Full Breakdown
Enfield Council Withdraws from Crews Hill New Town Proposal
5/30/2026, 8:38:26 PM
Withdrawal from the New Towns Programme
On 28 May 2026, Enfield Council’s Conservative leader Alessandro Georgiou wrote to housing minister Matthew Pennycook to withdraw the borough from the government’s New Towns programme, ending the 21,000-home Crews Hill plan on Green Belt land.
National New Towns Programme and Housing Target
In March 2026 the Ministry of Housing launched a seven-site New Towns programme, calling it England’s most ambitious house-building drive in half a century. Crews Hill was among three sites earmarked to help Labour meet its 1.5 million-home target.
Key Actors
Key figures include Alessandro Georgiou (Conservative leader, Enfield Council), Matthew Pennycook (housing minister), Roger Mortlock (CPRE chief executive), Nina Barnes (Culver garden-centre owner), Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London), John Dickie (BusinessLDN chief), and Green councillor Laura Davenport.
Timeline
- March 2026 – Crews Hill added to New Towns shortlist.
- Early May 2026 – Conservatives (31 seats) and Greens (5) take control of Enfield Council.
- 28 May 2026 – Withdrawal letter sent.
Data Snapshot
The plan proposes up to 21,000 homes on 884 ha of Green Belt. Enfield Council owns just under 30 % of borough land; the local plan already earmarks 9,000 homes.
Official Statements & Responses
Georgiou said the withdrawal honours the electoral mandate to protect the Green Belt and shifts focus to brownfield-first development. MHCLG described the programme as a ‘landmark’ effort to restore home ownership and pledged to review local feedback. The Mayor’s office pledged continued collaboration on Crews Hill, while BusinessLDN urged the Greater London Authority to intervene. CPRE reiterated its call for a brownfield-first approach.
Criticism of the Withdrawal
The Mayor’s office and BusinessLDN criticised the decision as jeopardising a vital source of 21,000 homes and worsening London’s housing shortage, arguing a single borough should not block a project essential for the capital.
On-the-Ground Perspective
Garden-centre owner Nina Barnes welcomed the withdrawal, calling the original plan ‘ludicrous and ill-thought-out’ and saying the decision lifted uncertainty for her business.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Private owners report reluctance to sell, yet the council’s withdrawal assumes land can be repurposed without purchase. The local plan’s 9,000-home allocation differs from the 21,000-home new-town proposal, and authority to block a national scheme remains unclear.
Verbatim Quotes
"The Green Belt is the wrong place for any of the government’s new towns." — Roger Mortlock, CPRE chief executive
"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." — Alessandro Georgiou, Conservative leader, Enfield Council
"With the weight of destruction lifted, we can now fully invest in new projects to improve an already thriving area." — Nina Barnes, owner, Culver garden centre, Crews Hill
"Crews Hill has the potential to deliver 21,000 much needed new homes, across a range of tenures, in a well-connected location." — John Dickie, chief executive, BusinessLDN
What’s Next
MHCLG plans to finalise the New Towns Draft Programme by summer 2026. The Greater London Authority is expected to consider a mayoral development corporation for Crews Hill, while local consultations continue.
