Garden grabbing development has to stop - Lorely Burt MP

2.38.35pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 22nd Jun 2006

Solihull's MP, Lorely Burt has renewed her call for an urgent revision of government planning guidance to stop 'garden grabbing' development, following an opposition debate yesterday.

Mrs Burt, whose Local Government and Planning (Parkland and Windfall Development) Bill receives its second reading in the Commons in October, said that local councils and communities must be given back control of planning decisions affecting their own area.

Following the debate, Mrs Burt said:

"The scale of inappropriate windfall development in areas like Solihull is irreparably damaging the character and cohesion of many of our leafy suburbs.

"Solihull's motto is 'Urbs in rure', or 'town in the country'. If garden grabbing continues unchecked, I'm afraid we will be reduced to 'Simply Urbs' with no 'rure' left to speak of.

"Local councillors and residents are often powerless to prevent garden grabbing development once the developer has appealed to Government Planning Inspectors for a decision. That is why I believe it is essential that back gardens are reclassified as greenbelt as opposed to brownfield or 'developed' land, and that locally elected councillors and communities should have the final say in deciding on appropriate development."

Mrs Burt, who was shortlisted for a Culture and Heritage award for her efforts to save parkland and back gardens from development, urged all party support for her Bill, dubbed as 'Lorely's Law'.