The Petition of the residents of Ruislip-Northwood and others,

Declares that Britain’s gardens are under increasing threat of destruction arising from inappropriate and unpopular development with local opinion being disregarded and communities left powerless to prevent the infill of green spaces with the loss of precious biodiversity, the increased strain on infrastructure, notably with regard to parking and traffic flow, and the resulting change in the fundamental character of neighbourhoods against local wishes.

The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to bring forward legislation to give stronger protection to gardens in planning law, and to allow elected local councillors to have greater discretion to protect local neighbourhoods.

And the Petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Mr. Nick Hurd, Official Report, 16 July 2007; Vol. 463, c. 133.] [P000037]

Observation from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government:

Whilst there is a considerable need for new housing, the Government recognises that it is important to ensure development is in the right place, and that includes preventing inappropriate development in residential areas or on garden land where it is not sustainable and other sites are available.

The Government believes that what is important is not simply one of how land is defined but how sites are managed for development. Planning policy for housing - Planning Policy Statement 3 - published in November 2006 gives local planning authorities greater flexibility around the location and kind of housing they wish to see in their areas and strengthens the tools that local authorities already had under previous policy to turn down inappropriate development on former residential or garden land. They can specify targets for different kinds of brownfield land, which distinguish between residential sites and other kinds of brownfield land. PPS3 gives local authorities greater powers to restrict garden development if they have alternative viable land available and the level of development within residential areas is much higher than their plan.

The policy also places a much stronger emphasis on the quality of residential design and layout, making clear that design which is inappropriate in its context, or which fails to take the opportunities available for improving the character and quality of an area and the way it functions, should not be accepted. Local authorities also need to assess the extent to which new housing development provides, or enables access to, community green space, open space and private outdoor areas such as gardens, as well as provides for the retention or re-establishment of the biodiversity within residential environments.

PPS3 states in clear terms that there is no presumption that land is suitable for housing simply because it is brownfield, stressing the need for sites to be suitable for housing development, that are in suitable locations, and which will contribute to the creation of sustainable, mixed communities.