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North East Enfield
Initially a pre-war industrial powerhouse, this part of Enfield now exists as a busy north London suburb featuring practically every amenity imaginable. This makes it a perfect location for families with its multitude of nurseries, schools, youth sports clubs and green spaces. This is not exclusive, however, as the large concentration of pubs and restaurants along both Silver Street and Baker Street present something for everyone, regardless of age. Additionally, the presence of both the Enfield Retail Park and the Enfield Council Headquarters in this area offers a wealth of employment opportunities for its residents.
Enfield’s industrial history dates back to the mid-1800s, with the building of a branch line to the town. Things didn’t start to really kick off until the 1900s, however, with the advent of the First and Second World Wars. This neighbourhood housed the Belling- Lee factory, which began producing radio sets in 1922 - the same year the BBC began radio broadcasting. This neighbourhood’s industrial past is still visible today in these converted factories, most notable of which are the Enfield Retail Park and the Nike Factory Store.
The famous novelist and poet, Thomas Hardy, came to this neighbourhood in order to marry his second wife, Florence Emily Dugdale in 1914. They were wed at St. Andrew’s Church in the southern part of this neighbourhood.
Unfortunately, this area is not particularly well-connected to the rest of the city, although central London is easy to get to. Additionally, there is a concentration of violent crimes along the main high street. Still, this area has significantly lower crime in comparison to the rest of London.
The council is looking to regenerate various parts of poorly sited industrial land within the neighbourhood over the next decade, recognising that it is currently of low employment density. The hope is that this will bring in many more jobs to the area, without encroaching upon green spaces or forcing residents to relocate from their homes. The largest current local development is the Colosseum Retail Park redevelopment located on Dearsley Rd. This 600 million pound project will create 1,800 homes in buildings of up to 29 storeys, a crèche, GP surgery, commercial work units and 182,000 sq ft of well-planned open space. Meanwhile, Grange Homes are in the process of building 8 period conversion flats on Queen Anne’s Place close to Bush Hill Park Overground Station. This is expected to be joined by 29 luxury flats near Bush Hill Park Golf Club.