Enfield council withdraws from government's new towns programme

Enfield council in north London withdrew from the government’s new towns programme, affecting a flagship housebuilding scheme. The council’s minority Conservative-led administration ended support for plans to build 21,000 homes at Crews Hill and Chase Park, along with shops, schools, and services. The land is green belt and includes several garden centres and family-run businesses, which faced strong local opposition. Enfield had previously supported the proposal under Labour control, but Labour lost the council in local elections. Alessandro Georgiou became leader of the minority Tory administration and sent a letter to the housing and planning minister stating the council no longer supported the development proposals.

"Enfield council in north London has withdrawn from the government's new towns programme, in a significant blow to Labour's flagship housebuilding scheme. The move by the new minority Conservative-led administration could present one of the first tests of Rachel Reeves's planning changes, designed to curb the use of judicial reviews against new infrastructure. The project to build 21,000 homes at Crews Hill and Chase Park on the northern fringes of the capital was selected in March for the new towns programme along with six other locations across England."

"The withdrawal comes after significant local opposition to the Enfield plan to build homes, shops, schools and services such as doctors' surgeries on green belt land currently occupied by several garden centres and family-run businesses. Enfield council, which was previously run by Labour, had already devised a plan to build homes at Crews Hill and gave its backing to the new town proposal. However, Labour lost control of the council in the local elections earlier this month and on Wednesday evening the Conservative councillor Alessandro Georgiou was elected leader of the authority's minority Tory administration."

"The new towns scheme has been heralded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) as the most ambitious housebuilding project in England for half a century and is regarded as a significant step towards helping Labour achieve its goal of building 1.5m homes during this parliament. Several garden centres and family-run businesses occupy part of the land that had been earmarked for the new homes."

"The Conservatives promised during the election campaign to halt the new town development if they took control of the council. On Thursday, Georgiou sent a letter to the minister for housing and planning, Matthew Pennycook, informing him that the council no longer supported the proposals to develop land at Crews Hill and other parts of the borough's green bel"

Read at www.theguardian.com