Whitewebbs campaigners set for new legal challenge

Local campaigners in Enfield have raised £27,000 to fund a fresh legal challenge to the Council’s decision to construct a football academy on protected Green Belt land in Whitewebbs Park.

Despite hundreds of objections, planning permission was granted in July after the Mayor of London chose not intervene. The development will involve the loss of 40 acres of rewilded grassland and the felling of over 200 trees. CPRE London has supported this campaign and others to protect popular green spaces being sold off to professional sports clubs.

After setting up a crowdfund, Guardians of Whitewebbs have now raised over £27,000 for a judicial review of Enfield Council’s decision to grant planning permission. An earlier judicial review, led by Sean Wilkinson in 2024, focused on the legality of Enfield Council’s lease agreement procedures. But the disappointing outcome of that case does not affect the new review which is being mounted on wholly different grounds relating to the planning decision rather than the lease.

There are just 10 days left to reach the CrowdJustice fundraiser target of £30,000. The influx of donations to date is evidence of the strong opposition to these plans.

Follow Guardians of Whitewebbs’ campaign here and donate towards the urgent Judicial Review here.