Bid to halt 'garden grabbers'

From the archive, first published Monday 10th Jul 2006.

Back gardens across Sussex are disappearing under housing developments because of growing pressure for new homes.

Figures from the Department of Communities and Local Government reveal the number of homes bought up and bulldozed for flats in Sussex is higher than the rest of the country.

The national average is 15 per cent of new homes built on the site of old ones in 2004.

Both Wealden and Chichester reported 44 per cent. Rother has 39 per cent and in Crawley the 2001-4 average is 48 per cent.

Now MPs are fighting "garden grabbing" by seeking to close a legal loophole defining back gardens as brownfield sites. The Government recommends that brownfield sites be used.

Conservative MP for Tunbridge Wells, Greg Clark, will bring a private bill before parliament on Friday.

He said: "Councils should be given the right to refuse planning applications by developers where they believe that precious green space, which is a haven for wildlife and delights the eye, will be lost."

He is backed by Conservative MP for Wealden, Charles Hendry, who said: "It's destroying the green nature of our towns."

Labour MP for Hastings and Rye, Michael Foster, who covers Rother district, said: "I am surprised Rother has permitted so many properties to be demolished."

Ted Beresford Knox, head of planning for Crawley Borough Council, said: "There is very little land outside the built-up area which could reasonably be considered for development."

A Chichester District Council spokeswoman said planning authorities had to use previously developed land.

Wealden's Head of Planning and Development Control Ian Kay said the council tried to control garden areas by refusing to back inappropriate development."

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