... and increasing biodiversity. Many towns and cities in the United Kingdom (UK) have reported a great loss of front gardens in recent years. In London alone, the area of front gardens that have been paved over recently is equivalent to 32 square kilometres, or 22 times the size of Hyde Park (London Assembly Environment Committee, 2005). If a single patch of land that size had been lost under concrete or paving, surely there would have been a national outcry, but because it is only small areas here and there, it is not so noticeable to the public. These drastic changes could have a detrimental effect on the urban environment, so it has been necessary for local councils and authorities to draw up planning systems and guidelines to minimise the negative impact on the surrounding areas. Front gardens help create pleasant visual townscapes in what would otherwise be a mass of walls and ...

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