Front gardens on the front line

Front garden loss is not a trivial issue, but one that can directly affect our lives.

In fact, the explosion of paved areas is a major contributor to the misery of residential flooding, putting around one million properties in England at risk. Paving over even the smallest of front gardens also contributes to hotter cities, air and water pollution, and devastates the numbers of vital pollinators. Overlooked, apparently trivial, yet restoration of front gardens would be a simple but powerful tool to combat climate change. People often ask, ‘What can I do to help the planet?’ One answer is literally on their doorstep.

• Watch this great video Car parking in front gardens. Some negative consequences and potential remedies. 

At CPRE London we are working with the Ealing Front Gardens Project and others to promote de-paving and re-greening of front gardens. Our project aims to:

1. Raise awareness among householders and property owners about the importance of them taking action to de-pave and re-green their gardens, and to install ‘SuDS’ i.e. rain gardens, rain planters and water butts to capture rain water (see more in ‘Resources’ below and also on our Sponge City page)
2. Promote householder action via community groups by supporting those groups via a Front Gardens Network (see more below)
3. Ask boroughs to adopt policies which support de-paving and re-greening (for example, setting appropriate policies to reduce the impact of conversion of front gardens for parking)
4. Seek funding for ‘neighbourhood scale’ de-paving/re-greening projects which also involve installation of SuDS in front (and back) gardens across London. These would most likely be implemented by local partnerships involving local authorities and local community groups, and possibly also professional contractors.
5. Ask national organisations and government to support changes to national policy or law, to create incentives to de-pave, re-green and install SuDS.

Front Gardens Network, May 2025: In May we held the second meeting of our new network (recording here). Alice Roberts, Head of Campaigns, CPRE London, gave an update on action being taken around London to reduce the loss of front gardens to hard surfacing. The other speakers were:

• Anna Hwang Colligan, landscape architect and member of Southwark Nature Action Volunteers, who has been involved in de-paving projects across London, and landscape gardener Alex Woollacott of Sterling Landscapes, a firm that specialises in low-carbon gardening and construction. Their presentation – ‘De-paving in action’ – is here
• Anita Gracie and Dorothy Boswell from Islington Gardeners who have been working with Islington Council on promoting the planting of tree pits across the borough (please watch the recording for their presentation)

Front Gardens Network, January 2025: In January we held the inaugural meeting of a new network that we hope will become a force for good! There was a series of short presentations on action being taken around London, and on the history of legislation and planning policy which has led to loss of front gardens. The presentations and a recording of the (1 hour) meeting are here:

• If you are interested in joining the network, please message alice@cprelondon.org.uk
• Watch the recording of the first network meeting (including presentations) here.
• Blue heart project (rewilding), Amanda Gibbins (presentation) – see also Amanda’s blog
• History of policy and legislation on front gardens – Ealing Front Gardens Project Jan 25
• Park House Gardens Twickenham, Resident group action Jan 2025 (you can also see their web page)
• Connecting the Commons Jan 2025

Front gardens on the front line webinar. In November 2024. You can see the recording, presentations and some great websites and resources where you can find out more, below.

• Front gardens on the front line 14.11.24 webinar recording

Presentations from the speakers: