POLITICIANS called on the Mayor of London and the Government to make north east London the next area for major regeneration in the capital.

Labour's David Lammy, Claire Kober and Joanne McCartney went to City Hall on Thursday, June 30, to submit a bid for the Upper Lea Valley, including Edmonton and Tottenham, to be designated an enterprise zone.

Looking out over the City towards the burgeoning regeneration areas in east London, MP for Tottenham David Lammy said he hoped his community would be the focal point for development in the next decade and beyond.

He said: “We hope the next enterprise zone will be ours - saying the priority is our bit of London, and by God we need it.

“Unemployment in Tottenham is the highest in London. We need to keep businesses in the area, giving them the flexibility to survive, and we need to attract more businesses into the area and keep them there.

“Ultimately, we want to see a real area of regional growth, to see companies deciding to come to the Upper Lee Valley.”

Tottenham was designated as a Mayoral Development Corporation in April after it missed out being named as an enterprise zone to the Royal Docks, in east London.

On the back of that decision, political leaders at Enfield Council opened talks with the Mayor over how Enfield could benefit from economic zones being created.

As the Enfield Independent reported last month, the hope is that Edmonton can become a gateway to London for top firms from this country and abroad.

Mr Lammy has been particularly vocal about the perceived bias towards that area of the capital instead of the deprived areas of east Enfield and Tottenham.

He said: “With the Mayoral Development Corporation, it was the first time the Mayor has indicated the next area for regeneration is ours, after considerable lobbying.”

The terms of an enterprise zone are negotiable, but are likely to include a raft of tax breaks and incentives to encourage top firms to relocate to the area.

Councillor Kober, leader of Haringey Council, said she believed an enterprise zone covering the Upper Lee Valley would help convince Spurs to build its new stadium in the area.

She said: “A zone would encourage growth of businesses along the N17 corridor and provide a vital link to retaining Spurs in the borough.

“To choose this area would be a good indication for the future and things to come.”

Many see keeping the club in Tottenham as vital to the area's survival, but the politicians stressed they do not believe it is all about the football club.

A decision on where the next raft of enterprise zones will be is expected to be made by the Treasury in the next few weeks.

It is also understood only one area in London is likely to be chosen, with Upper Lee Valley battling against Croydon for the nod.