☀️ I hope you have had a wonderful summer. While Parliament has been in recess, I have been spending time across Enfield North, meeting residents, supporting local businesses and hearing about the issues that matter most to our community.

☀️Stories from Summer Recess

Even if Parliament is closed for Summer the work in Enfield continues! It's been a busy summer recess across Enfield North, and I've enjoyed spending time meeting residents, supporting local businesses and visiting organisations doing fantastic work in our community.

One of the highlights of recent weeks was joining students at Oasis Academy on GCSE Results Day. It was wonderful to celebrate with young people as they received the results they had worked so hard for. Congratulations to everyone receiving their GCSE results, and I wish them every success in whatever comes next.

I also joined Pride in Place Chair Rick Jewell, government officials and council officers for a walkabout in Enfield Wash. These visits are an important opportunity to discuss local priorities and ensure community voices help shape the area's future.

This summer I visited OMA Studios to see first-hand the exciting work taking place in Enfield's growing film and television sector. It was fantastic to hear about efforts to create local jobs and opportunities, helping more residents build careers in the creative industries.

I was also delighted to attend the opening of Beautology on Windmill Hill. Congratulations to Ayla and Elif on this exciting new venture. Small businesses are the backbone of our local economy, and it's always a pleasure to support entrepreneurs investing in our community.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to meet with me over the summer. I look forward to continuing to work on your behalf and championing Enfield North both locally and in Parliament.

💧 Fighting for Answers on Water Disruption

Over the summer, one issue has dominated my inbox: Thames Water's unacceptable failures affecting residents across Enfield North.

Hundreds of residents have been left without reliable water supplies, with some households experiencing days of disruption. While I welcome the recent restoration of supplies and repair work, the way this incident was handled has caused significant frustration and hardship for our community. Residents deserve better from a company responsible for providing such a vital service.

Throughout the disruption, I remained in regular contact with Thames Water, pressing for updates, challenging the lack of communication and raising the concerns of affected residents directly. I also worked to secure immediate support for local people, including access to free washing and drying facilities through local businesses for families who had been left unable to do basic household tasks.

I am deeply thankful for how our community came together to help support each other during these difficult times. Local business supporting our community is the reason why I am so proud to represent our community and why I believe that Enfield North is the best part of the country to live and work in.

While supplies are now improving, serious questions remain about Thames Water's response, the support available for residents, compensation arrangements and what action will be taken to prevent similar incidents in future. We have continued to raise these concerns directly with the company on behalf of local residents.

The scale of this disruption shows why Thames Water's failures cannot simply be brushed aside. Because of the impact this has had on our community, I will be raising residents' concerns in the House of Commons during the debate on water services on 14 September. Enfield North residents deserve answers, accountability and a water service they can rely on.

I want to thank everyone who has contacted me during this period and those who have supported neighbours and vulnerable residents while supplies were affected. I will continue pushing for the accountability and improvements our community deserves.

🛠️ Delivering Change for Working People

Over the summer, the new Prime Minister has set out a clear vision for the country: giving people more room to breathe, putting power back into communities, backing British business and ensuring Britain can believe in itself again. The Government's focus is on delivering practical change that makes a real difference to people's lives, from helping with the cost of living to creating jobs, supporting young people and investing in local communities.

That ambition is particularly important for communities like ours in Enfield North. I know many residents want to see growth that benefits every neighbourhood, stronger local services and more opportunities for young people and working families. The Government has announced a range of measures to help achieve that, including support with energy costs, free bus travel for disabled people, investment in apprenticeships and technical education, and greater powers for local communities to shape their future.

One area where local communities are also set to have a stronger voice is through devolution, with new powers and resources moving out of Westminster and closer to the people they serve. As someone who regularly hears from residents about the importance of local decision-making, I welcome steps that help communities have a greater say over the issues that affect them most.

I am particularly pleased to see continued investment in opportunities for young people, including the Youth Jobs Guarantee, new apprenticeships and additional college places. Every young person deserves a pathway to success, and these measures will help ensure more people in Enfield North can access the skills and opportunities they need to build secure futures.

