Building on back gardens will become more and more common in Solihull, one of the borough's longest-serving councillors has warned.
Residents in Stonor Park Road last night celebrated the council's decision to throw out an application to erect five detached homes behind Nos 64-74.
More than 350 people had previously signed a petition against the creation of the cul-de-sac, which the planning committee ultimately deemed would harm the surrounding area.
However, Cllr Diana Holl-Allen (Con, Knowle) had earlier warned the meeting that with pressure to build new homes growing, an increased number of "long, beautiful gardens" will be developed.
"There was a time, and I had the privilege of sitting on this committee some 20 odd years ago, we tried to stop them," she said.
"We said 'no, we don't want any more mess, we don't want unpleasantness, we want our lovely gardens behind our beautiful homes'.
"And we've kept losing in the end, because we had appeal after appeal and at the end of the day, as I say, we do have to work on planning guidelines."
Helen Miles, who has lived in the street for 17 years, had urged the committee to reject the application - arguing the homes would be "cramped in" and that they would add to existing traffic problems.
"As your community we are tired of living in fear of repeated attempts at garden grabbing," she said.
"The devastating impact is completely disproportionate to the benefit of five large houses.
"[It] will damage our community, take away important green space forever and set a precedent which opens up our much-loved area to cynical garden grabbing."
Ward councillor Joe Tildesley (Con, St Alphege) claimed the developer was trying to justify "blatant garden grabbing of the very worst kind" and that their plans would impact on the community for years to come.
Donna Savage, speaking on behalf of the applicant, Rosconn Developments, argued that a similar development had been approved on appeal in nearby Broad Oaks Road and that there was a recognised need to provide more homes in mature suburbs.
"The NPPF [National Planning Policy Framework] is very clear that building on garden land is not unacceptable and it's for local authorities to provide their own policies in relation to such matters. Solihull has no such policies to prevent building on garden land."
Having heard representations, several members of the committee said they were uncomfortable with the plans and the decision was taken to refuse planning permission - going against the original recommendation by planning officers.
Cllr Robert Grinsell (Con, Olton) said: "I'm very concerned about this application, I have to say.
"Currently I think that this is very much a contrived scheme to maximise the usage of what is ... a limited piece of land."
Cllr Glenis Slater (Lib Dem, Elmdon) said: "Back garden developments are not popular but we have them and we're going to have them and they're going to stay and we're going to get more and more of them, I think, over the years.
"But this particular back garden development, in my opinion, is far too cramped. What I don't like about it is the access road ... if it was made into a proper road and it was wider, I think I could support it better than I can now."
