End to ‘garden grabbing’ in south Norwich

Jun 17, 2010, 10:39am By Claire Wood

The practice of ‘garden grabbing’ is being stopped by the Government, in a tightening of planning law. In Norwich the proportion of houses being built in residential gardens has doubled in the last decade.

Under the plans, councils are being given new powers to prevent the practice of ‘garden grabbing’. Norwich is rated as a hotspot, where developers have taken advantage of the loophole allowing them to build new houses in people’s back gardens.

Over the last ten years, there’s been a dramatic increase in the practice. In Norwich the figure doubled from 15% to 29%, as a proportion of all new homes.

Until now, planning guidance has classified gardens in the same brownfield category as derelict factories and disused railway sidings. Decentralisation Minister Greg Clark said: “For years the wishes of local people have been ignored as the character of neighbourhoods and gardens have been destroyed, robbing communities of vital green space. 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.”

Map of local authority areas with high rates of garden grabbing. Source: Department for Communities and Local Government