The Tories highlighted a change in classification made by the then Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in 2000, which ruled that gardens were seen as brownfield, rather than greenfield sites.
This could mean larger gardens may be subject to compulsory purchase orders to build apartments; something that has been dismissed as a political move.
Rachel Blackmore, head of external affairs at the Building Societies Association (BSA), said: “Something like this would be extremely unpopular and could have an impact on Labour’s chances of success at the next elections so it’s a clever campaign by the Conservatives as it will get people talking.”
The campaign has been called ‘Labour’s Garden Grab’ and it promises to protect people’s gardens from development. If such a scenario were to happen, the move could have a massive impact on the housing market.
Richard Fox, chief executive of the Society of Mortgage Professionals, commented: “I think the idea stems from the fact it would be quicker and easier to build on a garden, rather than have to clean up a petrol station. However, people would need to be careful of property values as they might be diminished if they are building on the land, and there would also be an impact on traffic levels and local services which would damage the local area. They could be forced into a substantial mortgage repayment if there was a reduction in property value.”
Linda Will, managing director at Accord Mortgages, believed valuations could be hit. She said: “Were such a policy adopted, you could see the case where a large house with a large garden is worth less than a similar-sized house with a garden the size of a postage stamp. I think it would be better if we concentrated on redeveloping abandoned buildings as this would create value, rather than destroy it.”
