UK Edition
Fake grass crackdown planned by Michael Gove in war on plastic
New proposals would enable local authorities to block developments where artificial lawns were due to be laid
The Communities Secretary is moving to ban artificial lawns in housing developments as he continues his war on plastic.
Michael Gove’s proposals mean that local authorities will be able to block housebuilders from laying fake grass.
The plans, as reported in The Sunday Times, are part of Mr Gove’s consultation on an updated version of the National Planning Policy Framework, which is used by councils when determining planning applications and producing local plans.
The changes are being introduced to try to reduce waste and improve environmental standards.
They come amid calls from campaigners for the Government to intervene and introduce restrictions on plastic lawns, which have surged in popularity due to their increasingly realistic appearance and low maintenance.
According to Google Trends, which tracks the popularity of online searches, the popularity for artificial lawns surged during the pandemic, with a 185 per cent jump in May 2020 compared with the same month the previous year.
However, environmentalists warn that artificial grass is harmful to biodiversity because it increases the lack of natural habitats for small animals and insects. Furthermore, once removed they add to plastic pollution, as most are non-recyclable.
Latest demand on house builders
It has been reported that the move planned by Mr Gove, who is the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, will only extend to open lawns on an estate or development, with homeowners still able to lay fake grass in their own gardens. Sports pitches will also be exempt.
But this is not the first time that Mr Gove has made demands on housing developments. Last month he vowed that developers requesting planning permission for new homes that were not “aesthetically high quality” would have their plans "called in" and blocked by the Government.
Speaking at a Centre for Policy Studies conference he said that "there are far too many faults and defects" in new homes.
"But more than that, for those who have seen new houses built, the fact is that so many house builders are using a restrictive pattern book with poor-quality materials, and the aesthetic quality of what they produce is both disappointing and also not in keeping with the high aesthetic standards that may already exist.
"We will see the wide adoption of design codes and ways in which individuals can appreciate how it is easier to secure planning permission if you build in a way that is consistent with those design codes.
"We will use all the powers we have in order to make sure that developments which are not aesthetically of high quality don’t go ahead."
The Surrey Heath MP's comments form part of his plan to reduce public opposition to house building projects.
His tackling of artificial lawns also comes after the Royal Horticultural Society announced in May that fake grass would be banned at the Chelsea Flower Show because it did not fit with its stance on biodiversity and the environment.