Historic parks, gardens and designed landscapes are one of the cultural icons of England, an ornament to the landscape and townscape, life-enhancing, bringing delight into our everyday lives. They contribute significantly to the sense of place and are treasured. They need to be if they are to continue to contribute to the quality of the environment in the face of the ever-increasing pressure of population growth and all that this brings.

EGT provides informed comment when gardens or designed landscapes are implicated by contemporary development. This requires us to comment on national Government development policy, Local Development Framework plans, on local planning applications, or pre-application stage proposals.  In all cases, EGT's role is to highlight the importance of gardens and landscape, and evaluate the implications of proposed development.

Planning guidance is critical, as is a knowledge base, and appropriate, considered action where and when required.

The work of EGT's Garden History team is vital to its role in contemporary Planning & Development. The detailed inventories it prepares of every Essex district help to identify important heritage sites across the county. Many have importance at only a local level and therefore may not be protected by the National Heritage list.

‘2024 has seen planning applications referred through the Joint Committee of National Amenity Societies (JCNAS) database, a reminder that we are one of the statutory consultees on applications affecting heritage issues.

Few of the referred applications in the last year have had any significant implications on Registered Parks and gardens or sites included in our District inventories. Possibly this may change with changes to the planning system with proposals for a revised National Planning Policy Framework already out to consultation. They envisage further changes to the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project consent process which would make it easier for solar and wind farms to be approved.

One infrastructure project causing much local concern is National Grid’s for a line of pylons from Norwich to Tilbury. The route would come close to Rivenhall Place, an inventoried site which was visited by the Trust a few years ago.

For housing development, the revision would include a preference for brownfield and then a new category of ‘greybelt’, comprising Green Belt land defined as previously developed land and any other areas of Green Belt land that make a limited contribution to the five planning purposes assigned to Green Belt. Such development of ‘greybelt’ would be governed by ‘golden rules’ to ensure it is linked to public benefits. An example of ‘greybelt’ is a site in the Green Belt on the east side of Aveley, close to Belhus country park, where we objected unsuccessfully to an application for just over 100 houses.

It is likely that the idea of garden communities will be revived in some places. Progress is being made with the Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community. We have commented on a scoping document for it. It is very close to Wivenhoe Park but probably will not affect it directly, except as so often happens, it will change the wider character of the landscape around it, an objection which often proves difficult to sustain successfully.

If you would like to bring to the Trust’s attention a particular planning application or are seeking some initial, proactive advice, then please e-mail our Conservation team.