Save our back gardens
Raised by: Cllr Mary Reid on 02 November 2007
Suburban back gardens are currently treated as industrial brownfield sites for planning purposes. As a result developers are purchasing houses and back gardens in the Royal Borough and then submitting plans for housing at much higher densities. Decisions by the local Council to refuse planning permission are often overturned by the Planning Inspector in Bristol. 1. We believe that back gardens are important social and ecological green corridors that should be protected from development. 2. We support the Council's policy of opposing backland developments. 3. We will resist offers from developers to buy our homes and gardens.
(Closing date for signatures - 28 January 2008)
This petition is now concluded. For updates on the petition progress, check the Petition Progress below.
Petition Details
Petition title: Save our back gardens
Raised by: Cllr Mary Reid
Date raised: 02 November 2007
Corresponding issue: The Environment
Number of Signatures: 132
Petition Information
In many parts of the borough developers have been surveying the land to find pockets of land to build houses. Often this means that they take out an option to purchase several houses, together with portions of neighbouring back gardens. Often home owners are offered prices up to 30% above the market value of their homes. This can put considerable pressure on people who do not want to sell their homes.
Petition Progress
The petition and the Council’s planning policies on developments involving gardens and backland were considered at the Development Control Committee on 20 February 2008.
Councillor Mary Reid addressed the meeting. Members commented that this was a Borough-wide issue which needs to be addressed. A further report was considered on 2 April 2008 advising that a Council policy against development on garden land would need to be contained within the Local Development Framework (LDF). The adoption of the LDF follows a set procedure - consultation is planned for summer 2008 followed by submission to the Secretary of State in March 2009, and formal adoption in June 2010, following an Examination in Public chaired by an independent Inspector.
The Committee believed that, in general, using garden land for development should be resisted and considered that all Members should have an opportunity to debate this issue. It referred the following motion to Council on 15 July 2008 for debate
“It is the Council’s view that in principle, we are opposed to development on garden land”.
This motion has been supported by the Council.