Residents invited to meet local traders and “send a message to decision makers” over plans to build 21,000 new homes in place of the garden centres and surrounding farmland

Enfield residents are being invited to “enjoy, explore and appreciate” Crews Hill during a day of action.

The event from 10am-5pm on Saturday, 18^th April will see businesses such as Enfield Bird Centre, Crews Hill Reptiles and Kingfisher Aquarium welcoming all visitors, while members of Crews Hill Golf Club will be inviting people into its clubhouse for a free tea or coffee.

From 10am there will also be a walking tour between Whitewebbs Park Cafe and Crews Hill, exploring the local countryside.

The day of action is being organised by Enfield RoadWatch, a local campaign group opposing plans from both Enfield Council and the government for a 21,000-home new town in the rural north-west of the borough, centred around Crews Hill.

The council confirmed last year that its plans for housing in the area would mean the end of Crews Hill’s famous “golden mile” of horticultural businesses, many of which are family-run, and which collectively employ hundreds of local people.

Any traders who refuse to sell up will be issued with compulsory purchase orders, a barrister representing the council told a Local Plan public examination at Enfield Civic Centre hearing last year.

Carol Fisk, the founder of Enfield RoadWatch who has spent several years opposing new homes on the borough’s Green Belt, said: “The best way to refute the council leader’s now discredited mischaracterisation of Crews Hill as ‘consisting of garages, car parks and golf clubs’, is to come and see for yourself.”

Enfield Road Watch will be hosting a stall outside Thompson’s of Crews Hill in Cattlegate Road where visitors can find out more about the area and the proposals from the council and government – as well as take the chance to “send your own message to the decision makers”.

Culvers Garden Centre, Browns Garden Village and Theobold’s Farmhouse are also taking part.

The event is part of the ‘National Day of Action for Nature, Parks and Countryside’ being organised by the Community Planning Alliance in co-operation with CPRE – The Countryside Charity. The aim is to “to demonstrate, visibly and collectively, that people everywhere care deeply about the natural world and want to see it protected and restored”.

Candidates from parties standing in the local election on Thursday, 7^th May are also welcome to join the event.

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