Topic 1.2 Allotments and Community Gardens

In a healthy food environment, the provision of space for communities to grow food will raise awareness of the value of food, encourage healthy eating and increase understanding of fruit and vegetables. People will have the ability to grow their own in shared growing spaces or on private growing plots.

There is increasingly a disconnect between consumers and producers.

People who do not know how food is grown can undervalue fresh produce. This can lead to unhealthy diets.

Amenity land is often not in suitable locations for food growing.

Limited access to green space has physical and mental health consequences.

The design of a development can result in a lack of a sense of community.

Provide amenity space for communal and/or private food growing in new residential development.

Publish amenity space standards to include space suitable for food growing, so that residents have access to communal and / or private space.

Encourage innovative opportunities for food growing such as green roofs.

Identify space for a variety of food productive landscapes, such as allotments, market gardens, community orchards and communal food gardens in masterplans / development frameworks and design codes to contribute to green infrastructure networks.

Seek space suitable for food growing at new school sites.

Designate local green space in Local Plan reviews to protect existing spaces.

Protect food growing spaces from development.

Encourage the identification of local green spaces in neighbourhood plans which may provide potential for growing food.

Identify sites pending future development for temporary food growing projects.

Map existing food growing activity.

Map areas deficient in open space.

Green infrastructure studies and open space assessments should include consideration of local food growing (and not just allotments).

https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/GreenInfrastructure/Home.aspx England Green Infrastructure Mapping Database released 28th October 2024

Urban Food Mapping Making Visible the Edible City, Edited By Katrin Bohn, Mikey Tomkins 2024
https://www.routledge.com/Urban-Food-Mapping-Making-Visible-the-Edible-City/Bohn-Tomkins/p/book/9781032402819

Assessment tools such as Scotland’s “Place Standard” could help planners and developers understand how a neighbourhood works. It identifies the assets of a place, as well as areas where a place could improve.

Allotment waiting lists are widely used by planners to identify demand for food growing space but this will not help meet the need for community food growing spaces. An allotment waiting list does not tell the whole story about the demand for space for food growing because:

• It reflects demand only from individuals already interested in food growing. Community food growing often involves people new to food growing;
• Some councils have closed their waiting lists because they are over-subscribed, so demand is underestimated;
• Community food growing spaces are located close to where participants live, making them more accessible to a wider range of people;
• Projected increases in the number of households will result in further demand for food growing spaces. Higher densities mean that a high number of homes without gardens are being built;
• The production of food is not the sole reason that people join a community gardening project.

A study by Sheffield University identified the potential of urban horticulture to national food and nutrition security.

Urban land could grow fruit and vegetables for 15 percent of the population. Growing fruit and vegetables in just 10 per cent of a city’s gardens and other urban green spaces could provide 15 per cent of the local population with their ‘five a day’.

Evidence for community and collective gardening subject to systematic review show positive associations with improved mental health and nutrition through increased fruit and vegetable consumption.

Community growing provides benefits to the individual for mental health and wellbeing, levels of physical activity and improved access to healthy food. There are also wider environmental and social benefits from engaging local groups in food growing as well as the aesthetic improvement to the public realm. The personal, environmental and economic benefits of community food growing include:

• mental and physical health benefits, from eating more fresh food and being physically active outdoors;
• community cohesion, because food growing sites can bring diverse groups of people together around a common interest;
• the potential for economic development, through learning new skills and exploring commercial options for produce and the provision of social services;
• education – improved educational outcomes have been achieved at schools which grow and eat healthy food and have incorporated food growing into the curriculum.

Local green space designation – local green space can only be designated when the Local Plan is being reviewed or a neighbourhood plan is being produced. (NPPF). https://www.gov.uk/guidance/open-space-sports-and-recreation-facilities-public-rights-of-way-and-local-green-space#Local-Green-Space-designation

https://www.oss.org.uk/need-to-know-more/information-hub/local-green-space-designation/

Making-local-green-space-designations-in-your-neighbourhood-plan-2021.10.06.pdf

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/sustainable-food (food growing, food security)

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/sustainable-food/news/urban-land-could-grow-fruit-and-veg-15-percent-population

The National Allotment Society (NSALG) offer free one-to-one advice and legal support service for planners and developers looking to include new allotment sites in their new local developments. natsoc@nsalg.org.uk

Their guide provides design-led, policy-based, guidance for planners.

The various principles of walkable and compact neighbourhoods / compact cities / 20 minute neighbourhoods are helpful for the planning system. The TCPA present the 20 minute neighbourhood as “a complete, compact and connected neighbourhood, where people can meet their everyday needs within a short walk or cycle.” Local food production designed into new developments is one of the TCPA’s principles for a 20 minute neighbourhood, providing both economic and health benefits.

Green infrastructure studies and open space assessments should include consideration of local food growing (and not be confined to allotments).

Define green infrastructure to include food growing spaces such as urban farms, orchards, community gardens.

Publish supplementary planning guidance/advice to clarify to developers how to achieve space for food growing on their sites.

