Tottenham Hotspur captain Bethany England helps seal victory for Premier League club at Enfield Civic Centre despite emotional appeals by park users against the plans, reports James Cracknell
Tottenham Hotspur’s contentious plans to fence off part of Whitewebbs Park and build a women’s football academy have been approved by Enfield councillors – following an appeal from a record-breaking striker.
Bethany England, whose £250,000 signing for Spurs in January 2023 broke the domestic transfer record for women’s football, addressed Enfield Civic Centre during a marathon three-hour planning committee meeting on Tuesday night to hail the “once-in-a-generation opportunity” the plans provided.
The meeting ended with councillors voting to approve a Green Belt development which has been vehemently opposed by local residents for several years, with all seven Labour members voting in favour and all four Conservatives against.
However, the vote only came following a concession made by Tottenham Hotspur Football Club (THFC) to allay concerns raised by the committee over the impact a new access road for the academy would have on the park’s ancient woodland.
Following a 15-minute break towards the end of the meeting, during which council planning officers conferred with representatives from THFC, it was confirmed that a condition would be added to the plans banning vehicles from using the new route and instead forcing them to use the existing road leading to the Toby Carvery at Whitewebbs House.
Earlier in the night, during a series of five-minute speeches from people invited to speak either for or against the plans, Bethany had stood up to explain what a difference the new training centre would make. The Spurs captain said: “This facility would provide our professional squad and local women and girls with the same opportunities to succeed as our male counterparts.
“We need this facility to compete with the very best teams […] this is a once in a generation opportunity.”
Bethany, who was part of the England women’s squad crowned champions of Europe three years ago, said that the community football programmes set to be provided as part of the club’s plans for Whitewebbs will be “very important” and would help “inspire and nurture the very best talent”.
She added: “I want to see the next generation of WSL [Women’s Super League] stars coming to Enfield.”
Speakers from two community groups had earlier set out their opposition to the plans with passionate speeches of their own.
Ed Allnutt, from Guardians of Whitewebbs, said his group had identified 13 “major defects” with the THFC proposals, including a lack of wildlife surveys and mitigation for lost trees. “This park is not a column on a spreadsheet, it is a living ecosystem,” Ed said.
“This is inappropriate development which would be built both on Green Belt and on parkland […] if you grant this application you will remove this land from the public, that will likely be lost forever.”
Sean Wilkinson, the chair of the Friends of Whitewebbs Park who last year led an unsuccessful judicial review against the council’s award of a 25-year lease of the former golf course to THFC, also made a deputation to the committee.
“Since the golf course closed in 2021, the area has become open public space,” said Sean. “The council closed the golf course before completing the bidding process, and since then, park usage has grown significantly, with an estimated 1,000 visits per week in winter.
“The high level of public use and support shows that the park and its facilities are not surplus to requirements.”
A total of 16 hectares of the former golf course will be fenced off by THFC, with the rest being managed as woodland and parkland. A new café and toilet facilities will be provided at the southern entrance.
But Sean said the plans would “permanently alter” the character of the park and continued: “The developers claim they will restore the 19th Century parkland, but historical maps and aerial photos show that their plans do not match the park’s original open design and long scenic views. Instead, the development would block open space and limit views.
“Middlesex County Council bought this land for the people of Enfield, recognising it as one of the most beautiful areas in the county. Thousands of people still enjoy it today.”
Both Sean and Ed made reference to the park’s ecological value and the fact that a 2020 review of local sites of importance for nature conservation (Sincs) had failed to assess the wildlife value of Whitewebbs Park.
Sean asked why alternative sites for the football academy and its eleven pitches had not been considered by THFC, including an apparently suitable site on the other side of Whitewebbs Lane.
Three Conservative councillors representing Whitewebbs ward also made deputations to the committee, all in objection to the plans.
David Skelton said: “This is one of the most important decisions that this planning committee will make, because Whitewebbs Park provides real value to people across the borough and the whole city.
“I think it is important the council has admitted that parts of the proposals will be inappropriate.”
Cllr Skelton also suggested that the decision-making process by the council when it initially tendered for a commercial lease of Whitewebbs Park Golf Course in 2019 appeared to be “pre-determined” in favour of THFC. He added: “The proposals represent permanent loss of public access and open space.”
Fellow Tory councillors Reece Fox and Hannah Dyson echoed these comments, with Cllr Fox claiming the consultation on the plans had been inadequate and that he had “rarely come across one issue where people are so united”. Cllr Dyson added: “It is a community park for everyone to enjoy and should remain open to everyone.”
