Enfield Planning Consultant
Where London meets its Green Belt
Around 40 per cent of Enfield is Green Belt, more than almost anywhere else in London, and its future is the central question in the borough's new Local Plan. Cedar Planning advises on householder schemes, conversions, HMOs and land promotion across Enfield, with each case built on the policies that actually decide it.
Our Chartered practice is led by Dan Malloy MRTPI. We are based in Norfolk and work across England, including north London and the Hertfordshire border, and we arrange site visits in Enfield as projects need them.
- RTPI Chartered
- Fixed-fee quotations
- Direct advice from a Chartered Planner
Enfield's development plan, old and new
Applications are still decided under a Core Strategy adopted in 2010 and a Development Management Document (DMD) adopted in 2014. Three Area Action Plans add detail for the North Circular corridor (2014), North East Enfield (2016) and Edmonton Leeside (2020), and the Hadley Wood Neighbourhood Plan applies in that part of the borough. The London Plan 2021 sits over all of them.
The replacement Enfield Local Plan 2019 to 2041 was submitted for examination in 2024 and plans for at least 33,270 homes. Inspector Steven Lee held hearings through 2025 and early 2026, then set out his initial findings in a letter of 15 June 2026. The council is reviewing that letter, and main modifications must be consulted on before the plan can be adopted.
The Green Belt releases were the most contested part of the plan. The Inspector accepted two large allocations, a new settlement at Crews Hill of around 5,500 homes and an urban extension at Chase Park of around 3,700 homes tied to an extension of Trent Park. He rejected the smaller release at Hadley Wood and an employment site east of M25 Junction 24.
Brownfield regeneration carries most of the rest of the growth. Meridian Water in Edmonton is the borough's largest regeneration site, and the eastern side of the borough lies within the London Plan's Upper Lee Valley Opportunity Area, alongside Strategic Industrial Land along the Lee Valley.
Emerging plan, shifting weight
Until the new plan is adopted, the 2010 and 2014 policies still apply, but the Inspector's findings give a clear signal on which Green Belt allocations are likely to survive. Anyone promoting land, or objecting to it, should follow the main modifications stage closely.
Enfield-specific planning issues
Extensions, outbuildings and replacement dwellings in the Green Belt are tested under DMD 82 and national policy on disproportionate additions and openness, with DMD 83 covering land next to the boundary.
Parts of the northern countryside carry an additional landscape designation under DMD 84, so even acceptable Green Belt development needs a careful landscape case.
Enfield has required planning permission for small HMOs across the whole borough since 2013, so no C3 to C4 change is permitted development here.
The garden centres and nurseries around Crews Hill are governed by DMD 90 and 91 today, and by the new settlement allocation once the Local Plan is adopted.
How we help with Enfield planning
Every instruction is quoted as a fixed fee. Enfield clients most often need the following.
Householder Applications
Rear, side and roof extensions assessed under DMD 11, 13 and 14, including homes in the Green Belt at Hadley Wood, Botany Bay and Forty Hill where size limits bite.
View serviceStrategic Land Promotion
Representations on the main modifications to the Enfield Local Plan, and longer-term promotion of land on the urban fringe as grey belt and Green Belt policy evolves.
View serviceHMO Planning Permission
Full applications for small and large HMOs under the borough-wide Article 4, addressing DMD 5 on conversions, space standards and the effect on neighbours.
View servicePlanning Applications
Infill homes, garden land schemes under DMD 7 and small blocks of flats in Edmonton, Ponders End and Palmers Green, framed around DMD 8 standards.
View serviceFeasibility Studies
Early assessment of Green Belt, flood risk from the Lee and its tributaries, heritage and access before land is bought or promoted in Enfield.
View servicePlanning Objections
Evidence-based objections for residents and groups affected by development nearby, including Green Belt schemes. See also our Enfield objections page.
