The Government has launched a consultation including the removal of the Gardens Trust as a statutory consultee, running until mid-January and we need your help.
We robustly contest the proposal to remove the statutory consultee role, and disagree that it would improve the planning system. Instead, precious parks and gardens, hard won over many centuries, would be lost to communities both now and in future. We are passionate about the role that the UK’s world-famous historic parks and gardens can play in supporting positive economic growth and healthy cohesive societies, and eager to continue helping this in our role as statutory consultee.
We encourage supporters to respond to the consultation and will publish our response as soon as possible.
As a statutory consultee, local planning authorities must consult the Gardens Trust in relation to all planning applications that may affect historic designed landscapes on the statutory Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. The Gardens Trust is the only consultee for sites on the Register at all Grades (Grades I, II* and II). Like all other statutory consultees, it’s responses are advisory only and are used to inform the local planning authorities’ decision-making.
There is no other body able to offer dedicated and expert advice to local planning authorities on planning applications that may affect historic parks and gardens.
The loss of the statutory consultee role would most particularly leave Grade II Registered Parks and Gardens in a very precarious state as the Gardens Trust is the only consultee for those sites. Grade II sites account for 65% of the Register and are often the more accessible sites to the general public and, through their familiarity, often the more vulnerable. We are deeply concerned about this potential loss of these unique cultural assets many accessible to all.
Historic parks and gardens have a role to play in many areas of our lives from growing the economy, to social cohesion, providing vital space for nature to thrive and in supporting our physical and mental health, so their potential loss would impact all of our lives. You can read more about the role of historic parks and gardens in the 21st century in our recent report Harnessing : Parks and Gardens in the 21st Century: How Historic Landscapes can Support our Today and Tomorrow.
How you can help:
- Responding to the consultation yourself – your expertise will be useful, and even if you have your own personal opinion to share, it is important that we show the Government how many people care about this issue.
- Sharing the consultation and our response with others. You could do this by sharing our social media posts (we are @thegardenstrust on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok).
- Writing to your MP, highlighting our response, giving your thoughts, and asking that they proactively ensure that the Government pays due regard to the consultation evidence and responses in making its decision. See advice and tools for writing to your MP here.
- Donating to the Fighting Fund, in order to help with the challenges ahead – donate here.
Thank you for your support.
