Residents have raised safety concerns after Transport for London (TFL) received approval from the government to remove the park and ride service at Cockfosters tube station car park.
The popular service allows commuters to park at the station and access connections to the wider London transport network.
According to Save Cockfosters, the campaign group opposing this development, TFL and Grainger plan to build four tower blocks that will house 700 to 1000 people in 351 flats in the current carpark.
The current car park has a capacity of approximately 310 vehicles.
The proposed development would introduce seven new short-stay spaces, while reducing the total number of public spaces to 47, including 12 designated blue badge spaces.
Save Cockfosters argues that the park and ride service is a vital component of sustainable transport infrastructure, and its removal threatens residents’ and commuters’ economic and social lives.
Cockfosters Local Area Residents Association (CLARA) member David Palfreman said: “The community feel angry and disenfranchised.”
The current plans for the development do not meet safety regulations established after the Grenfell tragedy, which mandate that buildings over 18 metres tall must have a second staircase for safety compliance.
A Places for London spokesperson said: “We have extensively engaged with the public for many years about our scheme at Cockfosters station, which received full planning permission from Enfield Council in February 2022 and was recently given the go-ahead by the Department for Transport.
“Ahead of construction beginning, we will be updating the scheme to ensure it complies with the latest fire safety standards, and will be engaging with the council in relation to this shortly.
“Issues concerning personal safety at all times of the day have been fully considered throughout the design and planning approval process, and the scheme was previously amended to deliver a new dedicated pick-up/drop-off area, comprised of seven short stay parking spaces, and to re-provide 47 publicly accessible car parking spaces including 12 blue badge parking spaces to support the local area.”
Save Cockfosters argue that this safety legislation, which was announced in October of 2023, is not in the original plans.
During a public meeting to address concerns about the proposed development, one attendee said: “We don’t want another Grenfell.”
Residents are also worried about the impact on commuter safety as the park and ride service is an important feature for safe late-night travel, enabling commuters to reach their vehicles from the station quickly.
Megan Clark, who has lived in Cockfosters for most of her life, said: “I would feel uneasy, especially returning late at night.”
The removal of the park and ride would force some commuters to find alternative parking, which some residents feel would increase their vulnerability to antisocial behaviour and crime.
Resident Simona Milliotis said: “Having to walk further or get a bus instead will make so many people feel unsafe and potentially create new opportunities for crime.”
Enfield Councillor Alessandro Georgiou echoed concerns from residents that if the new development is approved, traffic will be “one hundred times worse” on Cockfosters Road.
He said: “If you are an ambulance there is no way of circumnavigating that traffic because essentially Cockfosters Road is the only route that takes you from Southgate to Hadley Wood.
“We are recreating the mistake of the 1960s where we put up any old tower block without thinking about the repercussions.”
At the public meeting held to discuss issues regarding the proposed development, residents suggested that the development would diminish their quality of life and force them to find alternative routes that could be more expensive.
The Ministry of Housing and Local Government have highlighted that a threshold height of 18m for second staircases in new residential buildings was introduced from March 2024, and transitional arrangements mean that these changes take effect on 30 September 2026.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing and Local Government said: “Our approach to second staircases is to provide a gradual evolution of safety standards, which, when taken with our other fire safety measures and reforms ensures the safety of people in all tall buildings – both new and existing.
“Any existing and upcoming single-staircase buildings are not inherently unsafe.
“There is no evidence to suggest that single staircase buildings will require remediation or mitigation when built in accordance with relevant standards, are well maintained, and properly managed.
“Building Regulations require that new buildings are built to mitigate the risk of overheating.
“New residential buildings must now be designed to minimise unwanted heat from the sun and to allow windows to be opened when it is cooler outside than inside to remove excess heat.”
Grainger, Enfield Council, and the mayor’s press office, have been contacted for comment.
Photo credit: Google Maps Street View
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