We have a very long and narrow back garden with access and off road parking at the back. When we first bought the house the solicitor pointed out that there was potential for development at the back and that we could make lots of money from it, at the time we were not interested. We are both keen gardeners and we relished the opportunity to get our teeth into our new plot and turn in into our little bit of paradise.

So we spent a few years planting and landscaping our way down the garden until last year we got towards the end of the plot. We created a lovely vegetable plot and greenhouse, planted an Olive tree, a fig and a grape vine. One more year would have seen us done and dusted. That’s when the bombshell hit.

Our three neighbours on the other side (three consecutive plots) all sold their properties to one housing developer, the developer quickly applied and was granted planning permission for 6, 2 bedroom flats and he has recently started work.

Time for a rethink!

If development was going to happen and we would have six flats gurning at us as we enjoyed our paradise then maybe we should investigate what our paradise is worth?

What price paradise? Well it turns out it’s worth a lot. The sort of sum which can pay of my mortgage and have some change kind of sum.

So several months back we took the decision to sell the bottom half of our garden to our next door neighbour, as reluctant sellers we got a very sweet deal and he will develop the land and his end of the garden and build another semi detached house on it. Now that we are in the last stages of drawing up a contract though I am starting to get pangs of conscience. Another green space is being eaten up by developers and it’s purely our greed which is allowing it to happen.

I look at my little pond full of frogspawn today and I’m wondering if there will be as much next year? What will be the impact? We had fox cubs playing in the garden last summer, I suspect they had a den next door where they are building the flats. Will they find somewhere else?

So this is how urban sprawl happens then, money can buy out even those who are environmentally conscious, and the ends justify the means.

So time will tell, when I see the money in our account will I leap for joy or will it feel dirty? When I drive down that street in 10 years time will I remember what our paradise meant to us in our first home and regret selling it? I think the reality is that if we didn’t do it then someone else would have but is that enough to make me sleep at night?