Allotments

Communities and Local Government written question – answered at on 8 June 2009.

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Photo of David Drew David Drew Labour, Stroud

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to encourage the development of more allotments; what guidance she has provided to local authorities on this issue; and what research her Department has undertaken into the potential contribution of allotments to local food chains and sustainable community agriculture.

Photo of John Healey John Healey The Minister for Housing

At a meeting between my noble Friend Baroness Andrews and allotment policy stakeholders on 20 February 2009, it was agreed that the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens should be commissioned to update the Local Government Association (LGA) publication "Growing in the Community" and that this should be made available online, to ensure that it reaches a wider audience. "Growing in the Community" is a good practice guide for local authority allotment officers, which assists them in their statutory duty to provide allotments. A free copy was sent to all local authorities following its revision in March 2008 and it is available on request from the LGA.

In respect of research into the potential contribution of allotments, my officials have started discussions with DEFRA about jointly commissioning research to identify and collect evidence on how communities can be engaged and empowered to realise the benefits of urban green spaces (including allotments), which align with key Government priorities.

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Annotations

Antony Macer
Posted on 9 Jun 2009 2:08 pm (Report this annotation)

You could try asking Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall for a bit of 'hands-on' feedback, too.

frank rookley
Posted on 7 Jul 2009 2:29 pm (Report this annotation)

I think that what is needed is some sort of time scale for the provision of allotments, at present , all L.G`s
have to do is say that they are "seeking sites for allotments", but, in my experience, they do very little,I have formed a group of 22 parishioners, seeking allotments in rural mid_devon, surrounded by fields, we have been waiting for almost a year and are still no nearer to our goal