Policy Consultations

As a regional presence for our local civic societies, YHACS feels that it has a major role in representing community views in the engagement of regional and national authorities through public consultation exercises. Below you will find the latests policies in a consultation phase and links to the full text documents. We want to know what you think, so please send your comments to us by the deadlines posted. We will collate the responses and make sure they get to the right people on time to be counted.

Democracy can only work when the people speak up, so let us hear what you have to say!

Please send all responses by email by clicking here.

Here you will find links to those policies under consideration at the moment. Past responses made by the YHACS are archived in our Publications page and can be accessed by clicking here.

Current Consultations

None

Closed Consultations

Thank you to all who have commented on the below consultation. We have received the initial consultation responses, and will be submitting a revised policy statement to the membership by our main meeting on 28 July 2007.

YHACS Policy Statement on Garden Grabbing

YHACS is asking its member societies to consider its policy statement with regard to the abuse of tandem development, or the development of previously residential property (also known as garden grabbing). Because of the critical impact that such development has on the public realm, in terms of both the "green/built balance" -- between built and natural environments -- and the character of our local areas, YHACS feels that such a policy statement is not only in our best interest as civic societies, but is necessary given the current debate on the subject. Much of the issue has been relegated to high politics and the political wrangling of the major political parties, yet the issue is very real for communities across our country, and one that increasingly threatens to become a problem if left unconsidered for much longer.

To access the policy document and consultation cover letter, please click here.

The enclosed document sets out the issue, both in general, legal and political terms, and then offers the proposed YHACS position both on the merits and detriments of such practice and the policy proposal for resolving the problems raised by the practice. We ask that you and your Committee please consider the issue and YHACS' policy statement. We then ask that you please send us

(1) Your comments and suggestions regarding the policy statement
(2) Your experiences of garden-grabbing (as we will be building up a database of case studies to support our position)

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*All ODPM documents can be obtained by post at the following address or by phone from the below telephone number:

ODPM Publications, PO Box 236, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS23 7NB

(0870) 1226 236

**All DCMS documents can be obtained by post at the following address or by phone from the below telephone number:

Department for Culture Media & Sport, 2-4 Cockspur Street, London SW1Y 5DH

(020) 7211 6509