Join our campaign to save Whitewebbs Park, a naturally rewilded public park in Enfield, North London from development by Tottenham Hotspur Football Club (THFC) for its new training ground.

Brief History

The 240 acre Park, comprising grassland and ancient woodland, was bought by Enfield Council in 1931 for the public. It is Green Belt land held in Public Trust on a lease term of 999 years. The Park (grassland section) was used since the 1930s as a public golf course. Enfield Council began a tendering process in 2019 to lease the golf course area. This resulted in THFC being selected as the preferred bidder in 2021. The golf course was formally closed in 2021. The lease stated that if the golf course was to close, it would revert to public use. Since its closure, everyone has continued to enjoy this beautiful Park. There has been minimal maintenance, which has meant the old golf course has been naturally rewilding ever since. The current established, thriving, ecosystem provides a stunning mosaic of grassland, scrub and woodland habitats and is home to an astonishing array of flora and fauna, which includes rare and protected species. Now, THFC wants to expand its commercial football training centre for elite players into the rewilded grassland section, and build a new road through a portion of the ancient woodland near Whitewebbs Lake*, which would irremediably destroy the historic character of the Park and the vital, present nature, and take away a long standing space dedicated to the public. And this all comes in a time where we are losing so much publicly accessible open space, with an ever growing population, and during the threatening loom of climate change and species decline. Enfield Council are backing THFC's proposals in spite of the overwhelming public opposition.

* This road proposal was amended at the 11th February 2025 planning committee meeting to be pedestrian access only. The ancient woodland would still be damaged, and THFC has historically pushed through significant amendments after the main developments were approved, such as its hotel and women's training centre on its existing site.

Our Video

This short, 5 minute video addresses Tottenham Hotspur's claims.

Number Crunching

Whitewebbs, Spurs and Enfield Council

Get Involved

Here is a summary of some of the key actions you can take right now to support our campaign (click the corresponding links for more information, and guides/templates):

- Email the Mayor of London requesting that he refuses Spurs' planning application.

- Email your MP requesting that they ask the police to investigate the Whitewebbs Oak felling; raise the matter with the Minister for Nature in the House of Commons; and encourage Enfield Council to conduct  a survey to identify Tree Protection Orders for all suitable Whitewebbs trees.

- Sign our "Justice for the Whitewebbs Oak" petition.

- Participate in "Whitewebbs Park: What Does It Mean to You?".

- Tell your family and friends about our campaign.

- Attend our fun, family friendly nature walks and events.

- Join us at protests.

- Support our social media and share our videos with your friends.

- Sign up, and be a part of the discussion in our WhatsApp group.

- Offer your campaign expertise - email us.

Contact Us

Please either submit the form below, or email us directly at guardiansofwhitewebbs@gmail.com. One of us will get back to you as soon as possible.

Next Event

Whitewebbs Summer Community Nature Walk - Sunday, 22nd June 2025 at 3pm. Meet at the café, Beggars Hollow, Whitewebbs Park, EN2 9JW.

Please join us for our next family friendly community nature walk in Whitewebbs Park, this time led by tree and ecology expert Russell Miller. Since the public golf course’s closure in 2021, the Park has been naturally rewilding, and the public has continued to enjoy this beautiful green space. The ecosystem provides a mosaic of grassland, scrub and woodland habitats and is home to an array of flora and fauna, which includes rare and protected species. Our walks invite you to witness firsthand and learn about the thriving biodiversity that has emerged. As well as a celebration of nature's ability to heal and flourish when given space, this event is a lovely opportunity for community members and nature lovers to connect. We can't wait to see you there!

This space is currently under threat from Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, which plans to build another training centre. Now is the time to get involved!

Directions: we have noticed that Google Maps can take you on a MUCH longer route than is necessary. Please, especially when coming by public transport, enter your destination as "Beggars Hollow, Enfield, EN2 9AJ". This short road will take you to Whitewebbs Café, where this event will start. This means that you can take the most direct route.

Email the Mayor of London

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has the power to refuse or "call in" planning applications, and make his own decisions. Please request that he refuses or calls in the application. We encourage you to write your own personal and emotive messages describing what the Park means to you (they can be really short), but there is a guide and template which touches on the more detailed issues if you would prefer to use it, or would get ideas from that (link above). We have loved reading some of your letters, and if you have used the template previously, we also encourage you to write a personal one (there is no limit to the amount of times you can submit objections). For inspiration, see below to read the letters written by Zoë Garbett (City Hall), Kate Osamor MP and Whitewebbs Ward Councillors.

