On the fringes of North London, a unique cluster of family-run garden centres known as the 'golden mile' faces an existential threat. The Crews Hill area near Enfield, a verdant enclave of horticultural businesses tucked inside the M25, has been identified as a prime location for one of the government's flagship new towns, putting decades of local trade and community in jeopardy.
A Community in Limbo
For business owners like Nina Barnes, the uncertainty is palpable. She owns the Culver garden centre site, first purchased by her late father in 1973. "Why am I going to willingly sell up a successful business?" she asks, encapsulating the dismay felt by many. The proposed development isn't an abstract planning concept; it would see new houses built literally in her back yard.
Emma Breeze, who runs Three Counties Garden and Leisure Buildings—established by her father in 1988—reports that speculation is already damaging trade. Customers question the decade-long guarantees on sheds and summerhouses, fearing the business won't be there to honour them. "We're in limbo at the moment," Breeze states, committed to moving rather than closing if forced, but desperate for clarity.
The sentiment is echoed by Simon Aylward, whose fencing business, Aylwards, is a nearly 40-year-old fixture on the Culver site. With his son and niece representing the third generation working there, he speaks of becoming "part of the fabric of the local area." He insists local opposition is widespread, yet feels their voices are falling on "closed ears."
The Scale of the Development Plan
The stakes are high. The new towns taskforce has recommended Crews Hill and nearby Chase Park, a 884-hectare (2,184-acre) part of Enfield's green belt, as a promising site. Housing Secretary Steve Reed has singled it out, alongside locations like Tempsford in Bedfordshire.
The proposed development is vast: a plan for 21,000 homes, with a target for 50% to be affordable, would transform an area currently home to just 500 people. Proponents argue it would deliver crucial housing, new schools, shops, doctors' surgeries, and improved transport links beyond the current four peak-time trains per hour to Moorgate.
This push has gained urgency with recent figures showing UK housebuilding in its worst slump since the pandemic began, putting more pressure on Labour's goal of building 1.5 million homes this parliament.
History, Value, and a Clash of Visions
The business owners take particular issue with the taskforce's description of the land as "poor quality green belt." "To be told you are 'low value' is quite horrendous," says Emma Breeze. The area's history contradicts this label. Named after an 18th-century local folk hero, William Crew, the land was once part of the ancient Enfield Chase hunting ground. It later became arable land, then in the early 20th century hosted glasshouses supplying fresh produce and flowers to London via train.
As imports grew, these greenhouses evolved into the beloved garden centres of today. This isn't the first time Crews Hill has been eyed for housing; Enfield Council previously proposed 5,500 homes there. A potential advantage for developers is that a major landowner is the London Borough of Enfield itself.
Tenants like Trevor Wyllie, who runs the 40-year-old Enfield Bird Centre founded by his father, argue alternative sites exist. "Enfield needs homes, but there are so many empty sites in Enfield which they have cleared but never built on," he says, suggesting former industrial 'brownfield' land.
Housing campaigners offer a nuanced view. Matt Burn from Better Homes for Enfield concedes green belt land like Crews Hill must be considered to meet housing needs, but warns against steamrolling existing businesses. He points to the council's Meridian Water project, where over 1,000 local jobs were lost for a development that has delivered only 300 of a planned 10,000 homes, lagging behind schedule.
"These businesses are not blockers, they're the real builders, the people who bring the money, create the jobs and you should not mark them out," Burn asserts.
Enfield Council leader, Ergin Erbil, says any development is "not just about homes" but would bring "significant investment and improved infrastructure." The council believes construction could start before the end of the decade, focusing on "inaccessible low-grade fields" and parts of the green belt.
With ministers set to decide on new town locations this spring, the families of Crews Hill's golden mile are left waiting, their futures and livelihoods hanging in the balance, emblematic of the tough choices at the heart of the UK's housing crisis.
