Save Our Gardens
The issue
Current planning law defines gardens as brownfield sites. Due to new housing targets for brownfield sites developers are able to acquire houses with large gardens and put in planning applications. Even if local people and the local council object and deny planning permission, developers can appeal to planning inspectors who approve the plans as it helps them to meet their "new housing" and "building on brownfield site" targets.
Often, one or two houses with large gardens are purchased by developers and are converted into many new flats and houses, covering almost the entire footprint with tarmac and concrete, seriously reducing the amount of green space for a much enlarged population.
Greg Clark, MP for Tunbridge Wells, tabled an Early Day Motion to have gardens removed from the definition of being brownfield sites last year (2006). This was signed by 179 MPs. However the motion ran out of time to be heard.
After an outcry from people and local councils about the impact of wide scale garden grabbing a bill was launched in February by Caroline Spelman, MP for Meriden.
The Land Use Bill is due to be heard on Friday 19 October 2007.
What would be the impact of removing gardens from the definition of being "brownfield" sites?
Simply by specifically removing gardens from being defined as brownfield sites, developments would no longer be (almost) automatically approved by planning inspectors.
The decision would revert to local authorities who could make considered decisions based on local need and conditions.
Many local authorities wish to manage the types and ranges of housing to maintain the character of areas and to recognise people's need for access to green space but this is being denied due to national interpretation of planning rules.
Government action required
To remove gardens from the definition of being brownfield sites, so decision making on new-build housing developments reverts to local authorities.
Why is Garden Organic leading the campaign?
Garden Organic is the national charity for organic gardening. As a membership organisation, we recognise our members consider their gardens to be more than just a place of leisure and productivity.
We believe that gardens fulfil a range of very important functions for the community as a whole, and the environment.
Gardens:
- Provide unique habitats encouraging wildlife and biodiversity; the total area of home gardens makes a significant contribution to nature conservation. The network of gardens can create "green corridors" through urban sprawl.
- Offer space for rest and relaxation and are known to be important for people's health and well being, e.g. stress reducing.
- Provides space for domestic production of fruit and vegetables, enabling householders to reduce the food miles for a proportion of the food they consume.
- Help teach future generations about nature, not just observing it but actually participating in it.
- Provide space and raw materials for composting kitchen and garden wastes (reducing landfill and transport of waste) and another valuable location for biodiversity.
- Ensure rainwater is used and does not simply run off (causing flooding, etc).
- Lock up carbon in plants.
Top of pageGarden Organic is the working name of the Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA).
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