Enfield's 'new town architect' quits council

Brett Leahy led on the submission of the civic centre’s new town bid last year

Green Belt land at Vicarage Farm and (inset) Brett Leahy

The man regarded as the ‘architect’ of the ‘new town’ in Enfield has quit his job.

Enfield Council confirmed today (Wednesday 24th) that Brett Leahy has resigned as the council’s executive director of environment and communities, one of the most senior roles at the civic centre.

Leahy was appointed to the role in August 2025, having previously served as the director of planning and growth since October 2024. He first joined the council in 2022.

In his senior role, Leahy is understood to have driven the submission of the council’s bid to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as part of its new towns programme.

The council’s submission ultimately resulted in Crews Hill and an area of farmland in World’s End dubbed ‘Chase Park’ being shortlisted by the government this year as one of seven proposed new towns, with 21,000 homes set to be built on Metropolitan Green Belt land in the north-west of the borough.

However, the new town proposals also helped boost the popularity of Enfield Conservatives locally, as they vehemently opposed the new town scheme and promised to block it if they took control of the council after May’s local election – which they ultimately did.

Although the arrival of Alessandro Georgiou as the new Tory council leader has not been given as the reason for Leahy’s departure, the pair’s differing views on the new town would likely have made it difficult for them to work together.

A council spokesperson said: “We can confirm that Brett Leahy has left Enfield Council. Arrangements are in place to ensure continuity of leadership across the relevant services and the council’s work on key priorities.

“The council does not comment on the circumstances surrounding an individual employee’s departure.”

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