Backlash from Sadiq Khan and leading business group over council 'new town' withdrawal

The newly-installed Conservative leadership at Enfield Civic Centre has told the government it will be “withdrawing” from the new towns programme, reports James Cracknell

Crews Hill Station with (inset) Sadiq Khan

Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan and one of London’s leading business groups have criticised the move by Enfield Council’s new Conservative administration to withdraw from the government’s new towns programme.

A spokesperson for Khan issued a statement today (Friday 29th) saying that City Hall would “continue to work closely” with councillors to “further develop plans at Crews Hill”.

Meanwhile, the boss of BusinessLDN went further and said that the Greater London Authority (GLA) should “step in to get this crucial new town back on track”.

Yesterday (Thursday 28th) Enfield Council leader Alessandro Georgiou wrote a letter to housing minister Matthew Pennycook at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), in which he said the local authority would no longer support plans that could see up to 21,000 new homes built on large swathes of Green Belt land in the north-west of Enfield borough.

The outgoing Labour administration, which lost control of the council at this month’s local election, had been a keen supporter of the government scheme, arguing it was key to addressing the borough’s housing shortage.

But Enfield Conservatives pledged to “protect the Green Belt” in their election manifesto, something also supported by Enfield Greens who, with five councillors, hold the balance of power at the council and decided to abstain this week to allow Cllr Georgiou to become leader.

Reacting to the change of approach from Enfield Council, a spokesperson for Khan said: “Crews Hill, and other sites in the borough, represent a significant opportunity to deliver sustainable, high-quality neighbourhoods, improve the quality of and access to nature and local green spaces, and tackle London’s acute housing crisis.

“Alongside the government we will continue to work closely with councillors in Enfield to further develop plans at Crews Hill, including proposals for extensive consultation with the local community.”

A range of delivery models are still being considered for the new town at Enfield. One option is a mayoral development corporation, similar to the way the London 2012 Olympics was delivered, which would mean taking planning powers away from the council.

Also commenting on the council’s new town withdrawal today has been John Dickie, chief executive of BusinessLDN, a representative body for business interests in London which includes top leaders from developers and bankers in the capital.

Dickie said: “Crews Hill has the potential to deliver 21,000 much needed new homes, across a range of tenures, in a well-connected location.

“The detailed design should of course be sensitive to local needs and priorities but one borough can’t be allowed to block a project that is vital for London.

“The Greater London Authority should now step in to get this crucial new town back on track.”

However, there has also been support expressed for the council’s opposition to the new town.

Roger Mortlock, chief executive of environmental campaign group CPRE, said: “The decision by Enfield Council reflects strong local feeling about building on valued Green Belt land at Crews Hill. The Green Belt is the wrong place for any of the government’s new towns.

“We support the government’s ambition to deliver well-planned new towns, and welcome that most proposed sites focus on brownfield and regeneration-led development.

“The government should deliver on its brownfield-first promise. There are plenty of brownfield sites within Greater London that are far more suitable for development.

“Schemes such as the Meridian Water regeneration programme in Enfield offer better potential to provide the genuinely affordable homes that we so desperately need, without sacrificing countryside on the edge of towns and cities.”

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