Less than six months from instruction, we secured unanimous approval at planning committee for Phase 3 of the Enfield Distribution Park Development, which involved the delivery of a state-of-the-art 120,000-square-foot brewery with associated access and parking arrangements.
This project represented Phase 3 of the wider Distribution Park development. The application site is 2.5 hectares and is in a well-established industrial location. The development involved the construction of brewing space plus a visitors’ centre which opens to the public and offers brewery tours. It also involved the part retention and restoration of the locally listed Ediswan building.
Beavertown is a fast-growing drinks brand, reporting year-on-year triple growth. The new site increases Beavertown’s capacity from 5 million litres up to 40 million litres, with the potential to create 200 new jobs and provide employment opportunities for local people. The Beavertown Brewery proposed to open in Summer 2020 to keep up with demand, and we worked hard to achieve a swift decision and make this possible. Although the pandemic caused a six-week delay, the new site – dubbed Beaverworld – opened successfully in August 2020.
During the planning process, we worked closely with planning officers at Enfield Council and other bodies including the Canal and River Trust, the Enfield Society and the Conservation Advisory Group (CAG), to address their comments and concerns to allow the plans to evolve steadily. This process involved meetings with officers and the Enfield Society and a presentation to the CAG committee.
The partial demolition of the Ediswan building, which is famous for being the works of the former Edison and Swan Electric Light Company, was a key issue. During close consultation with the Conservation Advisory Group and conservation officers, we were able to demonstrate that the building could not be retained in full, as it would compromise the site operations. It was agreed that it would be acceptable to retain and restore a proportion of the building. Information boards would also be installed to explain the history of the building and help members of the public to appreciate the significance of the site.
Aided by the briefing materials we provided, planning officers advised committee members that the proposals would: involve the development of a prominent industrial site; provide investment to improve the quality of the borough’s industrial estate and wider environment; and be consistent with several of Enfield Council’s Core Policies. A resolution to grant planning permission, subject to finalising a Section 106 Agreement, was unanimously agreed at planning committee in November 2018.
Summary of achievements
- Providing strong project management, coordinating the preparation and submission of the planning application;
- Attending meetings with the Enfield Society and presenting to the Conservation Advisory Group;
- Working closely with the LPA to achieve a recommendation for approval;
- Attending Planning Committee and receiving a unanimous decision to approve the application;
- Negotiating the S106 Agreement and Conditions.
