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Councils in England will have more power to stop developers building homes on gardens, according to communities minister Greg Clark.
Clark has pledged to reclassify gardens, which are currently in the “brownfield” planning category along with ex-factory and railway land.
He says: “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.
“Today I am changing the classification of garden land so councils and communities no longer have their decisions constantly overruled, but have the power to work with industry to shape future development that is appropriate for their area.”
He is also promising further reforms to the planning system – as highlighted in the Conservative election manifesto – so councils and communities are “centre-stage in a reformed system that works for them, and is not just a tool of top-down policy”.
