Andy Burnham has been warned England's historic green spaces are in danger of "destruction" after sweeping changes to the planning system. A charity set up to protect designed landscapes across the country has lost its status as a statutory consultee in the English planning process following a consultation.
The Gardens Trust, founded in 1966, said it is "devastated" by the decision made as part of Labour efforts to accelerate housebuilding. It warns that England's "green treasure of parks and gardens" are now at "immediate risk of harm through poorly-informed development".
Charity's concerns
Chair John Watkins said the move "devalues" the cherished sites the charity aims to protect. "Without proper consideration of registered parks and gardens in the planning system through the statutory consultee role, the checks and balances of the planning system will be eroded and the many much-loved Grade II sites will experience greater vulnerability," he told the Express.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said under the controversial shake-up, The Gardens Trust will still be informed of "relevant applications". Mr Watkins said in practice, this will be limited to development within green spaces themselves rather than the wider setting.
Impact on settings
"This removes protection for the views to and from them, and for the peace and tranquility in which people can enjoy them," he warned. The charity identified the listed Belhus Park — which was cut in two by the M25 in the 1980s — as an example of the type of application it would now struggle to intervene in.
Fellow statutory consultee bodies Sport England and The Theatres Trust have also both had their statuses downgraded. The MHCLG claimed it is "cutting unnecessary bureaucracy" by reducing blanket consultation requirements. The department argued this has "slowed" planning decisions, a claim rejected by The Gardens Trust.
Broader reforms
Many of the landscapes the charity works to protect are on the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England, such as Hyde Park in London and Chatsworth House Gardens in Derbyshire. The reforms come as Labour continues to lag behind its flagship pledge to build 1.5 million new homes in England by 2029.
Research shows more than 1,000 new properties are needed to be built each day to achieve the ambitious target. The Government said the changes, part of what's been billed as the biggest rewrite of planning rules in more than a decade, will get homes built faster and drive growth.
Thousands of new homes near train, tram and underground stations across England are set to be fast-tracked. A default "yes" will be given to homes on underdeveloped land within walking distance of some stations under the new National Planning Policy Framework.
Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said: "By unlocking thousands of homes around well-connected transport hubs, we're helping people live closer to work, school and the services they rely on, while backing local businesses and driving growth in our communities. That's how we'll tackle the housing crisis and raise living standards for people in every corner of the country."