The speeches from objectors were followed by a series of speeches in support of the plans, including the one from Bethany England.
In addition to the Spurs women’s captain, THFC executive director Donna Cullen defended the plans for Whitwebbs, which will be joined to the club’s existing men’s training centre via a new pathway. “We have been a good neighbour for Enfield for many years,” said Donna.
“Our men’s training centre is right next door and is acknowledged as one of the best in the world. We show immense responsibility for the environment, most of the time exceeding what we are expected to do.
“We are part of the Enfield community. This is our home and we work here every day.”
Donna reeled off a series of figures, including £2.3million invested in local education to date with 80,000 hours of activities provided at 75 different schools.
The ten-year community outreach programme proposed as part of the new plans include a further 36,700 hours of football activities, with a commitment to reach deprived parts of the borough.
Alice Davey, director of leisure and public realm at Enfield Council, also spoke in favour of the plans, explaining that THFC was proposing facilities that the council would not be able to provide locally itself and that encouraging local girls to continue playing sport as teenagers was a key priority.
“We understand the importance of working in partnership and creating opportunities for all our residents,” said Alice.
“The council shouldn’t, and can’t, deliver everything [on its own]. We support the change at this site from a very limited participation, of golf, to intensive use of football.”
Local residents watching on from the public gallery frequently interrupted some of the statements made in support of the plans, however, as tempers frayed. Planning committee chair Mahym Bedekova warned them they would be thrown out if they didn’t stop calling out.
Following the deputations, the planning committee’s twelve members began to debate the scheme, with Conservative Michael Rye raising a number of concerns. He first commented that it was “sad that Whitewebbs Park has been left to deteriorate”, with the effect of “making a proposal from a very rich football club seem more attractive”.
Cllr Rye added: “There is a significant loss of open space and open views. It is clear that in terms of the council’s own policies it is in breach, and the case for ‘very special circumstances’ needs to be very well made.”
Kathryn Williams, a planning agent speaking on behalf of the council, had earlier told the committee the “inappropriate” aspects of THFC’s plans were outweighed by six “very special circumstances”, which she summarised as the need for a women’s and girls’ training facility; the lack of alternative sites and benefits of co-location with the men’s site; providing community access to football; environmental and sustainability benefits, including a 30% “biodiversity net gain” through improved habitats and planting of 2,000 new trees; health and social benefits; plus local economic benefits.
Several committee members queried the biodiversity claims, however, including whether this had been measured against the previous well-manicured golf course or the current, wilder state of the park with the council confirming it was the latter.
The Section 106 benefits of the plans, specifically the community education programme, was also questioned, particularly why only a ten-year commitment was being made when the lease to THFC was for 25 years.
Labour member Josh Abey asked if such benefits could be provided without the investment from THFC, but Kathryn responded there was “an issue with the budget” which, she said, also explained the “poor state” of the park.
Lee Chamberlain and Peter Fallart, both Tory members, strongly criticised the plan to provide new road access to Toby Carvery by upgrading an existing footpath running close to Whitewebbs Pond, with the existing road being reserved for use by THFC and local residents. However, these concerns were eventually addressed by the additional condition added as part of the committee’s approval.
Meanwhile, Labour member George Savva spoke passionately in defence of the women’s football academy and even criticised residents’ groups for opposing it. “In 1966 when England won the World Cup, women weren’t even allowed to play football,” said Cllr Savva.
“We want Tottenham Hotspur to put Enfield on the map and for girls to show their talents and maybe one day we will have England stars.
“I don’t know why people are opposed to this.”
Despite the concession on road access, all four Tory members still voted against the plans. Independent councillor Thomas Fawns, currently suspended by the Labour Party, abstained, with the votes from the remaining seven Labour members enough to approve the plans, as per the recommendation by council planning officers.
While the plans will also need to be signed off by London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, the Greater London Authority did not object to the scheme and seems likely to waive it through.
Once planning permission is officially granted, THFC’s 25-year lease with the council will commence. Construction of the whole complex is expected to take 27 months.
In a statement emailed to the Dispatch following the meeting on Tuesday (11th), council leader Ergin Erbil said: “We believe this project will bring exciting opportunities to Enfield, including job opportunities, apprenticeships, and enhanced sports facilities.
“We know our borough will benefit from a world class football training ground for women’s football, one of the fastest growing sports in the world. We are also pleased to report that the new training grounds will be accessible to youth teams, grassroots football clubs and community groups.”
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