Garden grab

"Garden grabbing", according to our report today, is rapidly increasing.

Developers typically buy up single family homes with gardens and replace them with groups of houses or blocks of flats.

This removes shade and wildlife and can reduce air quality as trees disappear.

This has wider implications. Flood risks increase because ground capable of soaking up rainwater vanishes.

Part of the problem is that gardens are defined as "brownfield land", bringing them under planning targets meant to increase the re-use of derelict sites.

The new Mayor must deliver on his campaign promises to defend London's precious green space - and use his planning powers to stop the garden grabbers.