Policy information sourced from Enfield Development Managament Document (DMD)

DMD 26 Enfield Town

1. Primary Shopping Area

All development within the primary shopping area, comprising primary and secondary frontages, must:

  • Not create an over-concentration of similar uses;
  • Be an appropriate town centre use as listed in DMD 25 ‘1. Locations for New Retail, Leisure and Office Development’ and complement the shopping function of the centre;
  • Retain a shop front;
  • Achieve an active ground floor frontage during the day, not have a detriment visual impact and respect the character of the centre;
  • Not result in an adverse impact on the amenities of nearby occupiers; and
  • Not harm safety and traffic flows, or increase traffic and parking problems in the centre.

2. Promoting the retention of A1 retail

a. Primary Shopping Frontages

Proposals involving the change of use to non-A class uses will be refused within the primary shopping frontage.

A change of use on the ground floor to non-A1 (retail) will only be permitted if all of the following criteria are met. Development must not:

  • Create two or more adjoining non-A1 uses and not more than two non-A1 units within any six consecutive units;
  • Involve the loss of an A1 retail unit of more than 1,000 sqm; and
  • Harm the predominant retail character of the primary shopping frontage.

The Council will support the conversion of other uses to A1 retail.

b. Secondary Shopping Frontages

A change of use on the ground floor to non-A1 will only be permitted if the following criteria are met. The proposed use must not create more than two non-A1 uses within any four consecutive units.

c. Vacant Units in primary and secondary frontages

The change of use from A1 to other town centre uses will be permitted if a shop unit has been vacant for 12 months and robust evidence has been submitted to demonstrate that all efforts have been made to market the unit over that period, in accordance with the details set out in Appendix 13: ‘Requirements for Market Demand and Viability Assessments’. Developments must still comply with part 1 of this policy.

For more information please see the Development Managament Document (DMD)