Environmental Working Group

🌱 Introducing the Barrowell Green Environmental Working Group

In response to an ongoing series of issues affecting our local area, the Barrowell Green Community Association has formed a dedicated Environmental Working Group.

Barrowell Green sits beautifully on the edge of the New River near Winchmore Hill. However, recent years have brought significant changes to our neighborhood—including shifts in building use, rising car ownership, and growing waste management challenges. These changes directly impact our community's daily well-being, safety, and local ecosystem.

Our newly formed team, consisting of committee members and interested residents, meets monthly, with additional emergency meetings arranged as urgent matters arise.

🚨 Today's Urgent Consultation: Current Focus Areas

The working group met on 18 July 2026 to consult on several critical environmental hazards currently impacting the neighborhood:

• Pest Control Issues: A severe rise in the local rat population along the New River, driven by excessive duck feeding and persistent littering. [1]

• River Pollution: Major bin overspill directly polluting the New River watercourse, originating from large commercial skip bins.

• Illegal Commercial Bins: The unlawful placement of these massive skip bins on Barrowell Green Bridge.

• Severe Fly-Tipping: These illegal bins are actively attracting large-scale fly-tipping. The bridge has become a dumping ground for hazards like tyres, furniture, white goods, and raw household waste.

Our Three-Fold Mission

1. Identify: Pinpoint specific environmental and logistical issues and map out their impact on our neighborhood.

2. Gather Evidence: Collate data, resident feedback, and lived experiences regarding these wider environmental impacts.

3. Act: Formulate a structured action plan with clear goals, targets, and timescales to secure lasting solutions with Enfield Council and the Environment Agency.

A Two-Way Conversation

This is a collaborative process. We will regularly share our findings and progress with the entire membership. More importantly, we need your feedback, observations, and local knowledge to build strong cases for enforcement.

📢 Get in Touch: If you have seen fly-tipping on the bridge, have photos of the skip bins overflowing, or want to report environmental hazards along the river, please email the team directly at environment@barrowell.org.