9th June 2010

Minister for Decentralisation, Greg Clark MP has today unveiled plans set out in the coalition Government's agreement to give councils new powers to stop ‘garden grabbing' by taking gardens out of the brownfield category. The TCPA has welcomed this simple step that will dramatically transform councils' ability to prevent unwanted development on gardens where local people object and protect the character of their neighbourhoods.

GRaBS Project Manager, Diane Smith said:

"Today, we are faced with two urgent challenges; a housing shortage and climate change. The TCPA has long campaigned to ensure that we safeguard our existing gardens, and our European GRaBS  project demonstrates that we must also plan for more green spaces to cope with our changing climate and to contribute to our quality of life." 

"However, we cannot duck the housing crisis and we must recognize there isn't a one size fits all approach to development and densities. Informed by the principles of sustainable development, our discretionary planning system must enable us to plan appropriately, whether for brown or greenfield sites, to deliver the housing we desperately need. We must ensure there is a range of provision enabling real choice to meet individual needs and preferences over a reasonably lengthy period of time. Good design depends on a variety of densities and building types and creation of local community character capable of satisfying everyone"

The TCPA is Lead Partner in a European funded "Green and Blue Space Adaptation for Urban Areas and Eco Towns" (GRaBS) project - which sees 14 partners across 8 European Union member states exchanging experience, knowledge and assistance on delivering adaptation through the use of green and blue infrastructure. The project kicked off in September 2008, recognising that adaptation was an integral part of the sustainable development agenda, and its outputs have been central to the TCPA's understanding of the issues. See www.grabs-eu.org for further information about the project, which has been co-financed by the European Union Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and made possible by the INTERREG IVC Programme. 

Please click on the link for GRaBS Briefing Paper 1: Understanding the environmental and social impacts of garden development