Draft London Plan: What It Could Mean for Crews Hill and How to Have Your Say
The Draft London Plan consultation is open, and Crews Hill and Chase Park are identified as an area for major future growth. The consultation closes at 5pm on Thursday 15 October 2026.
This article explains some of the issues being raised locally and how anyone with an interest in Crews Hill can read the proposals and submit their own views. You do not have to be a planning expert or live in London to take part.
What is being discussed?
Crews Hill and Chase Park are identified in the Draft London Plan as a Broad Location for Growth. That means the future of the area — including its Green Belt, businesses, transport, ecology and potential housing growth — is being considered at a strategic London-wide level.
Local businesses, residents and community groups have raised questions about whether the existing value of Crews Hill has been fully understood before major change is considered.
What already exists at Crews Hill?
Welcome to Crews Hill currently represents more than 130 businesses. The area includes garden centres, nurseries, aquatics, cafés, restaurants, garden-building companies, landscapers, equestrian businesses, specialist retailers and other independent businesses.
Local evidence has suggested that the wider Crews Hill economy supports more than 1,000 jobs across horticulture, retail, catering and related sectors. Many businesses also support landscapers, designers, builders, architects, florists, growers, manufacturers and suppliers beyond Crews Hill itself.
One concern raised locally is that relocation may not be straightforward. Many businesses rely on large outdoor areas, yards, growing land, display space, specialist facilities and proximity to complementary businesses.
Young people, jobs and careers
Another issue being raised is the role Crews Hill plays in giving young people their first experience of work.
Garden centres, nurseries, cafés, animal businesses, shops, landscaping suppliers and other employers regularly provide part-time, weekend, holiday and entry-level jobs. Local business owners also describe people going on from early work around Crews Hill into landscaping, horticulture, building and other practical careers.
There does not appear to be a complete published count of how many under-21s or 21–24-year-olds currently work in Crews Hill. Some local businesses are therefore asking for youth employment, training, apprenticeships and career progression to be measured before decisions are made.
Capel Manor and green skills
Crews Hill is close to Capel Manor College, a specialist environmental and horticultural college. Local businesses see potential for stronger links through work experience, apprenticeships, horticulture, garden design, landscaping, animal care, construction and environmental careers.
A question being raised is whether Crews Hill and Capel Manor could form a stronger green-skills and employment hub as part of the area's future.
The green economy and ecology
Crews Hill is strongly associated with plants, trees, food growing, greenhouses, landscaping, garden design, horticulture and outdoor living. Local businesses argue that this role should be considered alongside wider goals on climate resilience, biodiversity, urban greening and green skills.
People who work and live locally also report a wide range of wildlife, including birds, bees, butterflies, bats, frogs and other amphibians, voles and reptiles. Not all of these observations are formal ecological records, which is why some respondents are asking for comprehensive seasonal surveys before development capacity is fixed.
Transport and Crews Hill station
Crews Hill has a railway station, but local users point to accessibility and connectivity problems. The station has no step-free access, and concerns have been raised about service frequency, reliability, bus connections, walking routes and links between the station and local businesses.
One question for the consultation is whether improving existing public transport for residents, workers, students and visitors should form part of the area's future regardless of the scale of new development.
Economic and fiscal questions
Housing generates council tax and economic activity, while the existing businesses generate business rates, VAT, employment taxes, wages, visitor spending and supply-chain activity.
Local respondents are asking for a proper net comparison: what would proposed development generate, what services and infrastructure would it require, and what existing economic activity could be lost or displaced?
Issues you may want to consider in your own response
the businesses and jobs already operating in Crews Hill
youth employment, first jobs, apprenticeships and career pathways
the relationship with Capel Manor and green skills
business rates, wider taxation, visitor spending and supply chains
whether businesses could realistically relocate and what land they need
wildlife, habitats and the working Green Belt
rail, bus, walking and cycling improvements
the effects of long-term planning uncertainty on investment
the evidence behind housing numbers and proposed development capacity
and alternative futures for Crews Hill, including investment in its horticultural, environmental and visitor economy
How to have your say
You may support the proposals, oppose them, support some parts and not others, or suggest changes. The important thing is to give your own experience and explain why it matters.
If you run a business, you could explain what your business does, how many people you employ, how much land or display space you need and whether relocation would be realistic.
If you started work in Crews Hill or it influenced your career, you can explain that. If you use the station, visit the businesses or know the local wildlife and landscape, you can describe your own experience.
The Draft London Plan consultation closes at 5pm on Thursday 15 October 2026. You can respond through the official consultation portal, and written representations can also be emailed to londonplan@london.gov.uk.
Please use your own words and your own experience. The consultation is an opportunity for people who know Crews Hill to make sure the evidence considered includes what the area is like today, what it contributes and what they believe its future should be.
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