M4CH - Meridian for Council Homes

Excellent report by Better Homes Enfield that exposes Enfield council's misleading claims about the number of homes and jobs to be delivered at the Meridian Water development

DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE Enfield Council’s advertising and publicity has repeatedly stated that the Meridian Water regeneration scheme will deliver 10,000 homes (including 4,000 “affordable” homes) and 6,000 jobs, over the…

Please read our statement on MW1b proposal.

We ask again, who is Enfield council building Meridian Water for? Because it's certainly not for Edmonton residents in need of housing!

Please read our response to the Enfield Council Local Plan

Build council homes on public land!

https://1drv.ms/w/s!AnSe9rZcOXaZhQp0ZLrQWriLAVOO

M4CH statement following another refusal by Enfield council to publish a scrutiny report on Meridian Water:

Meridian Water, built on public land, is such a good opportunity to completely turn this round but Enfield council still prioritises profit for developers and investors over the needs of Enfield working class.

Our demands is 100% council housing at the lowest social rent at Meridian Water!

https://betterhomes-enfield.org/2021/05/24/the-decline-of-social-rent-housing-in-enfield/?fbclid=IwAR2ggFHgG4wSMeI1Ir61sayDtUWJxwf8ilzBfK3lQFJQVF1_JhrvsjLuIoc

The Decline of Social Rent Housing in Enfield New research shows that Enfield is one of the worst performing outer London boroughs for building new Social Rent housing, and is the worst if levels of poverty are factored in. Social Rent housing…

We are delighted to see that Enfield Labour candidates support our call for council homes and clean air.

But could someone tell them it's the Labour Enfield Council that is building luxury flats in Meridian Water with 0% council homes at the lowest social rent, and is planning to hugely expand the Edmonton incinerator?

Please read M4CH objection to Phase 2 Meridian Water presented by our activist Mira to the Planning Committee meeting on Thursday 11th March.
Our objection is to do with affordability, lack of family homes and green spaces, and the issue of the incinerator next door to Meridian Water.
Peter George, Meridian Water Programme Director, said our objection contained many inaccuracies but then failed to point to any. We'd still like to invite him to do so.

Forget those cosy green images of Meridian Water. These images show the density needed for 10,000 homes. Skyscrapers up to 30 storeys high. The park that can be seen will be less than quarter size of Enfield Town Park, and prone to flooding. The stream that runs through it is currently highly polluted.

If the plans stay as they are the Meridian Water won't be a nice place to live. No wonder the council's main target are buy-to-let investors - only them will be able to afford the skyhigh prices too.

Our demand is for much less density, much more open green space, many more family homes than currently planned, clean environment, and 100% council housing to accommodate the 5000 families on the housing waiting list in Enfield!

Enfield council claims Meridian Water is unsuitable for family homes even though it's next to a park and a primary school.
But we think the council prefers smaller units because they're more profitable!

Shared ownership listed as "affordable"? Nonsense, it's neither affordable nor ownership!

Our objections to Meridian Water 1a:

MERIDIAN WATER DOES NOT PASS SCRUTINY

Posting again our statement following the council's own Workstream committee damning report. This time also with a link to the document, if difficult to read from images.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OazqGdTOYXU70qpoM8fYceD9I5ymhIzY/view?usp=drivesdk

Enfield council's own Workstream committee produced a damning report on the Meridian Water project.

Please read our statement.

The long awaited publishing of the Workstream report only confirmed what M4CH has been saying - the lavish Meridian Water project by Enfield council will do NOTHING to solve the housing crisis in Enfield. It is set instead to nicely line the pockets of private landlords. Should this be the aim of a Labour council?

Our demand remains - 100% council housing, at the lowest council rent, at Meridian Water, as the ONLY way to solve the crisis!

Homes for sale on Meridian Water 'will be out of reach of Enfield residents' Most homes for sale on the council’s flagship regeneration scheme will be beyond the reach of people in Enfield and could be bought up by private…

Edmonton incinerator is next door to the lavish Meridian Water project. Will Enfield council make sure foreign investors, to whom it plans to sell most properies, are aware of this?

We at M4CH say:
No expansion of the incinerator! Invest in recycling instead.
No to foreign investors at MW! 100% social housing instead.

