Issues and SWOT

strength

Learn from the first occupied Meridian neighbourhood

Meridian One A is complete and residents are moving into its 301 homes.

Proposed response: Use residents’ experience to improve later phases.

Evidence

strength

Bring support closer to people in poor health

4.9% of people reported bad or very bad health in Enfield council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 3.1% in Winchmore Hill to 6.4% in Edmonton Green — a gap of 3.3 percentage points.

This is how residents described their health in the census. It can reveal differences between neighbourhoods, but does not diagnose illness or measure current waiting times. Age profiles differ between places, so these shares do not measure service quality.

strength

Connect local skills to local opportunities

36.3% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Enfield council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 14.2% in Grange Park to 29.8% in Edmonton Green — a gap of 15.7 percentage points.

Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.

weakness

Help small traders beyond the launch

The Green Pop-Up has three completed units and a planned mentoring offer.

Proposed response: Test affordability, operating needs and business support after opening.

Evidence

weakness

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £1,827 a month (August 2026) in Enfield council area. This is £368 higher than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 18.4% in Bush Hill Park to 37.9% in Palmers Green — a gap of 19.5 percentage points.

Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.

opportunity

Use flood work to improve school grounds and nature

The funded programme includes school drainage and wetlands.

Proposed response: Combine flood design with safe education and biodiversity benefits.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

13.6% of people in Enfield council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 8.7% in Ponders End to 22.4% in Bush Hill Park — a gap of 13.7 percentage points.

Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.

opportunity

Target safety work where problems repeat

Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Enfield council area.

Published locations are approximate and some crimes are not mapped. Counts show recorded incidents, not the chance of an individual becoming a victim.

opportunity

Turn published plans into visible progress

3 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.

A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.

opportunity

Target support where disadvantages overlap

Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 10.9% in Grange Park to 33.1% in Edmonton Green — a gap of 22.3 percentage points.

These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.

threat

Track flood protection by scheme, not by grant total

Funding covers several distinct urban and rural projects.

Proposed response: Publish delivery and protection evidence for each location.

Evidence