The moves comes amid concerns that classify gardens as brownfield sites,the same as ex factory land, means that too many developers have been buying houses and then using the garden to build on.
Campaigners have been trying for years to get the practice banned as they say is results in the loss of vital green space in towns and cities and affects living standards as it increases population density.
Yesterday Planning Minister Greg Clark said gardens will be removed from the brown field category thus giving local authorities the power to reject unwanted developments if local people object.
‘It is ridiculous that gardens have until now been classified in the same group as derelict factories and disused railway sidings, forcing councils and communities to sit by and watch their neighbourhoods get swallowed up in a concrete jungle. You have to look at how many homes we need and where they will be built,’ he said.
His announcement also includes the scrapping of housing density targets, instituted by Labour to specify a certain percentage of development floorspace for every hectare of land.
The British Property Federation has welcomed the move. ‘We won’t mourn the passing of density targets which, like most of the housing aspirations held by the last government, failed dismally to translate into any benefit for communities.
Research has shown that less housing was built at the peak of the housing boom after these targets came in than was before Labour came to power,’ said Chief executive Liz Peace.
However, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has attacked the planned measures, which it says ignores the crisis in housing provision, especially the need for more affordable homes.
‘It is very disappointing that the government has decided to give priority to the issue of garden grabbing rather than help the thousands of families in this country that need an affordable home. Reclassifying all gardens will inevitably mean even more pressure to build on the green belt and the countryside. What is need is a comprehensive review of the planning system
to look at how we can allocate more land for housing,’ he said.
Mark Dodds, partner at planning consultancy DPP said it would be cutting off some of the only land available to build on. ‘If we are to avoid building on green field sites then it is important to increase the density of building on existing residential land. If this avenue is closed off then the only remaining alternative is the recycling of employment land, already in short supply in many areas of housing need,’ he explained.
