Enfield Society Urges Spurs to Withdraw Whitewebbs Park Plans

The Enfield Society has joined calls for Tottenham Hotspur to abandon its proposals for a women's football academy at Whitewebbs Park. The residents' group, which had not previously opposed the plans, stated that the club "should withdraw gracefully" following recent legal and political developments.

This summer, a High Court judge quashed planning permission for the academy, ruling in favour of the Guardians of Whitewebbs campaign group. Tottenham Hotspur has since applied to the Court of Appeal for a fresh hearing, indicating its intent to continue pursuing the project. The club's chief executive, Vinai Venkatesham, has stated that while immediate focus is on improving existing training facilities, the "long-term ambition for the women's team's base at Whitewebbs is unchanged."

Shift in Society's Position

The Enfield Society's management committee previously viewed the proposals as acceptable. This stance was based on the former Labour council administration's determination to sell part of the estate and its perceived inability to fund the maintenance of the park and its heritage assets. The society felt that conditionally accepting the plans was the best course of action given the circumstances, with promised improvements outweighing the loss of some parkland.

However, recent events have led to a change in the society's perspective. The current Conservative-run Enfield Council has expressed a desire to retain the entire Whitewebbs estate as public land. In light of this, and the ongoing public opposition, The Enfield Society believes the judicial review's outcome should be respected.

The society's statement read: "In these circumstances, and given the continued level of public opposition to the Spurs proposals, we believe that the result of the recent judicial review should be accepted and that Spurs should withdraw gracefully following the cancellation of its planning permission by the court." The group added that prolonging legal proceedings would impose unnecessary expense on community bodies.

Concerns Over Historic Buildings

Further concerns have been raised by The Enfield Society regarding Tottenham Hotspur's reported interest in acquiring two historic local buildings: Whitewebbs House and Myddelton House. The society stated, "There is evidence that Spurs wishes to acquire either or both houses. This is unacceptable." It emphasised that both properties are valuable community assets that should remain accessible to the public. The society expressed a desire to avoid the entire Whitewebbs area becoming controlled by the club, stating, "We do not wish to see the entire Whitewebbs area being swept into some kind of Spurs fiefdom."

The Enfield Society's call for withdrawal suggests that the future of the Whitewebbs estate should now be considered holistically. This, they propose, should include maintaining the former golf course as open parkland and developing a plan for the conservation and restoration of Whitewebbs House, the Stable Block, Conduit House, and North Lodge.