London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Enfield council leader under pressure for accepting Spurs tickets days before the felling of a 500-year-old oak by linked contractors.
As reported by The Guardian, Enfield council chief faces calls to step back from Spurs development following his acceptance of tickets before a tree was controversially felled.
What links a charity match to the felling of a 500-year-old oak?
Ergin Erbil, Labour leader of Enfield, has been vocal about the outrage after the destruction of a historic oak on 3 April. The act was carried out by contractors working for Mitchells & Butlers Retail, the pub group leasing land from the borough.
He declared on March 23 that he accepted five free tickets from Tottenham Hotspur’s charity for a friendly veterans’ match with AC Milan.
Spurs and MBR are mainly owned by Enic, an investment company. According to the Guardian, Spurs could lease land from MBR where the tree was removed.
In February, Enfield approved outline planning permission for a women’s football training academy on 17 hectares at Whitewebbs Park. The club plans to rent the land for £2m.
Erbil met with Spurs executive Donna-Maria Cullen during the 6-2 legends game but claimed there was no lobbying or talks related to development plans.
After Spurs secured planning consent for Whitewebbs, Erbil and another councillor accepted tickets, though neither participated in the decision-making process.
What did Erbil say about linking his game attendance to the tree felling?
Erbil rejected speculation tying his presence at the Spurs game to the oak’s removal, calling such claims “veering into conspiracy theory territory.”
He added,
“I reject the idea that attending a charity event with other community stakeholders compromises my integrity. The event had no connection to council business and no bearing on any future decisions involving Spurs or MBR.”
Erbil highlighted that these decisions are in the hands of the planning committee and the property and legal teams, not him.
He mentioned that his office had “100% confirmed” that the tree was located on land leased to MBR by the council.
Erbil said,
“The idea that the tree was removed to facilitate a future road for Spurs is factually wrong and geographically implausible.”
The council leader continued,
“Enfield council is taking legal action against Mitchells & Butlers for cutting down the tree without permission, which breached their lease. As a result, the council has stopped accepting rent from them.”
What did Ed Allnutt say about Erbil’s role in the Spur’s plans?
Campaigners questioned Spurs’ ties with the council and urged Erbil to step aside from future planning decisions.
Ed Allnutt, the secretary of Guardians of Whitewebbs, a group pushing to keep the area as a public park, stated,
“Erbil claims a lack of involvement in the development of the park. This is not credible. It is a major development in the borough where he leads the council. Our understanding is that in his role, he will have to sign off on the S106 conditions for the Spurs plans. Will he recuse himself from this responsibility?”
What did the Labour London spokesperson say about Erbil’s future involvement in the development?
A spokesperson from Labour London confirmed that Erbil would step back from any upcoming decisions regarding the development and the possible land lease from Mitchells & Butlers to Spurs.
What did the Enfield Council spokesperson say about Erbil’s actions?
A spokesperson for Enfield Council stated,
“Erbil has acted with integrity and transparency throughout. We are not going to get into speculation about whether he would recuse himself from hypothetical situations sometime in the future.”
Spurs spokesperson on charity match
According to a Spurs spokesperson, the charity match Erbil attended supported the foundation’s initiatives in wellbeing, education, and employment.