Gardens or Brownfields?

Yesterday afternoon, as Stockton's planning committee debated one application after another for housing to be built in large gardens, Parliament was hearing about exactly the same problem. The MP for Tunbridge Wells sought to introduce a bill removing gardens from PPG3 under the Ten Minute Rule. Normally such bills go nowhere, but lobbying by residents and local councillors from Stockton to Somerset meant that this one has been granted a second reading. It might just be the incentive the ODPM needs to change PPG3.
When introducing it Mr Clark (Greg, not Charles) said he'd had messages of support from Liberal Democrats and Labour so the flurry of e-mails and phone calls from here may have done some good.

This morning is my first meeting with the Chief Exec as Group Leader - oh joy!