Legal challenge over UK's exclusion of incinerators from emissions target Campaigner says decision at odds with Paris agreement to achieve net zero by 2050

We agree!

Criticism of Meridian Water must be heard Housing campaigner Al Sims is sceptical about the new homes and jobs planned for Meridian Water Enfield Council’s £6billion redevelopment scheme at Meridian Water will affect everyone in the boroug…

We had a great online meeting today - our second public meeting. So many people tuned in. Fantastic presentations by Matt and Tolga, great overview of homelessness in London from Jack and Catherine's personal account of what it is like to be in emergency temporary accommodation.
As we said we will put the links to all speaches here soon!
Like us, join us, follow us. Message us to be put on the mailing list.
See you soon!

M4CH - Meridian for Council Homes updated their website address.

*** Zoom meeting Today 30th May @ 3pm ***

Don't forget!

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85463802260?pwd=OUt4bDF2YVB5MEpQZUxRRGNYOGRzUT09

Meeting ID 854 6380 2260
Password 757215

*** Zoom Meeting Tomorrow 30th May @ 3pm ***

Meridian Water is the biggest housing project based in Edmonton. There will be 10,000 homes built on council land and the council is selling it off to only own 10% of the homes.

Come and listen to our Zoom meeting to have an opportunity to hear about how this project will gentrify Edmonton and what we can do about it.

We have Jack Jeffrey (Unite) and Cllr Tolga Aramaz (Edmonton Green Ward) on the list of speakers we have.

There will be an opportunity for discussions and to ask questions so please tune in for this.

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85463802260?pwd=OUt4bDF2YVB5MEpQZUxRRGNYOGRzUT09

Meeting ID 854 6380 2260
Password 757215

We put some posters around in Edmonton as invitation to all in housing need to come to our Public Meeting Online. Hear what we have to say and tell us your story.
We can together say to council: Meridian Water will do nothing to solve the housing crisis! We demand 100% council housing at lowest social rent!
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85463802260?pwd=OUt4bDF2YVB5MEpQZUxRRGNYOGRzUT09
Meeting ID 854 6380 2260
Password 757215

Meridian Water will do absolutely nothing to solve the housing crisis in Enfield. Please join the Public Meeting Online. Hear and be heard!
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85463802260?pwd=OUt4bDF2YVB5MEpQZUxRRGNYOGRzUT09
Meeting ID 854 6380 2260
Password 757215

We saw this and thought it was very relevant

Article doesn't mention that M4CH also criticised Enfield Council for holding the planning meeting behind closed door. The council invited written objections but not all were heard, especially those critical of the scheme!
Meridian Water isn't for local people or key workers. But we're paying for it, and it costs £6bn! Built on public land, with 0% council homes at social rent - Labour council has to do better!
M4CH demands 100% council housing, at social rent levels, on Meridian Water development.

Progress continues at £6bn housing scheme A computer generated image of how Meridian Water may look when complete (credit Karakusevic Carson Architects) Report by James Cracknell Plans for Meridian Water are continuing to make progress wit…

As we understand the Enfield council is going ahead with the Planning Committee meeting tomorrow 24th March where important decisions concerning the controversial Meridian Water project will be made. We think this is unacceptable. They are not allowing members of the public to attend because of the coronavirus crisis. But we ask, how is it then safe to have a meeting at all?

In our opinion the council is choosing to go ahead with the meeting precisely in order to avoid public scrutiny. This is not the first time they have done this. During the GE purdah they used the opportunity to make decisions whilst individual councillors were unable to argue political points. We objected then, and we object now, but the council is not listening.

M4CH has postponed the public meeting planned for 28th March, as we are taking this crisis very seriously. But we will be back as soon as the crisis is over and will endevour to take the council to account, including this shameful decision to opportunistically push their agenda, even at the risk for their own health.

To confirm, our public meeting is now postponed due to coronavirus. We will set a new date as soon as the crisis is over.

Our thoughts at this difficult time are with the many people we met on our stalls who live in crowded accommodation, many with little children. This is inadequate at best of times, but at the moment the dangers are enormous.

This is what M4CH campaign is all about. Housing is a human right. We are sorry to see that a crisis like this justifies our campaign.

We hope to see you all soon and keep well!

