MPs united to end garden grabbing
Posted Thursday 8th March 2007Garden space equivalent to 2,755 Wembley football pitches will be wiped out by the year 2016 if the growing phenomenon of 'garden grabbing' is not halted.
That is the stark warning from leading MPs Chris Mullin and Greg Clark, political rivals who have come together to give their backing to the 'Save Our Gardens' campaign. The initiative, supported by Garden Organic, the UK's leading organic growing organisation, aims to stop the destruction of gardens in towns and cities across the nation.
An example of garden grabbing?
Garden grabbing is a practice where property developers snap up large detached houses, knock them down and then squeeze a small estate of new homes onto the same plot. This erosion of Britain's green spaces is made possible by a loophole in the law which sees gardens defined as brownfield sites, making them ripe for development.
With building land at a premium in urban areas, cases of garden grabbing are on the rise, with local planning authorities seemingly powerless to stop it. A decision turned down at a local level can still be approved by the Planning Inspectorate, completely disregarding town planning and the communities that live in the area.
Last month, a Ten Minute Bill was introduced in Parliament calling for the removal of gardens from the definition of brownfield sites. The Bill will receive a second hearing on Friday 15 June 2007. This follows on from Greg Clark's Early Day Motion introduced to the House, which drew support from 171 MPs across the political spectrum.
"It's shocking that this is going on but it may only be the tip of the iceberg. Losing green space that is the equivalent of 2,755 Wembley pitches will have a devastating affect on many areas of life, not least the environment, children's health and everybody's quality of life," said Greg Clark, Conservative MP for Tunbridge Wells.
"With over 15 per cent of new homes being built on previously residential areas and with building land in urban areas becoming harder to come by, the practice of garden grabbing isn't going to go away and can only get worse," predicted Dr Susan Kay-Williams, chief executive of Garden Organic.
Members of the public can show their support for the 'Save Our Gardens' campaign by signing an online petition calling for the reclassification of gardens. The petition forms part of a downloadable lobbying kit that constituents can use to rally their MP, encouraging them to be present at the next reading of the Ten Minute Bill, when it returns to the House in June.
"This is a problem, even in Sunderland, where we have acres of derelict brownfield land suitable for housing," said Sunderland South MP Chris Mullin. He added: "I once remarked to a friend in the building industry that developers seemed to be driving around looking for large gardens to build in and he replied, 'good heavens no, they are flying over in helicopters.' There are only a handful of above average size gardens left in Sunderland and, at this rate, they will all be gone in a few years."
"Removing gardens from the definition of brownfield sites would protect our green spaces from future development, giving our children gardens to play in rather than living amongst concrete jungles and building sites," continued Dr Kay-Williams. "We understand the need for more housing but it needs to be suitable for the local populace so that families and communities can have access to gardens. By giving the decision-making power back to local authorities, the needs and circumstances of local people can be taken into account."
"Let us end this process now so children have space to learn, explore and exercise and adults have space to relax. If we don't, future generations will only be able to experience nature through a handful of public gardens. People need to speak to their MPs, let them know how strongly they feel and implore them to ensure they attend the next reading of the Bill in June," she concluded.
Members of the public can sign the Save Our Gardens petition, find out more about the campaign and download the online lobbying kit by visiting www.gardenorganic.org.uk/saveourgardens/.
Top of pageGarden Organic is the working name of the Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA).
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