Responding to House of Commons vote yesterday on the Government proposals to allow garden extensions of up to eight metres without planning permission, London Assembly Member Jenny Jones said:
“The Mayor of London assured me that he recognised the threat of this proposal and asked the Government for special consideration for London. The Mayor’s own London Plan calls on local authorities to restrict the spread of garden grabbing, whilst the Government is promoting it. Londoners need the Mayor to speak out and condemn this barmy legislation”.
“Instead of protecting back gardens, the government is dismantling the very checks on uncontrollable garden loss; they are effectively giving the green light to ugly oversized conservatories and ‘beds in sheds’ ”.
“With climate change predictions warning us that the extremes of weather we are experiencing, such as the record breaking period of drought, followed by intense heavy rainfall this year, are expected to become the norm. That means back gardens in built up areas such as London will be become increasingly important for providing cooling during heat waves, limiting flooding and surface water runoff and providing vital habitats for wildlife.”