A politician has called for the council to protect “the jewel in Enfield’s crown” after an adventure park company bid for a café.
Enfield Southgate MP David Burrowes said that many users of Trent Park had concerns that parts of the 320 hectare green space were under threat by private developers who did not have the community’s interests at heart.
A petition run by campaign group True Friends of Trent Park to save the park’s café three weeks ago has now been signed by 1,817 people, as they fear that Enfield Council may hand the lease to Go Ape, the company whose controversial tree-top adventure course opens this weekend.
Middlesex University is also closing its campus based at the mansion in the park at the end of the academic year, although the Grade II listed building is reserved for educational use.
Mr Burrowes is supporting a bid to house the St Andrew the Apostle Greek Orthodox School at the mansion, which is currently being considered by the Department for Education.
He added: “Trent Park is a park that I grew up in – it’s the jewel in the crown of Enfield and isn’t being looked after well enough. We need to do all we can to use it for the public benefit.”