On the fringes of North London, a unique cluster of family-run garden centres and horticultural businesses, known locally as the 'golden mile', faces an existential threat from government housing targets. Crews Hill, near Enfield, a rural enclave of winding lanes and greenhouses just inside the M25, has been identified as a prime location for one of Labour's flagship new towns.
A Community in Limbo Over Development Plans
The site, covering 884 hectares of green belt land, is currently home to around 500 people and a thriving collection of plant nurseries, fencing traders, and leisure building suppliers. A proposal from the government's new towns taskforce could see it transformed, with plans for 21,000 new homes, half of which are targeted to be affordable. Housing Secretary Steve Reed has highlighted Crews Hill as one of the most promising locations for development, alongside Tempsford in Bedfordshire and Leeds South Bank.
For business owners like Nina Barnes, whose father first bought the Culver garden centre site in 1973, the uncertainty is crippling. "Why am I going to willingly sell up a successful business?" she asks. Barnes, who has lived on the site her entire life, rejects accusations of 'nimbyism', arguing her concern is for the community and employees built over decades. "It's a family that we've built around here with all these tenants," she explains.
Businesses Fear Being Labelled 'Low Value'
The taskforce's September report described the area as offering "poor quality green belt land," a characterisation that has stung local traders. Emma Breeze, who runs Three Counties Garden and Leisure Buildings—a business founded by her late father in 1988—says the label is "quite horrendous." She reports that customer confidence is already waning, with people questioning long-term guarantees on sheds and summerhouses. "We're in limbo at the moment," Breeze states, adamant that the business would look to relocate rather than close if forced.
Neighbouring trader Simon Aylward, owner of fencing business Aylwards, echoes the sentiment. With his son and niece representing the third generation in the nearly 40-year-old firm, he insists there is widespread local opposition. "We have become part of the fabric of the local area," Aylward says, frustrated that their voices "seem to fall on closed ears."
Historical Site, Modern Housing Crisis
Crews Hill's history as a supplier to London dates back centuries, from arable land to glasshouses growing cut flowers for the capital in the early 20th century. The shift to garden centres came later, as cheaper imports from Holland changed the market. This isn't the first time its potential for housing has been spotted; Enfield Council previously proposed 5,500 homes here, noting that a main landowner is the council itself.
While housing campaigners have cautiously welcomed the large-scale proposal as a way to meet Labour's ambitious goal of 1.5 million homes this parliament, they urge caution. Matt Burn from the group Better Homes for Enfield warns against steamrolling existing businesses, citing the loss of over 1,000 local jobs when firms were cleared from the Meridian Water development site, much of which remains unbuilt.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said they "recognise the valuable contribution of local businesses" and would work with communities. Enfield Council leader Ergin Erbil said any development was "not just about homes" but would bring investment and improved infrastructure, with construction potentially starting before 2030.
For now, the fate of Crews Hill's golden mile rests on a ministerial decision expected this spring, leaving a community of businesses and families awaiting a verdict that will reshape their landscape forever.
