The prime minister’s intervention appears to pave the way for the council to be stripped of planning powers by City Hall, reports James Cracknell
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has directly criticised Enfield Council over the new minority Conservative administration’s opposition to building on the Green Belt.
Starmer’s government wants to build 21,000 homes in the rural north-west of the borough as part of a ‘new town’ at Crews Hill and Vicarage Farm that would see hundreds of hectares of Green Belt de-designated and built on.
But in his first act as the new Tory council leader, Alessandro Georgiou last week wrote a letter to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) saying his administration would “formally withdraw” from the new towns process.
Although Cllr Georgiou is still waiting for a response to his letter, Starmer has tonight (Wednesday 3rd) launched an extraordinary attack on the local authority, with 10 Downing Street directly naming Enfield Council as part of a lengthy statement in which Starmer slams “the naysayers and the blockers” who he claims are “blocking growth”.
On Thursday (4th) Starmer is set to be meeting a number of regional mayors – understood to include Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan – for a discussion about how they can help to “drive growth, get spades in the ground and get Britain building”.
There were already indicators in recent weeks that MHCLG wants Khan to lead on the new town at Crews Hill through the creation of a mayoral development corporation, the same mechanism used to create the Olympic Park in the Lea Valley ahead of London 2012.
Such a move would essentially see Enfield Council stripped of planning powers in the north-west of the borough.
Starmer’s comments strongly suggest that this will be the strategy, with the council now proving to be a major obstacle to the new town, despite previously supporting it under the former Labour administration.
At the local election on Thursday, 7th May, 77% of voters in Enfield backed parties that had pledged to “protect the Green Belt”. The Tories took power after newly-elected Green councillors decided to abstain on the key vote at last week’s annual meeting, with both parties wanting to stop the new town.
Within tonight’s Downing Street statement, the desire of Transport for London (TfL) to take control of the Hertford Loop railway line through Enfield is also mentioned. Khan has long sought to run all routes out of Moorgate Station as part of TfL’s London Overground network.
The Downing Street statement says: “Mayors from across England will meet with the prime minister [on Thursday 4th] as the government accelerates its drive to kickstart growth and deliver for working people.
“Bringing together mayors of all political stripes, the meeting will focus on maximising the opportunities of devolution and the key issues that matter to local people, from building more homes and infrastructure, to taking control of local transport.
“Where projects have stalled or been watered down, the government will back mayors to push them through – unlocking homes, infrastructure and jobs, particularly for younger generations.
“This includes challenging Enfield Council’s refusal to support a proposed new town in an area with significant housing need, which is near to an under-used train station. The prime minister is clear that decisions on new towns will be taken in the national interest alone, because it will be the next generation that suffers from inaction.
“He will also confirm action to deliver the public transport services that new homes rely on. This includes confirming that the government is in discussion with the Mayor of London to bring the local services from Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City and Stevenage under Transport for London control. This could improve reliability and deliver easier connections across the network, including the proposed new town at Crews Hill and Chase Park.”
Starmer is subsequently quoted as saying: “For too long, Britain has been held back by a system that says no, delaying projects, blocking growth and leaving communities behind.
“We’re turning that on its head by backing our mayors to get Britain building again, with spades in the ground and more jobs across the country. There will always be the naysayers and the blockers, but we cannot afford to give into them – because it will be the next generation that suffers.
“This government is backing mayors with the biggest devolution drive in a generation, putting real power in the hands of local leaders, because those with skin in the game know best what their communities need. That is the right thing to do for communities, and it’s the right thing to do for growth.”
Asked for comment today about the possibility of City Hall taking planning powers away from Enfield, Cllr Georgiou said: “We have been elected on a clear mandate to protect Enfield’s Green Belt, and we honoured that commitment by formally withdrawing from the new town process.
”We are yet to receive a response to our letter to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
”We are focusing on a brownfield‑first approach. This means unlocking underused land, regenerating our town centres and delivering the high‑quality family homes that local people need.”
City Hall was also approached for comment but only supplied the same mayoral statement issued last week, when a spokesperson for Khan said he would “continue to work closely” with councillors in Enfield but also made clear his support for the new town.
Commenting today, Matt Burn from local campaign group Better Homes Enfield said: “We want the homes Enfield needs to be built quickly, and in sustainable locations.
“We object to the proposed new town because it will not deliver the homes Enfield needs at speed. It’s likely to take years before it even begins, and several decades to build out. It is not a solution to the current housing crisis.
“The council has already identified more than 700 viable brownfield sites in Enfield, that could help deliver tens of thousands of homes. Bringing these sites forward at speed should be a priority for the mayor and the government.
“We have also identified some smaller Green Belt sites in more sustainable locations. These could deliver thousands of additional homes more quickly than a new town, while also protecting jobs at Crews Hill and sites that are important for nature conservation.
“We urge the mayor and the government to start listening to, and working with, the local community to deliver the homes Enfield needs. We know this place. We have better solutions. All we are asking for is to be heard.”
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