Out in Edmonton today. Again spoke to so many people in desperate need of housing and in shock and dismay Labour council isn't going to provide for them. "Why??".. so many asked.

Unfortunately we will have to postpone the public meeting planned for 28 March due to coronavirus. But as soon the crisis is over we will be back with a new date. Keep an eye and spread the word!

We were out campaigning today in Edmonton. Many people told us they desperately needed housing and were dismayed that the Labour council should price them out of the entire Meridian Water development - built on the public land!
Many said they were definitely coming to our Public meeting on 28th March!
All welcome and spread the word!

PLEASE READ OUR PUBLIC STATEMENT

Council’s £6bn Meridian Water Plans “unsound”

A damning report has been given after the Council’s plans for Meridian Water were submitted to the Secretary of State. An independent examination was conducted by Inspector Anne Jordan BA (Hons) MRTPI who said modifications were required to make the plan “sound” and “legally compliant”.

Notable issues with the Plan were:

· The Council’s plan to deliver 10,000 homes and 6,000 full time jobs was found to be “unsound”, and not achievable, and must be reduced to 5,000 homes and 1,500 jobs.

· The plan did not deliver enough affordable housing.

· The plan did not deliver the family housing required to meet the local need.

The Council’s ambition was to deliver 10,000 homes and 6,000 full time jobs. However, after the Inspector’s report this number has been significantly reduced to 5,000 homes and 1,500 full-time jobs. The main reason for this was that the re-designation of the Strategic Industrial Land (SIL) that was needed to build homes did not meet London Plan policy requirements.

Another issue was that private companies such as Tesco and Ikea were proposing to build homes in their car parks, even though these have nothing to do with the Council, but Ikea now believes that they “require more car parking than envisaged… potentially reducing residential capacity”.

So, as a result of the poor plans put forward by the Council we will be getting half the homes and a quarter of the jobs!

Further significant issues related to the number of “affordable” homes being proposed. The initial target set by the Council was that 35% of all the homes would be “affordable”. However, because this is lower than the requirements of the London Plan and Enfield Council’s own policies, this was revoked. A minimum of 40% “affordable” is now required and it is noted that the New London Plan requires that at least 50% of homes are “affordable”. It is quite ambiguous how this project will meet these affordable housing targets – for example; the Plan requires that 70% of the affordable homes be Social Rent, which would mean a minimum of 1,400 Social Rent homes should be delivered, but there are currently no Social Rent homes in the plans at all!

As we know, so called “affordable” rates can mean anything - the government definition is understood as 80% of market value and London Affordable Rent, although lower than the government definition, is still substantially higher than Social Rent. Most Enfield residents cannot afford these rates, especially many of the people living in Edmonton for which this proposal is intended.

The Council’s Plan also proposed a lower level of family housing than advocated in The London Plan and Enfield’s own Core Strategy, in the interests of increasing residential capacity across Meridian Water. However, the Independent Report states that: “In the absence of cogent evidence that the levels of intensification proposed can be satisfactorily achieved, there is no sound reason for providing less family housing than is identified to meet local needs.”

In other words, the homes the Council was proposing for this £6bn scheme are not the types of homes local people need or can realistically afford.

There are almost 5,200 households on the council homes waiting list (1) - waiting on an average 15 years; 3,410 households are in temporary accommodation (2) - including 5,000 children (3); in 2018/19, Enfield spent over £66m on temporary accommodation (4) - and there are countless homeless people for which there is no proper tracking. Around £150 million is spent each year on Housing Benefit for residents in the Private Sector

This is why this campaign is demanding 100% genuinely affordable council homes at the only affordable rate, which is Social Rent, at Meridian Water - public land must be used for public need.

References

1. Enfield Borough Profile 2019, P44, LBE Insight Team, Knowledge and Information Hub

2. LBE, Cabinet Report Pack; 22nd January 2020

3. LBE, Cabinet Report Pack; 16th October 2019

4. LBE, Draft Housing and Growth Strategy 2020-203

Dear supporters, we are back!
It might be a new decade but for homeless people of Edmonton nothing has changed. They are still surviving in temporary accommodation or indeed sleeping rough in this cold weather.
We are in the process of organising a new public meeting. Please keep an eye and keep in touch!
See you soon!