News: Spring/Summer 2006

Housing development on established gardens is being concealed under the guise of development on 'brownfield' sites.

Tory MP Greg Clark wants to introduce the Protection of Private Gardens Bill to close a loophole which classes private gardens as "brownfield" sites, making them easier to build on. But Mr Clark's bill is unlikely to become law without government support. 72% of new development has been on brownfield sites, but ministers have conceded they have no information about how much of that was actually on gardens. Mr Clark said "My bill is simple in its intent - very simple. It's to remove front and back gardens from the government's definition of brownfield sites of previously developed land. If brownfield sites mean anything, it's about improving the condition of our towns and villages. It's about contributing to environmental progress, not changing and destroying the characters of these areas forever. [Gardens are] havens for wildlife, for insect life and bird life".

BBC. 2006. Urban gardens 'must be protected'. Viewed at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4671448.stm on February 6th 2006.