Shaping Enfield’s Future: How ECF’s Community-Led Approach is Transforming Quieter Neighbourhoods for Safer, Active Travel

As part of Enfield Council’s Journeys and Places programme to make the borough safer and promote active travel, the Quieter Neighbourhoods (QN) programme forms part of a comprehensive approach the Council is taking to reduce the speeds and volume of motor vehicles in the area and create attractive and safe environments.

During the early development of this project between September and October 2023, ECF was commissioned to support community engagement activities in the Bowes East and Edmonton Green areas. Our approach was multifaceted, involving a series of workshops, pop-up events, door-to-door interactions, drop-in sessions, informative webinars, and an interactive map featured on our project website. The objective was to gather diverse perspectives and insights, to capture the community’s specific concerns and suggestions.

Following this engagement phase, our team analysed the feedback, synthesising information into two detailed reports for each area. These reports have been instrumental in helping to create the initial designs for the QNs, ensuring they align with community needs and expectations. This process has seamlessly transitioned into the first phase of consultation regarding the initial design concepts, which commenced on 17th January 2024 and will conclude on 11th February 2024.

In this current phase, we are employing a mixed-method approach to deepen our engagement with stakeholders in Bowes East and Edmonton Green. This phase is critical for acquiring feedback on the proposed designs, ensuring they are both practical and reflective of the needs of stakeholders.

A key aspect of our strategy involves inclusivity, particularly focusing on hearing the voices of people from disability groups, religious institutions, and schools through tailored workshops, to ensure a comprehensive range of community input. The outcome of this phase will be an engagement findings report, providing valuable insights to the Journeys and Places project team in early March 2024.

If you would like to learn more about how ECF are reshaping Enfield’s Quieter Neighbourhoods scheme, please contact the team at: info@engagecf.co.uk