London has lost equivalent of seven Hyde Parks as front gardens are paved over

 
Perfect peace: a woman fast asleep in the sunshine in Hyde Park

So many of London’s front gardens have been paved over to create car parking spaces that the city has lost the equivalent of seven Hyde Parks.

According to new figures from the RAC Foundation, about 600,000 homes in the capital have lost 85 per cent or more of their front gardens as homeowners seek to avoid parking restrictions introduced by borough councils.

The foundation estimates that the number of front gardens being turned into hard-standing areas for cars has doubled over the past 15 years.

Today it urged London councils to draw up plans to combat the loss of green space which, it said, spoiled London’s “green” look.

Nationally, seven million gardens have been concreted over to provide car parking — an area equivalent to 100 Hyde Parks or 72 Olympic Parks.

The drive for new parking spaces stems from the huge increase in car ownership, up from two  million cars in 1950 to 28.5 million last year.

In London roughly half of councils’ on-street parking income comes from parking fees and permits and half from penalties. Outside the capital the ratio is 55:45. The Foundation said councils in London — and Transport for London — made a surplus of £180 million in 2009/10 from parking activities while councils in the rest of England made a surplus of £310 million.

Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “London is famous for its green space and anything which erodes it is a shame. But even in London most people rely on the car and with the capital in the grip of population growth boroughs need clear plans on how they will both accommodate the car and protect the environment.”

Previous figures showing that “22 Hyde Parks” had been concreted over in London included gardens where only small portions had been paved.

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