Save the planet, rip up your front drive!

Good news!

Following the severe floods last summer, the government has announced new legislation to deter people from paving over their front gardens.

In future, if you want to use a non-porous substance to cover your front garden, you'll have to apply for planning permission, which could take a couple of months. MPs haven't yet decided what will be defined as porous, but it's likely to mean anything which water will soak through rather than running off. This could include wood, gravel or specially constructed 'green' paving which is porous (and is already used in road building to reduce runoff and increase safety).

This isn't just the nanny state taking over. Think about it. More and more of us live in areas at risk of flooding. It's not just rivers and the sea which we have to worry about anymore - our sewage systems are at stretching point in many cities and towns. A one per cent reduction in runoff to drains can result in a nine per cent improvement in efficiency of the system.

In London alone, over two thirds of front gardens have been paved over - the equivalent of 22 Hyde Parks.

But if we're going to really make a difference, we need to do more than just stop paving over the already depleted number of front gardens. I'm in the process of ripping up part of my (ugly, functional) block paved front drive and replacing it with a flower bed and hedge. The hedge will protect my front door from the wind and help keep my garden tidy from the rubbish that gets blown in. It'll stop my toddler running out into the road. It will give me some privacy, and look much nicer. And what's more, it'll reduce the amount of water flowing into the drains along my street and reduce the risk of my house being flooded.

What's not to like?

(And while you're at it, you could always get rid of the car too and really get some greenie points...)

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