisure and Libraries, states that the Council are planning to ‘invest in’ and ‘redevelop’ the ancient park. The intention is to conduct an historic parks survey and develop a management plan – both of which are standard good practice in parks management – but also to explore the options for introducing a new two form entry primary school and improve sports facilities. The intention is also to ‘open up’ the park, including lands owned by Thames Water though it is unclear what this opening up might mean.
Mr Barnes states that plans are at an early stage and Enfield therefore feel that it is the right time to talk to residents and stakeholders and explain their plans. If you want to take part, you don’t have much notice though – the meeting is tomorrow 18 July, at 4 in the public restaurant at Southgate College. What do you mean “but I’m at work”?
2 replies on “Plans to build on Grovelands?”
Reading between the lines and knowing the desperate need for increased school places it sounds as if the council is considering a new school on the land adjacent to the park and the Priory Hospital.
No doubt the park would provide sports facilities.
If my memory is correct there were plans for this site some years ago by I think Thames Water for some sort of reservoir.Abandoned in the face of local resistance.
A school might not be the worst development option for this site if only the Council would come clean about its intentions and genuinely consult.The record in Trent Park is not a comfort.
Bourne Hill is however very busy traffic wise and any such development sits uneasily with the recent sale by the council of the only car park nearby.Anyone who has visited the park in the recent hot weather can attest to the vastly increased use that the park enjoys.This presumably the result of rising numbers of flats in and around the area.
Any move to restrict public use of the park or to change its character must be vigorously opposed.
In Ealing they ‘improved’ the parks by selling land off to private tennis and 5 aside football companies. The council counted hard surface playing areas as green field, so said it wasn’t development. The areas in question are private and need payment to use.