Date: 25th May 2004
Released by: ANDREW TURNER

Isle of Wight MP Andrew Turner today welcomed the announcement of a new national campaign which is being launched to protect green spaces from over-development. The Conservative Party is promising new policies which will allow local councils to stop inappropriate development.

Planning regulations currently allow back gardens in suburban areas to be classified as ‘brownfield’ land, this permits such green spaces to be developed and the statistics then show that ‘greenfield’ sites are being protected and building is taking place on ‘brownfield’ land in accordance with Government targets.

Andrew Turner said,
“Fiddling the figures in this way is quite unacceptable, local people must be given the power to protect the distinctive character of their neighbourhoods. Conservative proposals will save Islanders from John Prescott’s bulldozers. The Isle of Wight Council also has a part to play as until recently they have failed to produce supplementary planning guidance which can be used as part of the planning process to protect the particular characters of our towns and villages. I am pleased that the new Head of Planning at the Council, Andrew Ashcroft, has realised how important such guidelines are in protecting people’s quality of life and is now working on producing them for various areas of the Island.”

Notes to Editors

National planning guidance issued by John Prescott in 2000 allows back gardens to be classed as ‘previously developed’ or ‘brownfield’ land, making it easier for the Government to meet its target of 60% of developments being on brownfield land. In addition, the guidance imposes arbitrary density targets for new developments that are changing the whole character of residential neighbourhoods.

“The Government is committed to promoting more sustainable patterns of development, by… making more efficient use of land by maximising the re-use of previously-developed land” (c.21). “Previously-developed land is that which is or was occupied by a permanent structure (excluding agricultural or forestry buildings), and associated fixed surface infrastructure. The definition covers the curtilage of the development… The curtilage is defined as the area of land attached to a building. All of the land within the curtilage of the site (as defined above) will also be defined as previously-developed” (Annex C: Definitions).

“Local planning authorities should therefore: avoid developments which make inefficient use of land (those of less than 30 dwellings per hectare net - see definitions at Annex C); encourage housing development which makes more efficient use of land (between 30 and 50 dwellings per hectare net)” (c.58).

“A net site density is the most commonly used approach in allocating housing land in development plans and is appropriate for development on infill sites… A ‘net site density’ is a more refined estimate than a gross site density and includes only those areas which will be developed for housing and directly associated uses. This will include… private garden space” (Annex C: Definitions).

Source: DETR, PPG3: Planning Policy Guidance 3: Housing, March 2000.