FAQs

Enfield’s Quieter Neighbourhood (QN) programme aims to reduce the speeds and volume of motor vehicles in the area and create an attractive and safe environment for people to travel by active and sustainable modes, such as walking and cycling. The long-term benefits we hope to see include improvements in people’s health, less congestion, safer roads, and improved air quality. 

Quieter neighbourhoods may consider the introduction of traffic reduction and calming features such as point filters, one-way streets, restricted turns, and complementary measures such as School Streets, rain gardens, greening, and cycle parking. 

While QNs may encompass features seen in LTNs, such as modal filters, they can also look at other interventions such as Schools Streets, rain gardens, greening, and cycle parking.

Bowes East has been chosen as one of the next QN areas because the area has poor air quality compared with other areas in Enfield, health indicators that could be improved with active travel, two schools within the area, and limited areas of open space.

The proposals for this neighbourhood will need to go through statutory consultation, where individuals and businesses will have the opportunity to write in representations or objections to the project. Following statutory consultation, there will need to be a decision to proceed with the project or not. The proposed changes will only be introduced if the decision is made to proceed at this point.  

This project is using a three-phase consultation approach. The first phase which took place in September-October 2023 gathered ideas and feedback on issues from the community. The second phase which took place in January-February 2024 shared proposed early designs and asked the public on their thoughts and feedback so the designs could be refined further. The third phase will be the statutory consultation, where the public can provide written representations or objections to the project. This third phase is currently planned to take place in late 2024.

These projects include several stakeholders who will all be consulted. These can be found in the communications and engagement plan in the ‘Key Project Documents’ on the Bowes East QN Let’s Talk page on letstalk.enfield.gov.uk/boweseastqn.

All feedback from each engagement period is collated and reviewed in order to identify and inform changes to the proposal as the project develops. Following an engagement period, a summary report of said feedback will be published on the project website to share the feedback received during this time.

A ‘School Street’ is an area transformed into a pedestrian and cycling zone outside of a school. They operate from Monday to Friday during the school term only, at set times for drop-off (morning) and pick-up (afternoon). Roads remain open to people walking, wheeling, cycling, and those who are exempt from the closure.

Residents and businesses within the closure areas, Blue Badge holders requiring access to the school, and emergency vehicles will be exempt from the road closures. We will continue to work with the schools to ensure that anyone with specific needs are not adversely affected.  

A School Street has a legal order associated with it to not enter the School Street area during the closure time in a motor vehicle, unless exempt. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras are in operation to support the scheme. If you enter the closure zone during the hours of operation without an exemption, you will be issued a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).

ANPR cameras offer more flexibility than physical barriers, as they allow exempt vehicles to pass through and they can be enforced at specified times if required. 

Using ANPR cameras as opposed to physical barriers also allows emergency vehicles to use these routes unimpeded, if required in emergency situations.

Yes. Access for emergency and waste services will be maintained.

A full road closure is the complete closure of a street prohibiting all forms of traffic from passing through. This type of approach reduces traffic and provides opportunities for public realm / green spaces.

A one-way network is a collection of roads which restrict motor traffic to travel in one direction only. Introducing one-way streets for motor traffic is an effective strategy for managing the volume of vehicles on streets, as well as improving the safety and visibility for motorists in narrower roads.  

Funding for this project has included S106, Transport for London, CIL (Council Infrastructure Levy), and council capital borrowing.

The Monitoring Plan that can be found in the ‘Key Project Documents’ folder lists out how the project impacts will be monitored.