ࡱ> LNK7 ]AbjbjUU 4L7|7|]=l "2 Lj j j j } } } B"D"D"D"D"D"D"$# &h"} y } } } h" j j }" } Bj j B" } B" j cl "j  { :n!"$"0"~!& &" Front Gardens Project Hard Surfacing of Front Gardens Research Project: commenced Spring 2003 In Spring 2003, Ealings LA21 Pollution & Public Health Project Group started a programme of research into the scale of hard surfacing of front gardens within the Borough. Why? There is growing concern that hard surfacing of front gardens is becoming a serious environmental problem, and also a social issue. At present, local authority powers to control what people do to the surface of their front gardens are very limited. Except in a few conservation areas, there are no controls over what people can do to their front gardens, and cross-overs (changing the pavement to allow vehicle access) are allowed as permitted development under national planning regulations. In the London Borough of Ealing, there are over 1,000 applications for pavement cross-overs each year. The introduction of CPZs is exacerbating the situation. Research objectives: The main objective of the research is to quantify the amount and type of hard surfacing of front gardens in the London Borough of Ealing, and to make an initial assessment of why so much hard surfacing is happening. The results should help us to assess how serious the problem is and contribute to finding solutions. A second objective is to start the process of educating and motivating local communities so that people are aware of the environmental damage and social problems created and select solutions which are sustainable. The research has been partially funded by a grant from Ealing Council. Research conducted so far: We commissioned Pene Healey Associates to conduct some preliminary exploratory research: to review available published information on the hard surfacing of front gardens and best practice, analyse annual numbers of cross-over applications in London Borough of Ealing, and summarise the relevant planning regulations and the enforcement of these. A report on this research, entitled Hard Surfacing of Front Gardens: report on Desk Research, was produced in Summer 2004 and is available on Ealings LA21 website www.la21.org as a .pdf file, along with an initial look at  HYPERLINK "http://www.la21.org/subjects/frontgardens/why.htm" why people hard-surface their front gardens, and a series of  HYPERLINK "http://www.la21.org/subjects/frontgardens/pictures.htm" photographs illustrating some of the problems in front gardens within the London Borough of Ealing. The executive summary of the desk research report is in the box below. From this research and from earlier discussions within Ealing and contacts with LA21 groups in other London boroughs, we have compiled a list of the  HYPERLINK "http://www.la21.org/subjects/frontgardens/problems.htm" environmental and social problems caused by this practice. [suggest link to the separate document] Research in progress: quantification phase The second phase of the research commenced in Autumn 2004. It involves on-site measurement of the amount and type of hard surfacing of front gardens in a sample of residential roads across the Borough. For each sampled road, a volunteer completes an observation form which collects information on each front garden, including the estimated % hard surfaced, the material(s) used, whether the garden appears to be in use for vehicle parking, whether a pavement cross-over is present and whether boundary structures (hedges, fences, walls) are present. The research is being managed by a steering group from Ealings LA21 Pollution & Public Health, Natural Environment & Biodiversity and Energy & Built Environment Project Groups. We need help from volunteers either individuals or community groups in or prepared to work in the London Borough of Ealing, to help conduct this research during December 2004 through to March/April 2005. If you or your community group can help, please email  HYPERLINK "mailto:gardens@la21.org" gardens@la21.org. Further research In Summer 2004 we applied for a Community Chest grant to conduct some qualitative research in the more disadvantaged areas of the London Borough of Ealing (using depth interviews and group discussions) to find out more about why people hard surface their front gardens in the ways they do, how aware they are of the problems it causes, and how best we can communicate these to encourage people to take action to improve the situation and reduce the adverse environmental and social impacts of hard surfacing. We were unsuccessful in this application, but hope to apply for funding from other sources. Hard Surfacing of Front Gardens: report on Desk Research EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In the London Borough of Ealing there is growing concern that the hard surfacing of front gardens to provide off-street parking is increasing and that this is becoming a serious environmental problem. The environmental problems range from increased rainwater run-off leading to an increased risk of flooding, reduced CO2 absorption with a resulting drop in air quality, to absorption of more solar heat from artificial surfaces leading to an increase in the local temperature and the loss of vegetation with adverse effects on plant and animal life. Accordingly funding was sought by the Ealings LA21 Pollution & Public Health group for a research study to quantify the scale of the problem. The Town & Country Planning (GPD) Order 1995 allows pavement crossovers [alterations to the pavement and kerb to allow a vehicle to cross over it] as permitted development and these dont require planning permission except in conservation areas. Article 4 of the Order explains how such rights can be withdrawn. The mechanism for withdrawing permitted development rights is, therefore, known as an Article 4 Direction. Information initially supplied had indicated that more than 1,000 applications for pavement crossovers in LBE are made each year, of which about 50% are constructed. It was decided that analysis of the number of applications and actual constructed crossovers in Ealing in the last five years would help to quantify the problem. In addition, the research was required to establish whether the hard surfacing of front gardens has been identified as an issue and addressed elsewhere, through a perusal of published literature and websites; and it was important to obtain some qualitative feedback from the Council officers in the relevant departments, in terms of their perception and practice. On-line research, telephone and personal interviews with seven officers in transport, planning, conservation and the call centre handling crossover applications and two of the Council contractors responsible for constructing the crossovers, and analysis of the crossover application data was conducted between August and December 2003. The search did not find any research conducted in this specific area. Reports identified that briefly touched on the topic were focused on broader issues, such as how residents and cars could share the road in harmony. Others concentrated on global issues as a result of climate change. Government policy to help achieve an urban renaissance is set out in The National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal. It does not address the issue of the loss of front gardens for off-street car parking. The Review of Permitted Development Rights published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister [ODPM] in September 2003 does not address the issue either, although it leaves the door open by recommending that further research be conducted to investigate the extent of the problem caused by the demolition of front garden walls to provide off-street parking. The report also recommends the removal of the entitlement to compensation when permitted development rights are removed through Article 4 Directions. This would involve changes to primary legislation and could take some time to implement. A number of local authorities in London recognise that the hard surfacing of front gardens is a growing problem and are aware that applications for pavement crossovers are increasing. None have conducted any monitoring exercises to measure the extent of the hard surfacing of front gardens. Many of the local authorities do offer guidance and advice on the use of sustainable materials and recommend that the hard surfacing be combined with some shrubs, plants and grass. Several give detailed information about the most suitable plants to use. In LBE the Council has had a policy of encouraging off-street parking for many years. The introduction of Controlled Parking Zones [CPZs] in various parts of the borough, though welcome, has contributed to the increase in offstreet parking. There is an acceptance among the Council officers interviewed that little can be done to prevent parking in front gardens because of the increase in car ownership and CPZs, the conversion of family houses into multiple units and a general reduction in the number of car parking spaces available. People choose to hard surface their front gardens for a variety of reasons: assured parking, labour saving, convenience, minimum maintenance, disability access, reduction of vandalism or theft, safety for women in particular returning home late at night, sub-division of large houses into higher density, single units each requiring a parking space and the cost of purchasing parking permits. In LBE there are 26 conservation areas at present and some more are planned. However, only three of them (Brentham Garden Estate, Hanger Hill (Haymills) and Hanger Hill Garden Estate) are subject to an Article 4 Direction, which can withdraw the right to convert a front garden into a car park. In general Brentham has houses with front gardens that are too small to fit a car into anyway, whereas many of the houses in Hanger Hill (Haymills) have two drives and garages. There is pressure for more hard surfacing in the latter and keeping 50% of the front garden green - as recommended in a Policy & Design Guide published by Ealing Council in 1998 - is being eroded. The Council officers interviewed indicated that the conservation officers (two people job sharing) have more work than they can handle and find it difficult to do more than fire fight. The Article 4 Directions for the three conservation areas all need to be updated and more are planned, but there isnt the resource to handle the workload. At the time the interviews took place the development control and policy functions in Ealing Council were split between two directorates. Officers felt that liaison and communications between the two was not as good as it should be, particularly at higher levels. This did cause major problems with information not being passed on. Enforcement where planning permission is turned down, where the front garden has been hard surfaced and there is no crossover, or reinstatement when a kerb crossover has been illegally constructed appears to be minimal. The cost of taking legal action is the main reason and a secondary one is lack of resource. The view is that it is not worth taking the risk on something that is likely to be overturned by a court or where the fine is derisory. The resident population of the London Borough of Ealing, as measured in the 2001 Census was 300,948 and there were 118,023 households. 