Thanet District Council will now have new powers to preventinappropriate development on gardens following an announcement from theDepartment for Communities and Local Government today (Wednesday 9June).
To date, planning guidance has classified gardens as ‘previouslydeveloped land’, the same Brownfield category as derelict factoriesand disused railway sidings. The news today will see private gardensremoved from this category and will mean that local authorities willhave more power to refuse planning permission for any development deemedto be inappropriate.
The announcement comes following recently published Government figuresthat showed the proportion of new houses built on previously developedland such as gardens has risen dramatically, from one in ten to one infour between 1997 and 2008.
The reclassification of gardens will not prevent people makingextensions to their homes, but it will give the council the power toreject unsuitable planning applications for entirely new dwellings ongarden land that could ruin the character of the area.
As part of this announcement, the new government has reversed therequirement for new housing to be built at a minimum density of 30dwellings per hectare and it will now be acceptable for the council togive permission for lower density housing development. This meanscouncils will be able to use their discretion and work with the localcommunity to deliver the right mix of affordable homes for the area andin turn provide housing that reflects the local context moreappropriately.
Leader of Thanet District Council, Councillor Bob Bayford said: “Thisis welcome news for us here in Thanet. It is a step that will transformour ability to prevent unwanted development and gives us more power toprotect our valuable green spaces. In recent years the council hassought to encourage developers to reduce the density in new developmentand we have refused a number of planning applications for the demolitionof larger houses to build flats in the gardens. Today’s change in thedefinition of garden land will make it easier for us to prevent suchdevelopment and will give the council more say over the type ofdevelopment that we approve.”
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