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From the Front Line
Garden 'Grabbing'
Posted by Jason Orme
on 9th June 2010
So today the new Government announced the end of that dastardly practice - Garden Grabbing - whereby evil developers and self-builders actually stole land off vulnerable pensioners in big houses and turfed them out onto the street with the direct aim of upsetting local residents in leafy suburbs. All to build poky flats that attracted illegal immigrants, benefit scroungers and other miscreants, such as young people, who would instantly ruin the peaceful vibe of our charming cities and towns.
The announcement today that gardens will no longer be classified as brownfield land and therefore there will be a presumption against development rather than in favour is big news for self-builders, who source a lot of their land from gardens (I was one of them). The Government claim, of course, that it's not as if no new homes will ever be built on gardens but rather that the choice will now be up to local people. I think the phrase turkeys voting for Christmas springs to mind. It's never going to happen - local councillors are never going to push through new, vaguely controversial local development because it means they won't get elected again.
I'm not suggesting that there aren't instances were new development on gardens isn't inappropriate. My point really is that the term 'garden grabbing' suggests that the process is instigated by the developer when in fact the key beneficiary is the original homeowner. Self-interest is the motivating factor for everyone concerned - including the local campaigners, who are of course bothered about house prices above all.
I would suggest also that it is fair to say that the majority of self-build homes are built on garden land. In simple terms, making it more difficult to get planning permission to build new homes on gardens means it will be more difficult for ordinary people to build their own home.
We would appreciate any comments on this.
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Jason Orme
Jason Orme has been the Editor of Homebuilding & Renovating for many years and has written on property and self-build matters for, amongst others, The Independent and The Telegraph. He self-built in 2004 and is looking for another plot.
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I welcome the change, but only if the government release more greenfield for development and also enable smaller developers to get in on that side of the industry.
For years I have taken off from airports and looked down at the villages and towns, almost all of Britain is countryside and its a myth that development is swallowing it all up, the current trend has been to squeeze good quality and valuable English village space and town space and fill it with houses because we are led to believe its the only area left to build on. That is rubbish, most of britain is owned by the few, most of Britain is out of bounds to the general population, the countryside is vast, just take a look when you leave an airport, look down, masses of countryside with little rat runs where we have to live and drive.
Stop infilling the only areas that we have to live in on a daily basis and start pushing back village and town boundaries for spacious development with green areas that are covenented so they cannot ever be developed.
Britain has enough land to do this and it would benefit everyone, just because we are crammed into narrow corridors of britain doesn't mean there is no room, its a fallacy.
Granted, but firstly the majority of this land is agricultural and cannot be built on and secondly most people want to live close to where they work, where there is good infrastructure, train links, ammenities, shops, nightlife, culture etc etc. Furthermore, what makes you think that local councils and local inhabitants would agree to all this development in there outlying villages and towns, 'localism' will cover the entire country. NIMBY's are everywhere.
This magerzine should be lobbying the government to get the legislation changed.
This is grossly unfair, this legislation benefits the large developer who can purchase large brownfield/greenfield sites.
All new build homes in the future will be by large developers.
The legislation should be changed to state that garden developments involving self builders and where the property is to become their principal property should be considered and any rejection should be purely on planning matters rather than local NIMBY objections.
This legislation is going to stop the self build industry in its tracks. You should be dedicating far more column inches and should actively involved for YOUR very survival, as no self build, no magerzine !
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