While horticultural businesses at Crews Hill face compulsory purchase by Enfield Council, a Green Belt farm connected to the council leader seeks to build a garden centre, reports James Cracknell

The Essex farm owned by Israfil Erbil with (inset left) council leader and ex-farm worker Ergin Erbil and (inset right) plans for the garden centre — The Essex farm owned by Israfil Erbil with (inset left) council leader Ergin Erbil and (inset right) plans for the garden centre

The leader of Enfield Council has been accused of “rank hypocrisy” after it emerged a Green Belt farm he’s connected with is seeking to build a garden centre – while scores of horticultural businesses in Crews Hill face being turfed out by the civic centre.

Ergin Erbil’s father Israfil Erbil owns and operates a farm three miles away from Enfield borough, in the Essex district of Epping Forest, and is planning to build the new garden centre and farm shop on his land.

Separately, the farm has been subject to an enforcement notice by Epping Forest District Council (EFDC), although this is being appealed.

Cllr Erbil says he doesn’t have direct involvement with the farm currently but, prior to becoming council leader, acknowledges he worked there as a beekeeper. He says there is no connection between the farm and his civic centre role.

Pre-application advice on the garden centre was sought from EFDC in August 2024. Cllr Erbil was chosen to lead the council in September 2024.

Enfield Council has had plans to build new homes on Green Belt land at Crews Hill for several years and, this summer, revealed its intention to issue compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) to horticultural businesses that refuse to sell up.

Crews Hill, alongside ‘Chase Park’ in World’s End, has now been selected by a government taskforce as a potential ‘new town’ which could see at least 21,000 new homes built. The garden centres and other Crews Hill businesses – employing several hundred people – were described in a government report as “low value land”. Many have reacted angrily and claim their livelihoods are under threat.

Thompsons of Crews Hill is among many businesses facing an uncertain future

At the Essex farm owned by Israfil Erbil’s company Lodge Farm Broxbourne Ltd, parts of the land were recently put up for auction and described on a sales website as offering a “development opportunity” that would be “ideal for residential”. Cllr Erbil insists his father doesn’t want to sell the Green Belt land for housing and that the auctioneer made a mistake. After being contacted by the Dispatch for this story, the auction listing was removed.

Land Registry documents confirm the farm was purchased for £650,000 in March 2022 by Lodge Farm Broxbourne Ltd. EFDC documents show that, a few months later, the council began investigating the farm after complaints “alleging a breach of planning control”.

An enforcement notice was served in November 2024. Nigel Richardson, EFDC’s planning services director, wrote: “The construction of a dwelling house, the operation of locating a shipping container, and the engineering operation to form a hard surface is inappropriate development, which is visually intrusive and harmful to the openness of the Metropolitan Green Belt. The unauthorised development further tangibly alters and erodes the rural character and appearance of the site.”

The enforcement notice was appealed by Israfil Erbil and the outcome remains pending. He claims all development was permitted, but is also now seeking permission to change his use of the barn to commercial. The barn itself was sold last year to a separate holding company, Capital Franchise Ltd, for £1.4million.

Public documents also confirm the intention to build the garden centre, although a full application has not been submitted. A pre-application statement submitted on behalf of Israfil Erbil says: “At this stage our client is seeking advice and permission to erect a new timber rustic building to be used as a garden centre with related facilities.”

Conservative group leader Alessandro Georgiou said: “This is further proof of the rank hypocrisy of Ergin Erbil and his administration. He is seeking to destroy the garden centres of Crews Hill while a farm that he is connected to is seeking to build one. I hope the people of Enfield see this for what it is.”

Cllr Erbil declared his membership of South East Herts Beekeepers Association on his register of interests and previously declared his employment as a beekeeper before he ended his work on the farm.

In a statement the Labour leader confirmed the farm comprises “67 acres of crop land, 149 beehives, 76 sheep, 55 chickens, 450 fruit trees and more” and said: “Farming is in my family’s blood. My grandparents were farmers, and my dad has carried that tradition on. After a lifetime of hard work and saving, he invested in a farm outside Enfield’s borders.

“In my spare time, I am a beekeeper. The idea that my comments about building homes has anything to do with my dad’s farm is simply wrong. I don’t own it. It’s not in Enfield. My dad is a farmer. Trying to link the two is a stretch.

“No-one in my family would consider building homes on the farm. The planning applications and pre-app advice relate to a shepherd’s caravan to support activities such as lambing season and a farm shop. He is seeking permission to use parts of the barn for a hub focused on farm supplies, animal feed and other related bulk goods, like neighbouring farms. He has also appealed Epping Forest District Council’s enforcement notice to remove the shepherd’s caravan.

“Farmers often sell or lease small bits of land to raise money to reinvest in their farms. The auction company wrongly labelled two plots as ‘ideal for residential development’. As soon as my dad saw that error, he told them to remove the version straight away. I have shared documents from the auction company to confirm that my dad had never seen this draft marketing.

“The barn remains part of the farm, as noted with legal interest on Land Registry. Funds raised against it were used in its construction and the farm.

“Like many families I serve, I don’t own a home. That’s why I have been clear that we must look at underused sites like golf courses, garden centres and car parks that are often mislabelled as Green Belt, not productive farmland, if we are serious about tackling the housing crisis.

“My dad’s farm has no connection to my role as Enfield Council’s leader. I have always fully declared all my interests to the council’s director of governance and legal. To suggest otherwise is false, bordering on libellous.

“I am proud of my family’s farming roots. Britain needs more farmers and local food producers and that is exactly what my family is doing.”

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