View serviceThe DMD policies that shape most Enfield decisions
The 2014 DMD numbers its policies from DMD 1 onwards. Housing policies run from DMD 1 and DMD 2 on affordable housing to DMD 11 to DMD 14 on rear, outbuilding, roof and side extensions. Design sits in DMD 37, tall buildings in DMD 43 and heritage in DMD 44, while the Green Belt chapter runs from DMD 82 to DMD 91.
At London level, Policy G2 of the London Plan protects the Green Belt and G3 Metropolitan Open Land, Policy H2 supports small housing sites, and E5 safeguards Strategic Industrial Land. National grey belt policy has added another layer to Green Belt cases since late 2024.
Enfield has charged its own Community Infrastructure Levy since 1 April 2016, with differing residential rates across charging zones, in addition to the Mayoral CIL. We flag liability and relief at the application stage.
Key policy areas we navigate
Tests for splitting houses into flats or HMOs, including the family housing mix and cumulative effect on the street.
New homes must fit the prevailing pattern of the area, a frequent issue in the suburban streets of Southgate and Winchmore Hill.
Backland and garden development is resisted unless it respects character, amenity and access. Evidence of local precedent helps.
Conservation areas such as Enfield Town, Forty Hill and Winchmore Hill Green, along with listed buildings, need a proportionate heritage assessment.
A Consultancy That Works With You, For You
Enfield is one of the few London boroughs where many clients face Green Belt policy at their own back door. The difference between an acceptable and a disproportionate extension, or between grey belt and ordinary Green Belt, is where professional input pays for itself.
The Local Plan examination also matters to landowners across the northern half of the borough. The Inspector's June 2026 findings have narrowed the options, and the main modifications stage is the last formal chance to influence the result.
RTPI Chartered
Led by a Chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute with more than ten years of public and private-sector planning experience.
Honest Prospects
A realistic view of the planning risks and options before you commit time or money.
Fixed, Transparent Fees
Fixed-fee quotations agreed before work starts, so you know the cost from the outset.
Direct Access
You deal with the Chartered Planner doing the work, not an account manager.
Planning Consultants Across London
We cover every council area in London. See our main London planning consultants page. If your application has been refused, see our Enfield planning appeal page.
Enfield Planning FAQs
Can I extend my house in Enfield's Green Belt?
Often yes, provided the extension is not disproportionate to the original building. The council looks at floor area, volume and visual effect on openness under DMD 82 and the NPPF. Our Green Belt extension guide sets out the approach.
What did the Inspector decide about Crews Hill and Chase Park?
In his June 2026 letter he supported both allocations, with changes. At Crews Hill most of the golf course should stay in the Green Belt, and Chase Park must deliver the Trent Park extension alongside the homes. The Hadley Wood allocation was deleted.
Is a small HMO permitted development in Enfield?
No. A borough-wide Article 4 Direction has been in force since October 2013, so turning a house into a C4 HMO for three to six people needs planning permission. Separate HMO licensing rules also apply.
Can I convert an Enfield office or shop to flats under Class MA?
Class MA permitted development still applies in Enfield, subject to prior approval. The council has said a planned Article 4 on office to residential was no longer viable after national changes. Our Class MA guide explains the tests.
Could my Enfield land count as grey belt?
Possibly, if it does not strongly contribute to the Green Belt purposes of checking sprawl, preventing towns merging or protecting historic town settings. Each site needs its own assessment. Read our grey belt explainer first.
Do you work in Edmonton and the east of the borough?
Yes. We work across the whole of Enfield, from Southgate to Ponders End and Edmonton, and across England more widely. Site visits are arranged whenever a project needs one.
Get a Free Quote
Tell us what you are trying to achieve and where the property or site is. We will give you an initial view and a fixed-fee quote.
Or email us at info@cedarplanning.co.uk with the relevant information.
Have a project or site in Enfield? Book a free 15-minute call, read about strategic land promotion, or see our Enfield planning objections service.