Save Cockfosters!

Cockfosters Station Car Park Development - vetoed by the Secretary of State

Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport has vetoed TfL's plans!

Grant Shapps' letter to Chipping Barnet MP Theresa Villiers

BBC reporter Helen Hoddinott
interviewing Kate's daughter Poppy

Here's a recording of part of the Eddie Nestor programme on BBC Radio London on Monday 14th March 2022, where Grant Shapps' decision was discussed and Save Cockfosters campaigner Kate Bishop and other station car park users gave their reaction to the news: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oO-oKnpZ5w5A0AoUwMtLoSMV0QrHMsGn/view?usp=sharing

The previous programme was on Radio London on 23rd February 2022:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OStGrwPe9rWSkGIuuqJ1MiEQtzGQvG2c/view?usp=sharing

The CLARA / Save Cockfosters team's report on
Enfield's Planning Committee Meeting:


As many will probably know, the Planning Application for conversion of the Car Park at Cockfosters Station was approved by the Enfield Planning Committee on Thursday evening (3rd Feb 2022). The decision was passed on the casting vote of the Committee chair, Cllr Boztas, after the vote was tied 6-6 between Committee members.

This decision was at odds with key planning policies on Tall Buildings and Heritage, in particular. The Save Cockfosters Team, along with Councillors and others, were able to provide a wide range of substantial written and oral evidence for rejection of the Application. It is also our opinion that officers made a number of incorrect answers on points of detail and serially misdirected the Committee.

The Save Cockfosters Team and CLARA, maintain the view that the development will potentially be very damaging to Cockfosters. The Planning Committee have, by their actions, shown a total disregard for users of the Park-and-Ride amenity as well as safety and equalities concerns for women, the aged and disabled. The potential adverse impacts on our local road and social infrastructure were, in effect, acknowledged but discounted.

We would again thank those who provided submissions to the consultation, who contributed to the small Save Cockfosters fighting fund and those who committed their time and energy to opposing this cynical application. The decision is profoundly disappointing to those of us who live in Cockfosters and value the environment of our ‘village’ and the surrounding park and Green Belt.

The Save Cockfosters Team is now considering any and all options as to whether this recommendation to grant approval could be overturned. It is clear that our options are limited, also they might be expensive and will require considerable effort; but we do have a sizeable body of evidence as to why the Planning Committee’s decision should be set aside.

We shall update you further once we have more information.

CLARA team