The club faces a new threat to their long-standing plans to build a new academy complex for their women’s players at Whitewebbs Park
Tottenham’s proposals to build an academy training complex for their women’s team in Whitewebbs Park face a new opponent in the recently-elected leader of Enfield Council.
The council voted to approved Spurs’ plans last year to turn a disused former golf course near their Hotspur Way home into a new women’s and girls’ football complex, with 11 football pitches and a training centre on 16 hectares of land, the restoration of the parkland for the public on another 23 hectares and the remaining 12 hectares being preserved as woodland.
However, those plans stalled with a high court judicial review granted amid opposition to the proposals and claims that mistakes had been made in the council’s process. That is yet to be heard and comes on the back of a failed litigation in 2024 that challenged the council’s decision to hand Spurs a 25-year lease for the grounds.
That lease is yet to be signed over and Tottenham have a new obstacle in their way as the recently-elected leader of Enfield Council Alessandro Georgiou signalled his intention this week to block the plans.
At the annual council meeting on Wednesday, Georgiou, the leader of the new minority Conservative administration, confirmed that he would refuse to sign the lease over to the north London club so as to preserve Whitewebbs “for the enjoyment of future generations”.
The council had received 788 objections to the original plans back in 2022, including from some councillors. Those objections included concerns ranging from reduced public access, loss of wildlife habitats and a lack of consultation.
There was also a famous objector to the plans earlier this year in Oscar-winning acting legend Dame Judi Dench. The 91-year-old wrote for the Campaign to Protect Rural England in a press release, saying: “Staggeringly, 10% of public land in Britain has been lost since 1979. Whitewebbs Park in Enfield is one of the public parks currently under threat.”
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She added: “Spurs’ plans to develop the park involve cutting down 207 trees, including veteran and mature trees, and taking over most of the park for their elite private use.
“It is absolutely essential for us to protect these trees and people’s access to nature. CPRE London is assisting the fight to save Whitewebbs and other sites currently under threat and it is clear to me that it is more important than ever to protect our parks and green spaces, before it’s too late.”
Spurs also plan to create a Sports Turf Academy, providing employment and training opportunities for sports turf, greenkeeping, horticultural and mechanical staff. They proposed to redevelop a southern clubhouse from the old golf course into a new cafe and toilets for park visitors along with other facilities and opportunities for community and educational activities.
Former Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy had said back in 2021 as part of the proposal: “As with our existing training centre, close attention to detail will be paid to ensuring the site’s natural environmental habitat is maintained and enhanced and that all design is to the very highest standards.
“Our proposals will enhance public access, improve opportunities for recreational and community use and build on the fantastic work that has been delivered by our Foundation in Enfield over the past decade.
“The new Women and Girls’ Football Academy will enable us to continue developing the game at grass roots level and to improve participation in the sport. It would be the first of its kind in the UK and it would be in Enfield – an inspirational setting.”
Five years on though and Tottenham’s plans still look a long way from being realised.
