Enfield Council has “formally withdrawn” from controversial ‘new town’ plans after the new Conservative leader sent a letter sent to the government on Thursday.
It represents the first decisive action by council leader Alessandro Georgiou, who was elected to lead the newly-formed minority Conservative administration at the local authority on Wednesday.
In the letter sent to housing minister Matthew Pennycook at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Cllr Georgiou said the local authority would no longer support plans that could see up to 21,000 new homes built on large swathes of Green Belt land in the north-west of Enfield borough.
The outgoing Labour administration, which lost control of the council at this month’s local election, had been a keen supporter of the government scheme, arguing it was key to addressing the borough’s housing shortage.
Although the new Tory leadership does not have a majority, its pledge to “protect the Green Belt” is also backed by Enfield Greens, who now hold five seats at the council following the poll on Thursday, 7th May.
In a statement Enfield Council said: “The new Conservative leadership campaigned on a clear commitment opposing the new town proposals.
“While withdrawing from the new town programme, the council has reaffirmed its commitment to addressing the borough’s housing shortage and supporting economic growth.”
Cllr Georgiou added: “We have been elected on a clear mandate to protect Enfield’s Green Belt, and today we are honouring that commitment by formally withdrawing from the new town process.
“This does not mean stepping back from the challenge of delivering homes and jobs. We are committed to working with government to meet housing need, but in a way that protects our precious green spaces.
“Our focus will be 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.”
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On Thursday evening, MHCLG confirmed it had received the letter from Enfield Council.
The government department stated that a number of “models” for delivering the new town are still being considered and would be informed by feedback from public consultations.
In a response sent to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), a MHCLG spokesperson added: “Our landmark national new towns programme will restore the dream of homeownership for people across the country.
“We recently consulted with local people on the proposals and will respond in due course.”