BACK garden development is at risk of "destroying Worcester's heritage" - with fears that too much infill is slowly wrecking the landscape.

That's the view of Worcester City Council's planning chief, who has delivered a withering verdict on the amount of land being lost to development.

Councillor Alan Amos, who took over as planning committee chairman in May, says too many people are viewing open spaces like lawns attached to property, pub beer gardens and even driveways as potential opportunities.

Government planning laws have been increasingly watered down in recent years to hand people more power than ever before.

So-called 'permitted development rights' exist for all sorts of projects including certain extensions, sheds, greenhouses, garages and almost anything described as an outbuilding.

And in recent years more and more people have taken advantage of rulings by ministers that any development deemed "sustainable" should be allowed to go ahead, with a general presumption in favour.

Councillor Amos said: "I'm very concerned at increasing numbers of this 'infill' on plots of land - we're allowing building to go ahead on sites that a few years ago wouldn't even be considered - in back gardens, even on driveways.

"If you go on like this you destroy street scenes and landscapes by putting development in places where it was never intended.

"We need open spaces - we're a very tightly drawn city as it is and must draw a line somewhere at ugly, intrusive development.

"To plonk houses and other development on sites, just because we can do it, will undermine our heritage."

The city council says it does not keep figures on garden grabbing as so many people can now develop outbuildings on their land without planning permission.

But anecdotal evidence shows a growing trend to infill plots of land - only this week the owner of Grade II listed Southwick Lodge, off Old Road, St John's, secured permission for a detached house on their driveway.

Number 102 London Road secured a deal to turn their garage into a house, 41 Britannia Square will also erect a new property on its land and the owners of 40 Colin Road, Northwick, have applied to build an extra home on adjacent empty space.

The council also recently rejected a bid from 96A Cornmeadow Lane, Claines, to build a new property on its land.

In October the Grosvenor Arms pub, in St John's, secured planning approval for five homes on its beer garden despite 600 people signing a petition to save it.

Owner Peter Styles said it would help the Henwick Road pub stay viable, with the planning committee insisting it could not see any possible refusal reasons standing up in the event of an appeal.

Earlier this year a bungalow even got the go-ahead to be built on Green Belt land in Hindlip Lane, Claines, with the landowner saying he needed a residence next to his horses stable.

Planning officers again pointed to the presumption in favour of development, particularly on sites with a history of some sort of use.

* What do you think? Is too much infill damaging Worcester's landscape? Have you say below or email te@worcesternews.co.uk.