GARDEN GRABBING IS OUT OF HAND (Cheltenham Liberal Democrats)

Cheltenham Liberal Democrats <info@cheltlibdems.org.uk>

GARDEN GRABBING IS OUT OF HAND

June 19, 2007 12:22 PM

Residents of Gloucestershire are concerned about the amount of building going on in domestic gardens. Locals from affected residential areas have made frequent complaints about the impacts such developments have upon their privacy, as well as the character and biodiversity of the areas where they take place.

Now Liberal Democrats are calling for the County Council to act upon these concerns.

At present the Government classifies gardens along with former commercial and industrial areas as "brownfield" sites, essentially sections of land that have been previously developed. Current planning guidelines emphasise the importance of building on these sites which makes it difficult for the local Planning Authorities to refuse planning permission to those who wish to build on gardens.

Tomorrow Cllr Jeremy Hilton, Liberal Democrat group leader, and Cllr Roger Brown, Liberal Democrat spokesman for Green Issues, will propose that the Council join a campaign to change the status of gardens from brownfields and write to the Government to express its concerns.

Cllr Jeremy Hilton said:

"We are keenly aware of the need for more affordable houses and the high importance of preserving the green belt, but unrestrained building on residential gardens is not the answer to our housing difficulties. The Government needs to come up with a new, more sophisticated solution, which distinguishes between such places as a disused industrial site and a residential back garden."

Cllr Brown said:

"I am seconding this motion because I am concerned about the green issues associated with classifying gardens as brownfield sites. The Government is absolutely right in emphasising the importance of preserving the greenbelt, but it is self-defeating to encourage development on other important green areas such as peoples' gardens. Developers are increasingly buying up properties and building upon the gardens, and this involves felling unprotected trees and threatening bird habitats. There is no doubt that this is bad for biodiversity, not to mention the appearance, character and living conditions of our local neighbourhoods. I hope the Tory and Labour groups on the County Council will join us in urging the Government to re-think this complicated housing problem."