Chris Packham criticises Tottenham's 'nonsensical' wildlife park development plans

Renowned Springwatch presenter Chris Packham has slammed Tottenham Hotspur chiefs for what he decries as "absolutely bonkers" designs on a section of Whitewebbs Park in Enfield, North London, which may soon morph into training grounds for a women's football academy.

Spurs have eyed up land within the park to mould it into an elite hub for their women's team. In stark contradiction, Packham asserts: "They'll be no football on a dead planet....what we are up against is the bloated monster that is the football Premier League with its unfortunate economic might. This is another case of David versus Goliath."

Boasting habitats for over 80 bird species plus an array of wildlife including bats, great crested newts, badgers, and butterflies, the park has become a contentious battleground. After local resident Sean Wilkinson took Spurs to court in an attempt to halt their plans and lost, he is now frantically mustering £20,000 to fund an appeal.

Packham throws his weight behind this effort, scathingly commenting, "What's the score at the moment? Tottenham: 1, Planet; Nil. That's it isn't it."

He doesn't stop there, questioning the necessity of such a development by saying, "If they've done without the astro turf and pitches up until this point then why do they need it there now? We are going to lose so much valuable space for what are essentially football pitches. We are losing that acid rich grassland to a small group of people behind fences who kick a ball around. It's absolutely nonsensical.", reports the Mirror.

He lamented the current climate crisis gripping the globe, emphasising the importance of preserving urban greenery for mental well-being.

Chris remarked: "This is at a time where we are conscious of the fact we need to protect every last square of greenery, particularly in cities where it has multiple values. It's not just about nature conservation, it's about people's mental health and access to nature for people who are living in a crowded urban environment. It's absolutely bonkers and Spurs are totally disconnected from reality."

Chris also highlighted the massive turnout for his recent London march, Restore Nature Now, which saw over 100,000 supporters rallying for the cause.

He asserted: "Frankly, nature needs to come first. If they need new pitches, put them somewhere where it doesn't matter. Whitewebbs Park matters. So, you can't have it. That's the point we should be at. The reality is that we can't afford to lose anymore green spaces in our cities, they keep the cities cool. You only need a map to look at the world, to see that many parts of it are cooking."

Spurs have announced that The Women's and Girls' Training facility will occupy a mere 18 per cent of the Whitewebbs site, committing to revitalise the old golf course into historic parkland, refurbish an existing pond, and construct a fresh cafe and meeting spot.

The club is set to plant 3,000 new trees and enhance footpaths, alongside establishing a birdwatching platform and a "biodiversity corridor".

They have proposed nine pitches, with only one being astroturf.