We encourage all our members and followers to respond to a government consultation which risks downgrading registered landscapes in the planning system by stripping the Gardens Trust of their consultee status.
There are numerous worrying elements to this government plan, including a move to remove consideration of harm to setting in respect of registered landscapes (considering only harmful interventions within their boundaries). As the Gardens Trust point out, harm to these heritage assets very often comes in the form of harm to setting.
Anya Lucas, Director of the Georgian Group, said, “The Georgian Group believes that depriving LPAs of the ability to receive the timely, cost-effective specialist advice which the Gardens Trust provides will harm their ability to fulfil both the requirements of the NPPF and to safeguard fragile heritage assets for the public benefit. We urge Government to rethink this damaging proposal.”
See our full consultation response here: Letter from the Georgian Group to Sean O’Byrne MHCLG 10 December 2025
Act now: details of how to respond are set out below.
View the Consultation HERE
You can help by:
Responding to the consultation yourself – your expertise will be useful, and even if you have only personal opinion to share it is important that we show the Government how many people care about this issue. Reading the Gardens Trust’s new report on the importance of parks and gardens in the 21st century could help provide inspiration – HERE
Writing to your MP, highlighting our response, giving your thoughts, and asking that they proactively ensure that the Government pays due regard to the consultation evidence and responses in making its decision. Advice and tools for writing to your MP are HERE
Donating to the Gardens Trust Fighting Fund, in order to help with the challenges ahead- HERE