Leaders of Enfield Council are facing scrutiny over their decision-making in light of accepting match tickets shortly before ancient oaks were cut down by contractors linked to Tottenham Hotspur. This has raised eyebrows given the recent logging of 500-year-old oaks by Mitchell & Butler’s Retail, a pub chain leasing land from the council.
Council worker Elgin Erbil voiced the council’s concerns regarding these actions. He disclosed that on March 23, he would attend a friendly veterans’ match between Tottenham and AC Milan, having accepted five free tickets from the Spurs charity, the Tottenham Hotspur FC Foundation.
Both Spurs and MBR are primarily owned by the investment firm Enic. Reports have surfaced indicating Spurs may lease land from MBR where the logged trees once stood.
In February, Enfield approved a plan from Spurs to develop a Women’s Football Training Academy on nearby land at a former golf course site. The club intends to enter into a £2 million land rental agreement with the council.
During a recent match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Spurs Legends triumphed 6-2, Erbil spoke with club executive Dona Maria Karen, who indicated that there had been no lobbying from the club concerning development or leasing discussions for the Toby Carblee site.
Erbil, along with another councillor, received tickets after granting planning permission for Spurs at Whitewebs. He dismissed suggestions linking his attendance at the game to the oak tree logging, labeling them as “conspiracy theories.”
He asserted, “I reject the notion that attending community events compromises my integrity. This occasion is not tied to the council’s business or future decisions regarding Spurs or MBR.”
Nonetheless, some activists argue that this hospitality raises questions about the council’s relationship with Spurs, urging Erbil to recuse himself from future real estate decisions involving the club.
Ed Allnut, from the Guardians of Whitewebs, a group advocating for the area to remain a park, challenged Erbil’s claim of non-involvement in the park’s development, calling it unreliable since it directly impacts his leadership of the council.
A spokesperson for Labour London noted that Erbil should step aside from future development decisions linked to land transitions involving Mitchells and Butler.
However, Erbil remarked that this could create issues for his colleagues on the planning committee and the council’s legal team. An Enfield Council representative stated that Erbil has operated with integrity and transparency, indicating no plans for self-denial in hypothetical situations.
Last year, a tree specialist hired by Spurs rated Toby Carblee Oak as a “great specimen” with a lifespan of at least 50 years. MBR claimed it was removed for safety reasons, stating it was dead or diseased, a position disputed by activists and experts who valued the tree at around £960,000 due to its ecological importance.
Research by Spurs suggests that the oaks in question are situated on council land outside the MBR lease area. Erbil confirmed that council officers had fully validated the trees that had been removed from land leased by MBR.
He remarked, “The idea that the trees were cut down to facilitate the future of Spurs is fundamentally flawed.”
Erbil also mentioned that Enfield Council has initiated legal action against MBR for cutting the trees without consent and has stopped accepting rent from them due to this breach.
Under the lease agreement, MBR was obligated to protect the landscape and obtain council approval before undertaking any tree work—a requirement they bypassed before the oak’s removal.
Additionally, an investigation by the Forestry Commission into the tree destruction is currently ongoing.
A spokesperson for Spurs noted that the charity match helped raise funds for local projects focusing on happiness, employment, and education.
