The ‘David and Goliath battle’ to stop a premier club from taking over a park

The sun shines down on Whitewebbs Park, a green space in Enfield which ‘rivals that of any stately home’.

‘I live one borough over,’ Caroline Day told Metro. ‘But it is such a beautiful bit of space I am willing to make the journey.’

Ancient trees and rare species of wildlife and vegetation cover the area, with scores of people meandering across the grass.

It has been used by nearly everyone nearby for the last 90 years as a space to meet, organise events or just to breathe in some clear air.

But the park is at risk of being slathered with concrete and turfed over for 10 football pitches by Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.

This is not just the case of a NIMBY group upset their local disused car park will be developed into affordable housing.

Some 16 hectares of land is set to be lost, 207 adult trees chopped down and animal species not native to anywhere else in London will vanish.

‘They are segregating women’s football to justify taking over our park’

The club, which locals now refer to as the ‘vulture capitalists’, want to take over the space and build 11 new pitchesand a clubhouse for the women’s team.

This is despite Spurs already have 17 elite pitches over the road which – for reasons that have not yet been revealed – they will not let their female players use.

And for comparison, Arsenal have 10 pitches which both their men and women’s team use.

‘They are using the growing interest in women’s football as an excuse to destroy a park,’ Caroline said.

‘In every way ethically, they are lacking compared with the other clubs.’

Tearing up ancient woodland

Enfield Council handed Spurs a 25-year lease for 53 hectares of the park, including all-weather pitches and floodlights, after the football club agreed to pay them £2 million.

Locals, including campaign group Guardian of Whitewebb, took the council to the High Court to challenge what they argued was an unlawful closure of a public space.

Whitewebb Park was bought for the benefit of people in Enfield by Middlesex Council in 1931.

The area of the park set to be converted was a publicly accessible golf course, which the council closed in 2021 after they claimed it was losing money.

But campaigners have argued the new development does not benefit the community at all, and it is instead tearing up their ancient woodland.

‘I have withdrawn my Spurs membership’

Spurs fans, in particular, are feeling the actions of their club hard. Scores of comments beneath the Crowdfunder.

One anonymous donor, giving £5 towards the Crowfunder, said: ‘Enfield Council should be ashamed of themselves and so should Spurs, I will withdraw my membership.’

Local resident Faith said: ‘My parents were from Enfield and they talked about Whitewebbs Park. I donate in their memory. My husband is a Spurs fan – he is not going to support them anymore.’

The irony of the club’s slogan – ‘To Dare is To Do’ – is also not lost on the campaigners.

Caroline said: ‘We have tried to embody the saying in our fight against them.

‘A lot of our supporters are Spurs fans who feel let down by a club they have put so much energy into supporting.’

‘We will fight on’

The group is now fundraising to support their second legal battle against the club and the council.

City Hall gave the club the green light to start the development last month despite admitting it appeared ‘inappropriate’.

They said at the time: ‘While the proposal represents inappropriate development on the green belt, very special circumstances have been demonstrated.’

Guardians of Whitewebbs described the decision as ‘devastating’, but they haven’t given up the fight.

They are now asking for £30,000 to fund an urgent judicial review of Enfield Council’s decision to approve the plans – and raised £20,000 of this in just 10 days.

Caroline said: ‘A huge number of people are giving a small amount, and many of these people have very little but are desperate to save the park. Many of these people have very little but are desperate to save the park.

‘Think again about taking our beloved park, and we will fight on.’

After City Hall gave the development the green light, the Leader of Enfield Council, Cllr Ergin Erbil, said: ‘We welcome the news that, as anticipated, the Mayor of London has decided not to call in the plans submitted by Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

‘This important step will see the exciting vision for Whitewebbs Park move forward. The plans include improved access to nature, improvements to the park including more tree planting and good facilities such as a café.

‘It also paves the way for the creation of new community and sports facilities, including a best-in-class women’s and girls’ football academy that will inspire future generations.’

Tottenham Hotspur declined to comment.

Metro contacted Enfield Council for comment.

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