Kingston targeted by 'flying developers'

1:19pm Wednesday 16th July 2008

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Eagle-eyed developers are flying over Kingston to spy out vulnerable homes ripe for cramming six or seven flats on, a councillor has said.

The claim was made during a council debate last night on "garden grabbing", where property developers take advantage of planning regulations which deem back gardens "brownfield sites" and makes development easier in terms of planning law.

"This is an area where developers get the upper hand. They pilot their planes, do their flybys and identify their plots of land."

Councillor Vicki Harris

Kingston Councillor Vicki Harris said: "This is an area where developers get the upper hand. They pilot their planes, do their flybys and identify their plots of land."

Politicians on both sides of the chamber wanted to put a stop to the phenomenon.

A planning appeal hearing today is examining evidence in a case where the developer wants to demolish of a pair of semi-detached homes to build seven or eight houses.

• For more on this story see the Surrey Comet next Wednesday.