32% of these households have no car or van and 22% have two or more cars or vans. The number of cars or vans needing a parking space in LBE in 2001 was 112,907, according to the ONS. In 2003-4 the cost of constructing a vehicle crossover in LBE starts at approximately 650. The number of pavement crossovers constructed by Ealing Councils contractors since April 1999 has not increased significantly, but it is suspected that there has been an increase in cars driving over the pavement without applying for a crossover in recent times. The price of a crossover construction increased in 2003. 674 crossovers were paid for and constructed in the year commencing 1/4/02 and there were 352 paid for and constructed between 1/4/03 and 17/12/03. Of the seven areas in LBE (Greenford, Ealing, Southall, Hanwell, Northolt, Acton and Perivale) Greenford has consistently had the highest number of constructed crossovers since April 2000. This is despite being the fourth largest in terms of population. In 2002/03 there were 158 paid for and constructed and between 1/4/03 and 17/12/03 105 have been paid for and constructed. A survey of roads in Perivale was carried out by LBE Highway maintenance and Mouchel Parkman in October and November 2003, to ascertain the need for and provision of existing vehicle crossings over footways and verges (crossovers). In total 66 roads were surveyed and 2,470 premises with existing crossovers were counted in the Perivale area. A further 217 premises (9% of the total) were identified as having no crossover but requiring one because the front garden was being used for off-street parking. It is suspected that this example would be replicated across the borough should the same exercise be conducted in the other six areas. Perivale is the smallest in terms of population, thus the number of crossover constructions required but not in place is likely to be greater in the other areas. There is a lack of published information, best practice or advice on sustainable materials for the hard surfacing of front gardens. Most concentrate on green building materials for the house rather than the garden. The information that is available is primarily produced by local authorities, some charities, community groups and garden city foundations. Local authorities, most often through LA21 groups, offer the most extensive advice on sustainable materials to use when laying hard surfaces for off-street parking. A charity for disadvantaged, disabled and older people, called Thrive, also offers comprehensive advice on the choice of materials to use, although the primary focus is on safety rather than sustainability. Funding for sustainability projects is obtained from a variety of sources including central and local government, the LGA, universities, European funds, local businesses (including press and media) and utility companies. Cross-authority funding and joint initiatives, where no single body is bearing all the cost, is the most effective. Recommendations Because the electronic records for crossover applications are incomplete for 1999-2001 it is recommended that a manual count be carried out of all crossover applications held by Mouchel Parkman for this period. For the second phase of the research it is recommended that a sample of roads be selected in each of the Greenford, Ealing, Southall, Hanwell, Northolt and Acton areas and a count taken of the number of houses with vehicular access to the front garden but where there is no constructed kerbdrop. This could be carried out at the same time as the on-site measurement of front gardens that are hard surfaced. This would give more support to the perception that the number of applications for crossover constructions in Ealing has dropped in 2003-2004, and that the hard surfacing of front gardens is more widespread than the number of constructed crossovers would suggest. Representations are made to the ODPM about the findings of this research study. Consider conducting further research. Approach other local authorities in London to assess willingness to cooperate on a joint study to quantify the scale of the problem in the capital. This might also be a more effective way of obtaining funding. Follow up on the LA21 Co-ordinators in the London boroughs who responded to the email circulated by the Sustainability Co-ordinator at Ealing Council in 2003. Engage local media to publicise the findings of the research.   ' 3 b c & ' T U hiABRSop ^ _ c ""c4;;]Ažŵ]0J>*B*ph >*B*phj>*B*Uph5\ *0J5B*\ph5B*\phj5B*U\ph>*6]CJaJ0^ ' =Uf kp_ $If & F]A_ "#$%&{(+m,-z/02c4\678`:;;<->5??}@AZA[A$If\A]AZ$$IfTlT!!0!64 la2&P 0p1h. 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