Meridian Water offers a new approach to regeneration and energy efficient housing

Here, north London is coming even more sharply into focus – especially in Enfield, which lies within the London Stansted Cambridge Growth Corridor, between the M25 and A406, well served by rail and within easy reach of four international airports.

Enfield contains a large part of the Lee Valley Regional Park, through which runs the waters of the Lee Navigation. Enfield is also home to some of the biggest names in industry, such as Coca Cola, Tesco, Johnson Matthey and Kelvin Hughes, and boasts the second largest industrial area in the whole of London.

Cllr Doug Taylor, leader of Enfield Council said: “Enfield is already an attractive place to live, work and visit. We’re pulling out all the stops to further increase prosperity, quality of life and opportunity for residents through exciting new projects.”

Enfield boasts the biggest development opportunity in north London, at Meridian Water. Already outlined in an exciting masterplan created by LDA Design, which also designed the nearby Olympic Park at Stratford, this £1.5bn, 85 hectare investment will create a new exemplar eco-neighbourhood of over 5,000 new homes and up to 3,000 new jobs from 2017.

Cllr Taylor added: “Meridian Water will be a vital new destination of choice, a welcoming place that people are proud to call home.
Its residents will enjoy high quality, energy efficient housing, waterside living, access to superb leisure opportunities – which include the Lee Valley Regional Park – new schools, attractive community spaces, shopping and revitalised employment areas – all linked together by high quality public realm.”

The huge opportunities offered by Meridian Water are being realised as a result of Enfield Council’s innovative approach to unlocking economic potential with the ultimate aim of creating 40,000 new jobs across the borough as well as tackling deprivation and improving prosperity.

Developed in partnership with the Centre of Research of Economic and Social change (CRESC) this new way of working, called New Directions, can be seen in such pioneering projects as the Lee Valley Heat Network that will provide new homes with competitively priced, reliable and sustainably produced energy for heating.

Meridian Water already has its own railway station and is well served by bus services. This high level of public transport accessibility is complemented by attractive routes for walking and cycling. Indeed, many people already commute from Meridian Water to the Olympic Park and beyond on existing cycle routes through the Lee Valley Regional Park.

The private car is also catered for in Meridian Water, car-charging points will promote the use of electric vehicles and the establishment of car clubs will reduce the need for car ownership, because residents will be able to simply hire a car when the need arises. Homes will be well insulated and energy efficient, making use of not only solar power but also using energy from the Lee Valley Heat Network, sourced from a nearby energy from waste facility. Sustainable drainage and water management, along with high quality landscaping will address climate change requirements, as well as creating attractive areas to enjoy.

The £80m upgrading of the West Anglia Main Line by three-tracking, funded by Network Rail and the Greater London Authority, will enable a minimum of four trains per hour service at Meridian Water station, and will be complete by the end of 2017.

Before then, the Meridian Water railway station itself will have been substantially improved. Land identified for new housing development alongside the station is already being prepared for development with the first phases of new homes also set for completion in 2017. A new primary school will be open by the end of 2015, and new open space at Rays Road will be completed within the same timescale.

Meanwhile, the Causeway, the pedestrian and cycle-friendly central spine that runs through the new development, linking it all together, is now being designed in detail with a view to building the early phases in 2014/15. It really is all happening.