The 7 May 2026 local election results will create various flashpoints as between locally elected politicians and the government’s planning policies.
An early, perhaps totemic, one is over the proposed new town at Crews Hill and Chase Park within the north London borough of Enfield, now that the Conservatives have taken the council.
The Government’s 23 March 2026 new towns draft programme (the consultation period for which closed on 19 May) has it as one of three “priority interventions” within its final draft shortlist of seven:
“Crews Hill and Chase Park, Enfield provides an opportunity with high potential for land value capture through green belt release – delivering up to 21,000 homes in outer London, a region facing extremely high housing demand and low housing affordability.
The potential impacts on the natural landscape could be significant given the site’s greenfield status. These will be mitigated wherever possible through comprehensive masterplanning and consideration of how the Enfield Chase Landscape Recovery project could support mitigation and nature recovery.
Our view is that any remaining impacts would be outweighed by the need for housing delivery in London and low availability of land, especially as the existing greenfield land is low-quality agricultural use.”
The previous Labour administration had supported the designation.
The submitted local plan, currently at examination, allocates Crews Hill and Chase Park as strategic growth areas, albeit not at the scale envisaged by the government’s New Towns Taskforce. Following the government’s earlier new towns announcement in December 2025, the local plan inspector had invited responses to the issues raised in so far as they might relate to the local plan examination process and the council had responded on 20 January 2026 that further engagement on the new town designation would take place separate from progress on the proposed local plan allocations. Main modifications consultation is still to take place followed by publication of the inspector’s final report.
In the meantime, on 28 May 2026, following the election of councillor Alessandro Georgiou as leader, the council announced that it has “formally withdrawn” from the new towns programme and “will no longer support proposals linked to the programme, including development at Crews Hill, Vicarage Farm and across parts of the borough’s Green Belt”. Georgiou’s letter states:
“The new Conservative administration was elected on a clear and unequivocal mandate to protect our borough’s irreplaceable green spaces. The strength of public feeling on this matter cannot be overstated: 77% of the Enfield electorate voted for parties whose 2026 manifestos explicitly committed to opposing the proposed New Town. This decision directly reflects the democratic will of the residents we have been chosen to represent.
… it is important to note that the London Borough of Enfield is itself a major landowner within the designated New Town area. As the principal custodian of this land, our administration has resolved to use our strategic position and ownership rights to actively ensure that these vital natural assets are preserved, rather than being surrendered to unsustainable urban sprawl.”
It’s an interesting battle of “democratic wills” given that of course Labour’s 2024 general election manifesto promised to “build a new generation of new towns” across England.
The government’s March 2026 new towns consultation programme consultation document indicated that the government “intends to publish final proposals and confirm the new towns locations later in the Summer. We will publish a full government response to the recommendations of the New Towns Taskforce, including more detail on how our confirmed locations will be delivered in line with our ambition for the programme.
Following confirmation of which locations will be taken forward through the New Towns Programme, the government will use every lever at its disposal to prioritise early delivery of homes and infrastructure. This includes establishing clear programme governance through a single front door to government, agreeing delivery vehicles for selected locations, and mobilising funding and business case work with local partners to enable infrastructure-first masterplanning.”
However, ahead even of publishing those final proposals, the prime minster has this week come out fighting in reaction to the position now taken by Enfield. From a 3 June 2026 press statement :
“Where projects have stalled or been watered down, the government will back mayors to push them through – unlocking homes, infrastructure and jobs, particularly for younger generations.
This includes challenging Enfield Council’s refusal to support a proposed New Town in an area with significant housing need, which is near to an under-used train station. The Prime Minister is clear that decisions on new towns will be taken in the national interest alone, because it will be the next generation that suffers from inaction.
He will also confirm action to deliver the public transport services that new homes rely on. This includes confirming that the government is in discussion with the Mayor of London to bring the local services from Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City and Stevenage under Transport for London control. This could improve reliability and deliver easier connections across the network, including the proposed New Town at Crews Hill and Chase Park.”
So what could we see now? Surely, negotiation between the Government and the Mayor of London with a view to the Mayor creating a Mayoral Development Corporation, with compulsory purchase as well as planning powers, to seek to ensure that the Crews Hill and Chase Park proposal comes forward. Given the end of the Mayor’s current political term in May 2028 and the prospect of a general election the following year at the latest, there is some need for speed.
The prime minister presumably cannot be seen to back down in the face of this challenge. If he does, the whole new towns programme could begin to unravel.
And what of the local plan? No doubt any attempt to withdraw it would lead to MHCLG intervention. But will the inspector still be able to find the plan “sound”, unless he has sufficient reassurance from the Mayor and/or government as to the steps they will be taking if the council continues to hold out?
Projects of this scale (1) require long-term political commitment and (2) invariably face local opposition.
NB I really enjoyed our “Ten Years’ Time” event on Monday evening. Thank you to those who came and thank you to all of our stellar panellists. The event raised a healthy sum for youth charity XLP (final amount still being totted up). However, we only scratched the surface of the theme. I wish I had asked the panel to predict what progress will be made in relation to any of the proposed new towns by 2036. Answers on a postcard, if anyone remembers them.
Simon Ricketts, 5 June 2026
Personal views, et cetera
SIMONICITY 