NEW figures show Redbridge has become a garden grabbing hotspot over the past three years.

Redbridge is among the top of London's borough's for the proportion of new homes built on previously residential land.

The figures, released by the Department for Communities and Local Government, highlight that between 1994 and 2005 an average of 11 per cent of new homes were built on previously residential land in the borough.

This figure rose to 32 per cent between 2006 and 2009 - a 220 per cent increase on the figure of 10 per cent for the period 2002-2005.

Wanstead and Woodford is likely to have had the majority of development in the borough, given the north of the borough being largely more leafy than the south.

The biggest increase of garden grabbing in London is in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea which has seen an increase of 255 per cent when comparing figures for 2002-2005 to the three years 2006 to 2009.

Nationally there has been an increase of 47 per cent when comparing figures for 2002-2005 to the three years 2006 to 2009.

In June Decentralisation minister Greg Clark acted to change planning rules to give councils new powers.

The move was to help prevent unwanted garden grabbing by taking gardens out of the brownfield category - which includes derelict factory sites - subsequently making it easier for Town Halls to dismiss planning applications for new houses and blocks of flats which have been opposed by residents.

Mr Clark said: "For years local people were powerless to do anything about the blight of garden grabbing as the character of their neighbourhoods were destroyed and their wishes ignored.

"We can see from these statistics that last year an even higher proportion of homes were built on previously residential land, which includes back gardens."

Mario Grattarola, of Mews Place, Woodford Green, has become something of an expert on planning matters after spending years fighting a proposal to build a block of flats behind his home.

Mr Grattarola said: "My feeling is that developers thought the last Government was going to come to an end at some point so they got in their while they could and got plenty of brownfield site proposals in.

"Councillors really need to get on top of this. They have more power now so it should not happen, let's hope this signals an end to inappropriate development."

Mr Grattarola was joined today by a handful of residents as Woodford Green MP Iain Duncan Smith met them in Woodford Green High Road.

Mr Duncan Smith met residents to discuss 581- 587, High Road, Woodford Green.

The land, opposite the Grade II listed 'Stone Bomb' anti-air war memorial, erected by Sylvia Pankhurst during the 1930s, has been subject to a number of applications to develop flats at the site.

The most recent application was dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate in June but Mr Grattarola said he expects Yasfind Ltd to submit a fresh application in the future.

He said: "Mr Duncan Smith said he would write to the council to state that he would put his weight behind opposing any future application for the site."