Spurs plans for Whitewebbs Park 'unchanged' says club's chief exec

The relegation-threatened club recently applied for a fresh court hearing against the decision to quash planning permission

The Spurs plans for a women's academy at Whitewebbs and (inset) Vinai Venkatesham — The Spurs plans for a women’s academy at Whitewebbs and (inset) Vinai Venkatesham (credit THFC)

The chief executive of Tottenham Hotspur insists the club’s plans for a women’s academy at Whitwebbs Park “remain unchanged”.

Vinai Venkatesham, who took over from Daniel Levy in the role last year, recently addressed the club’s fan advisory board to give updates on a range of topics, including the controversial Whitewebbs plans.

This summer, Spurs were defeated at the High Court, with a judge ruling in favour of the Guardians of Whitewebbs campaign group and quashing the planning permission issued by Enfield Council under the previous Labour administration.

Since then, the Premier League club has applied to the Court of Appeal for a fresh hearing, signalling its intention to continue fighting – despite the new Conservative-run administration at the council urging Spurs to ditch the Whitewebbs plans entirely.

Regarding the future of the Spurs women’s team, recently-published minutes summarising Venkatesham’s comments state that the “immediate focus” is on “improving existing facilities” at Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre “to keep pace with the team’s growth”.

However, they add: “The long-term ambition for the women’s team’s base at Whitewebbs is unchanged and remains subject to an ongoing legal process.

“In the meantime, the club is investing in the team’s current facilities, including changing space, gym and a briefing room, because the current building has been outgrown.

“Current improvements are a temporary requirement, not an alternative to Whitewebbs.”

Guardians of Whitewebbs campaigners outside the Royal Courts of Justice this week (credit Ed Allnutt) — Guardians of Whitewebbs campaigners outside the Royal Courts of Justice (credit Ed Allnutt)

Back in June, High Court judge Sir Tim Kerr heard two days of evidence around the planning permission decision made last year and later explained in his written verdict that the council had deliberately “concealed” the expert opinion of a professional ecologist who had cast doubt on claims being made by Spurs over the biodiversity impact of the proposed training centre.

In doing this, wrote Kerr, “the committee were given the false impression that he did not disagree” and, therefore, were “materially misled”.

The appeal application is being made to the Court of Appeal because the High Court has already refused Spurs permission to appeal Kerr’s judgement. In rejecting this initial appeal, the judge stated that “the finding of material prejudice was a finding that real procedural unfairness had occurred”.

Asked for his reaction to the news last month, council leader Alessandro Georgiou told the Dispatch: “I am livid that a judgement was made, the voters delivered their verdict [at May’s election] and Spurs are not backing down. But I have faith in the judicial process.”

This summer’s judicial review case was brought by the Guardians of Whitewebbs campaign group, which collectively raised £35,000 to help fund it.

In a statement, Guardian of Whitewebbs said they were “extremely disappointed” at the decision by Spurs to pursue an appeal and “ignore the wishes of the local community and the new council administration”.

The unlawful decision to award planning permission to THFC was made under the previous Labour administration, which lost control of the civic centre to the Conservatives in May. Upon taking office, Cllr Georgiou dropped the local authority’s legal defence of the judicial review, leaving Spurs to fight alone in court.

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