UPDATE ON THE PLANNING APPLICATION:
Following a delay after the planning committee meeting on 11th February 2025, and after recently publishing the Draft Section 106 (legal) agreement, Enfield Council has confirmed that a formal referral of the decision to approve the development has been made to the Greater London Authority and the Government. However, the GLA has not yet "validated" the referral of the application, and has asked the Council for "further information". Validation is when the GLA reviews an application's documents to make sure all necessary information is present. The Mayor of London's 14 day window to respond to the application only commences once it has been validated, and we will update you once this has happened. So there may be a little more time, but DO NOT DELAY! Our group is also working on future avenues of attack, should this call in/refusal process not be successful.

SECRETARY OF STATE RESPONSE:

The Secretary of State decided not to call in the application. Please find a copy of their response here. While this is disappointing news, we must keep writing to the Mayor of London.

Thank you so much for your support!

Messaging Document

We are excited to announce our new messaging document, to help with writing about Whitewebbs. You can use the key points in the document as a foundation for your writing, whether it's emails, letters, objections, or social media posts. If applicable, please refer to any supplementary documents we’ve included with this messaging guide (see our messaging folder), as they may contain specific instructions for any specific tasks/aims. We recommend choosing the messaging that means something to you or the person you are contacting and tailoring the conversation around them and their interests.

Whitewebbs Park: What Does It Mean to You?

An exciting new series celebrating the community's love of Whitewebbs! We can't let this beautiful public green space be destroyed by Spurs and Enfield Council. Please join in - details in the poster below! We can't wait to hear about your stories!

The Series:

Number 1 by Sharon Drew (April 2025) | Number 2 by Caroline Day (April 2025) | Number 3 by Mavis & Hamish (May 2025 | Number 4 by Zak Philip Music (June 2025)

Whitewebbs Oak Felling

As you will have seen on the national media, a shocking decimation of a nationally significant oak tree took place on 3rd April 2025, in the Southwestern edge of the Whitewebbs Toby Carvery car park. We now know this action was ordered by the Toby Carvery, but are uncertain of the motives. The Guardians of Whitewebbs are pursuing the case, and have found strong links between the Toby Carvery and Tottenham Hotspur Football Club (Odyzean Ltd, a subsidiary of ENIC (Spurs) owns 56.61% of the shares in Mitchells and Butlers PLC, which owns the Toby Carvery). Stay up to date with the latest news by signing up to our newsletter, WhatsApp groups and following our Instagram.

Videos:

Whitewebbs Oak Protest 20th April 2025

Also see:

The illegal felling of the Whitewebbs Oak

Email the Enfield MPs Regarding the Whitewebbs Oak

Members of Parliament can raise issues and are elected to represent their constituents. Please ask what your MP is doing to get to the bottom of the Whitewebbs Oak scandal, and request that they ask the police to fully investigate; raise the matter with the Minister for Nature in the House of Commons; and encourage Enfield Council to begin an expedited survey to identify Tree Protection Orders for all suitable Whitewebbs Park and Wood trees, thus protecting them for the future. Try to include a personal touch to your letter, and explain how you feel about the Whitewebbs Oak felling.

Sign Our Petition Demanding:

Thank you so much for nearly 50,000 signatures as of 14th May 2025!

A taster of our walks...

Our 19th October nature walk, tree shrine making and seed scattering event:

Spring Green Sketching 06/04/2025

Photo: Sharon Drew

Planning Committee Protest

11th February 2025

News Interview

Brydie Monaghan from London Live Speaks to Guardians of Whitewebbs Members Sam Gracie Tillbrook and Ed Allnutt, broadcast on 13th January 2025.

Edited by: Brydie Monaghan for London Live. | Featuring footage copyright by: Sam Gracie Tillbrook, Ed Allnutt, Jo Syz, Acro Aviator, Colin Pressland and Alison Gracie. | Events featured in additional footage: Green Sketching with Sharon Drew and the Nature Walk and Tree Shrine Making with Benny Hawksbee and Melisa Zulu.

Vision

Our aim is for Whitewebbs Park to become a designated nature reserve, while staying fully publicly accessible, to ensure protection for future generations.

We would like to see the Park continue to be a central hub for residents and visitors to enjoy the beauty of nature and to be a beacon for biodiversity in London.

Our vision is to continue to build an inclusive community focussed on rewilding; environmental and wildlife education; mindfulness and collaborative activities (outdoor crafts, gardening, nature walks, retreats, eco-therapy, sustainable sports).

Current Aims

We are campaigning to save the Park from development. Please join us - we'd love to have you on board. And please sign up - we have regular events, and it will be great to have you there.

Photo by Alison Gracie

Extra Links

Constitution | Privacy Policy

Thank you so much! 

Much love from the Guardians of Whitewebbs!

Photos from the Community

Send in your photos for a chance to be featured on our Instagram: sam@avidbeats.com

Disclaimer: We welcome your thoughts but are not responsible for content not posted by the official "Guardians of Whitewebbs" accounts (Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp Groups, Website). We do not support illegal or harmful activities, and please report any such content to us to seek removal.