Along with the new year, many of us will find our thoughts turning to improvements we'd like to make to our homes and gardens, and we therefore bring you a special edition of our regular newsletter devoted to our front gardens.
The Hurst Park estate was largely laid out between 1910 and 1930 and embraced the Garden Suburb style that defines much interwar development in the UK. As the architectural historian (and Hurst Park estate resident) Jeremy Musson outlined in his character statement about our neighbourhood, this type of development emphasised the importance of incorporating green spaces into the urban landscape.In the 1960s, the construction of Mulberry Close, built around a central green communal space, developed the Utopian theme.
Over recent years, more front gardens in our estate have been paved over to create off-road parking spaces, and as a result our area is already becoming noticeably less green. With some households having more than one vehicle or needing enhanced access, and a residents' parking scheme in prospect, it's understandable that there is a desire to create more parking spaces. However, it's all too easy to fall foul of planning regulations when constructing new or replacement driveways. Anything greater than an area of 5m2 using impermeable materials will require planning permission which involves extra hassle and expense.
Using alternative permeable construction methods and materials, as recommended in this government document, and leaving space for sustainable planting in our front gardens, brings additional benefits and will almost certainly cost less overall. We have taken the liberty of pulling together some ideas which we hope will be helpful if you are considering a new project.
Reduced Heat Retention
Hard surfaces, such as concrete and tarmac, absorb and retain heat, contributing to the urban heat island effect, which causes temperatures in urban areas to be significantly higher than in surrounding rural areas. As climate change leads to warmer temperatures, green spaces become even more important
Reduced Flood Risk
During heavy rainfall, hard surfaces prevent water from soaking into the ground, leading to increased surface run-off. This run-off can cause our ageing gutters and drains to be overwhelmed leading to flooding, erosion, and contamination of local waterways.
Preservation of Biodiversity
Every extra foot of hard paving means less space for bees, butterflies, hedgehogs and birds, and less diversity of the plant life that sustains them. Green areas are good for plants andanimals, and they also improve our mental wellbeing and physical health.
Maintaining the desirability of our neighbourhood
Front Gardens are an intrinsic part of the character of our estate. Many of our roads are tree-lined and have grass verges, and originally almost every house would have had a front garden filled with shrubs, trees and hedges, quite often including a single parking space. If the width of any new dropped kerbs can be kept to a minimum then we can help to retain our disappearing grass verges, and by using less paving and making space for plants that are better adapted to our changing climate, our front gardens can add value to the streetscape for current and future residents.
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