Bid to Save Gardens from Developers

1.45.56pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 23rd Oct 2006

Twickenham MP, Dr Vincent Cable

Vincent Cable MP is backing an effort by one of his parliamentary colleagues to stop the loss of suburban gardens to development by giving councils discretion over whether to regard gardens as 'brown field' and has supported an Early Day Motion also to this effect.

The proposed parliamentary Bill addresses the growing concern in suburban areas like the Hamptons and Twickenham - but also in other suburbs in London, Manchester and Birmingham - that gardens are gradually disappearing under concrete as they do not enjoy 'green belt' protection. Vincent Cable said: "It is understandable that residents should want to cash in on the massively increased land values by selling off their gardens to developers. But the cumulative effect can be very damaging to the local environment. Moreover since the developments are usually very small they fall outside the requirement on developers to provide affordable homes for low and middle income families and so the housing being built rarely serves any useful social purpose either."