Protection of Garden Land (Development Control) Bill

A Bill to protect private gardens from development which is out of character with the surrounding area; to make provision about the circumstances in which a planning application may be rejected by a local authority and about rights of appeal in such circumstances; to prohibit repeated planning applications in certain circumstances; and for connected purposes

This Bill would

• require the Secretary of State to issue guidance to local authorities so that gardens of residential houses would be regarded as greenfield sites for development purposes; planning applications for significant developments would be refused if they were out of character with the surrounding area
• provide for a right of appeal for those affected or for an amenity society, if a local planning authority granted planning consent for development inconsistent with either the development plan or with guidance issued under the provisions of the Bill
• extend the power of a local planning authority to decline to determine repeat applications from two years to three, after a similar application has been rejected on appeal to the Secretary of State.