After a series of planning body blows Paul Burstow MP has tabled two motions in Parliament to try to give back more power to Sutton residents.

The Sutton and Cheam MP presented two motions this week, the first calls for changes to planning rules to allow garden land to be protected from “predatory” developers.

The second calls for residents to have more say over planning applications stating that appeals should be decided locally rather than by a Government appointed inspector from Bristol.

Mr Burstow said, “Garden grabbing by predatory developers is a real concern. I have had lots of letters from residents who feel frustrated that the council seems unable to control developers buying up and building on garden land.

“When the Council does turn down a planning application the developer can take it to an appeal when a Government appointed Inspector from Bristol takes the decision.

“Far too often those decisions lack an understanding of the local situation and the true impact the development will have. I want the Government to trust local people to take control of local planning decisions.”

Since November at least two controversial planning applications, that proposed development on garden land, have been passed through despite fervent opposition from residents.

In December, the planning committee decided to grant a four-year-old application in Coleridge Avenue, in Carshalton, that proposed building four apartments in an existing property’s back garden.

This was followed by another application In Wallington’s Harcourt Avenue where 16 flats will be built on the land where four bungalows and a large back garden currently lie.

Both applications were rejected initially but after minor amendments they were resubmitted and then later accepted causing enormous anger among residents who believe there is no appeals system for them.

Councillor Ruth Dombey, deputy leader of Sutton Council, said: “We support Mr Burstow’s calls for greater public involvement in planning appeals and indeed have campaigned on this issue.

“Last year we submitted proposals to the Local Government Association to pilot a system that would see appeals heard locally by a panel of residents and councillors.

“Over the last five years the proportion of new homes in Sutton built purely on back garden land is around 5 per cent.

“We have had planning policies in place for over 15 years to protect back gardens of ecological value in the Borough and would support further national policies to strengthen our powers to resist these developments.

“However, we must meet the need for more housing in Sutton as set out in the Mayor of London's targets, and in particular affordable housing, and balance this need against our desire to protect green spaces from development.”