There is still much more to do, but I welcome this renewed focus on delivering change, tackling long-standing challenges and ensuring that every part of the country can share in Britain's success. As always, I will continue working to ensure Enfield North benefits from these opportunities and that the voices of local residents are heard both in our community and in Parliament.

Standing Up for Local Voices

One issue I have spent a significant amount of time working on this summer is the proposed New Town development at Crews Hill and Chase Park.

I have met with Housing and Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook, reviewed the Planning Inspector's advice and continued listening to residents, community groups and local organisations across Enfield North. Having considered all of the information available, I have made clear to ministers that I believe the current proposal is simply too large.

I have always supported the need for new homes. Too many local families are facing overcrowding, homelessness and unaffordable housing, and we cannot ignore the scale of the housing crisis affecting our borough. However, new homes must be accompanied by the infrastructure, public services and environmental protections that local communities rightly expect.

While I recognise the need for new homes, residents deserve far greater clarity about what the proposed New Town would actually mean for our area. Too many important questions remain unanswered about infrastructure, transport, healthcare, schools, environmental protections and how the development would be governed.

Since finally seeing the proposed site boundary and speaking with residents, community groups and local stakeholders, I have become increasingly concerned that local people have not been given enough information to properly understand or scrutinise plans of this scale. I was also disappointed that my request to extend the consultation period was declined.

Before any decisions are taken, residents must be provided with detailed proposals, meaningful opportunities to have their say and clear assurances about how public services and infrastructure would keep pace with any development.

I have also been disappointed by the consultation process. A proposal that could shape the future of Enfield for generations should be supported by meaningful public engagement. Although I formally requested an extension to the consultation period to allow more residents to participate, that request was declined.

Looking ahead, residents deserve far greater clarity about how infrastructure, transport, healthcare, schools and environmental protections would be delivered. Local people must have a genuine opportunity to shape the next stage of this process, and any future governance arrangements must include strong representation from local communities.

I will continue pressing ministers, the New Towns Taskforce and all relevant agencies for greater transparency, stronger guarantees and meaningful engagement with local residents. As I have throughout this process, I will continue ensuring that the voices of Enfield North residents remain at the heart of every decision.

💡Turning Residents' Ideas into Action

I was pleased to join Pride in Place Chair Rick Jewell, alongside government officials and council officers, for a walkabout in Enfield Wash.

It was particularly valuable to bring together local and national government, with Rick's leadership and support, to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the area and how we can work together to deliver lasting improvements for residents.

The walkabout built on the feedback residents have shared over recent months on a wide range of issues, including community safety, the local environment, town centre improvements and how we can create a stronger and more vibrant Enfield Wash. Listening to local people and ensuring their views shape future decisions is essential to making this project a success.

I am also looking forward to the upcoming Pride in Place Board meeting, which will formally kick off the next phase of the programme. This will be an important opportunity to turn residents' ideas into action and begin delivering the improvements local people want to see.

I look forward to continuing to work with residents and helping deliver positive change for Enfield Wash.

🌍Working with our international allies

As the UK's Trade Envoy to Germany, I was pleased to meet Bavarian Vice Minister Tobias Gotthardt during his visit to the UK.

Germany is one of the United Kingdom's most important trading partners, and discussions like these are an important opportunity to strengthen economic ties, encourage investment and create new opportunities for businesses in both countries.

Growing our economy and attracting investment is vital to creating jobs and delivering prosperity across the country, including here in Enfield North. I look forward to continuing to build on the strong partnership between the UK and Bavaria in the months ahead.

🌳Cleaner air for everyone in London

There was welcome news recently as new research found that children's lung development in London has improved following the introduction and expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).

I was proud to support the expansion of ULEZ to Enfield North. I know it was a difficult debate, but tackling air pollution has always been about protecting public health, particularly the health of children and young people.

The emerging evidence shows why those decisions mattered. Cleaner air means healthier communities, fewer health risks and a better future for the next generation.

Every child in Enfield North deserves the opportunity to grow up breathing cleaner air, and I welcome the positive impact this policy is now having across London. This is an important reminder that taking action on air quality can deliver real benefits for people's health and wellbeing.

Have a great week and please do get in touch if you have any questions or issues you wish to raise.

Best wishes

Feryal

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