The coalition Government has moved to stop gardens being classed as previously used brownfield sites by local councils, which decide whether developments can go ahead.
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This meant the land could be developed for homes.
The law has seen blocks of flats go on the space of single homes. Dorridge has been particularly affected with developments in Widney Road, above, and Station Road.
Mrs Spelman said: “I fought a long campaign over ‘garden grabbing’.
“I saw too many back gardens ripped up and built over to provide expensive houses, far beyond the means of many buyers.
“Alternatively, the gardens were concreted over for blocks of flats which were often opposed by local residents.
“Councils were unable to prevent this practice, thanks to Labour’s laws labelling gardens as ‘brownfield’, together with planning rules designed to create high density.”
She said: “Solihull borough was one of the worst affected places in the country.
“Conservative councillors spent a great deal of time in some wards trying to represent the views of residents over ‘garden grabbing’ schemes, but found the council often over-ruled by Labour government inspectors.”
Labour had announced plans to look at the law in January. It said the definition of brownfield land had not changed since the 1980s but more were being used to hit Labour housing targets.
Former deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, who led housing policy for a time with Labour, said new homes were ‘desperately needed’.
He told the BBC: “You have to look at how many homes we need and where they will be built.
“When we came in, something like 55 per cent of the houses were being built on brownfield sites.
“We increased that to 75 per cent because we desperately need to use a lot of the empty space, particularly in the cities, for affordable homes.”
He said: “It is about the few at the expense of the many. This is what change really means.”
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