Garden grabbing means Sutton could become 'inner city sprawl'

The council is concerned the practice of garden grabbing – when new houses, buildings or extensions are built on land that was formerly a garden – could take away the borough’s suburban character.

The warning comes as the Government prepares to end a three-month consultation on the draft National Planning Policy Framework, which aims to simplify planning and introduce a 'presumption in favour of sustainable development'.

The council also wants to extend the reforms to include a review of permitted development rights to "stop Sutton becoming part of the inner city sprawl".

Existing planning rules mean 'quality' businesses can be turned into other establishments overnight; for example, planning permission is not required if a bank wants to become a betting shop. This means local people do not get a say on the sorts of businesses moving into their shopping districts.

Councillor Colin Hall, executive member for environment and vlimate Change, said: "As part of the review, the planning rules for when buildings change their use are being relaxed still further.

"The key ingredient of a successful local economy is a mixture of shops and businesses, but the new rules would mean offices and other commercial premises can change their use - without planning permission and without communities having a say.

"This cannot be right - the reforms should be protecting and improving the economies of local communities not damaging them."

Councillor Jayne McCoy, executive member for planning and housing, said: "There are many good things in the Government’s plans, which aim to give more power to local people, but existing rules which allow development to take place without giving local people the opportunity to have a say are badly written and should be overhauled as part of the review.

"Sutton has an excellent reputation for preventing “garden grabbing” and that is why we are calling for the framework to be modified so we can protect Sutton's local character.

"Sutton is suburban; that is what residents love about it and it is the reason many people move here. We want to see the plans amended to protect suburbia and stop the spread of the inner city into Sutton.”

The council has resolved to write to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, urging him to modify the reforms so that local people can continue to have a say in the way their community is developed.

The council also resolved to encourage the Government to strengthen legislation so that courts can take tougher action against those who flout planning laws.