New figures have revealed an increase in the number of gardens grabbed for development in Leeds during the past 12 years.
The percentage of new homes built on previously residential land in Leeds - which includes back gardens - increased from 9% back in 1997 to 19% this year.
Nationally the the figures increased to 25 per cent, up 14 per cent.
Decentralisation Minister Greg Clark said the statistics show the government was right to take immediate action to prevent unwanted garden grabbing by changing the planning rules.
New powers to prevent unwanted garden grabbing - by taking gardens out of the brownfield category that includes derelict factories and disused railway sidings - were recently used by Leeds councillors. They refused an application in Thorner, but approved a Morley proposal under the new powers.
Clark said:
"For years local people were powerless to do anything about the blight of garden grabbing as the character of their neighbourhoods was destroyed and their wishes ignored.
"We can see from these statistics that last year an even higher proportion of homes were built on previously residential land, which includes back gardens. Building on gardens robs communities of green breathing space, safe places for children to play and havens for urban wildlife.
"It was ridiculous that gardens were classified in the same group as derelict factories and disused railway sidings."
Other figures say York increase from 7% to 30%; Bradford from 6% to 17% and Doncaster from 5% to 32%. Only Scarborough has bucked the trend, going down from 41% to 37%.
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