Ensure space for food growing is a criterion in local design codes.

Support local food growing networks.

Allotment Societies

Food Partnerships

Food Networks and Food Partnerships applying for Sustainable Food Place Award

Landowners, social landlords

Developers – planning applications to include landscape plans and details of future management and maintenance of growing areas

Collaborative funding

The Community Environment Fund enables funding for green projects from across the Liverpool City Region for initiatives to improve the city region’s environment and encourage long-term behavioural change. https://www.liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk/community-environment-fund-2024

Number of landscape plans accompanied by management and maintenance programmes submitted with planning applications showing space for food growing

New residential development built with space for food growing

No loss of food growing spaces

Increase in food growing space

Number of local green spaces designated that grow food

Design awards for residential development that incorporates space for food growing

Monitor the amount of food growing through open space / green infrastructure studies

Green Sefton work with Friends Groups, community and voluntary organisations to enable volunteers and groups to provide support and expertise in horticultural activities in parks and greenspaces They help community groups establish community growing spaces and enable this through initiatives including, Friends Groups and Northwest in Bloom.

The 2024 Warrington Design Guide SPD includes opportunities for food growing (para 03.1.3 / Site Strategy / Site Ambition / Principles / Leading with Landscape and para 04.3.3 / Streets, landscape and open space / Landscape and open space / Illustrative open space.

Supplementary planning documents – Warrington design guide – July 2024

Development Frameworks (Warrington)
The Fiddlers Ferry Development Framework: Transforming Fiddlers Ferry – September 2024
This makes provision for small scale retail provision and allotments providing opportunities for sustainable food production.

Saffron Acres in Leicester is an award-winning open space in the centre of the Saffron Lane estate, managed by Saffron Lane Neighbourhood Council for the benefit of local people. When obtained in 2006, it was disused land, which was quickly revitalised to provide funded work placements and volunteering opportunities enabling local people to learn how to live more sustainably; growing and cooking their own produce, generating green energy, and living a healthier lifestyle.

https://srcentre.org.uk/our-projects/saffron-acres/

Brighton and Hove City Council

PAN 06: Food Growing and Development

https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2020-09/FINAL%20Food%20PAN%202020.pdf

The Food Growing and Development PAN provides guidance and basic technical considerations on how food growing can be incorporated into different types of development. The City Council seeks to encourage food growing in the city even in small urban spaces as part of its commitment to sustainable development.

(The Brighton and Hove City Council Planning Advice Note is available for sharing with other councils:

https://www.hull.gov.uk/downloads/file/3931/spd7-residential-design-guide

Every opportunity should be taken to create spaces small and large for planting and growing. This could be on an individual basis or collective shared arrangement such a micro allotments in a residential context.

Hull residential design guide illustrates how space can be made for planting even on constrained sites.

https://www.hull.gov.uk/downloads/file/3931/spd7-residential-design-guide

Further guidance on meeting their Local Plan policies is:

Hull SPD 14: Healthy Places, Healthy People

https://www.hull.gov.uk/downloads/file/3671/spd14-healthy-places-healthy-people

4.9 To contribute towards addressing this health priority and in respect of Local Plan Policy 14 the Council will expect applicants to demonstrate that the proposed development:
· provides safe, well-maintained open space, green and blue infrastructure, green spaces, amenity spaces, and allotments and other food growing spaces.

Camden draft (Reg 18) Local Plan policy

Policy SC4 – Food Growing

A. The Council will support food growing and community food growing in Camden to ensure that residents have access to nutritious, affordable and sustainable food.

The Council will:

i. Protect existing allotments and community gardens for food growing;

ii. Seek to secure the provision of suitable space for on-site food growing by residents as part of all major housing and mixed use developments (incorporating housing). As a guide, seek the provision of approximately 0.9sqm per person. Where provision cannot be made on-site, a financial contribution will be sought to deliver off-site community food growing projects;

iii. Encourage commercial developments to include provision for local food growing;

iv. Utilise incidental open space on housing estates and other open space areas for community food growing, where this does not conflict with other policy objectives or land use priorities;

v. Support the temporary use of vacant or under-utilised sites in the borough for community gardening and food growing projects provided the scale and nature of the activity would not have an unacceptable impact on the amenity of adjoining areas arising from the scale and nature of the activity through noise, disturbance or noxious smells; and

vi. Encourage developments to include landscaping that includes plants and trees that produce fruit, nuts or seeds.

10.75 Housing developments and mixed-use developments incorporating housing should seek to create and include flexible space that is suitable for food growing. As a guide, seek the provision of approximately 0.9sqm per person, based on the occupancy of the proposed development. The inclusion of food growing opportunities in new developments should extend beyond the conventional provision of gardens and allotments to include the creative use of roofs, walls and balconies where external space is limited; the provision of community gardens; and landscaping that includes plants and trees that produce fruit, nuts or seeds rather than ornamental trees and shrubs. Where provision cannot be made onsite, a financial contribution will be sought to deliver off-site community food growing projects. Furthermore, where applicable, the Council will also encourage commercial developments in Camden to include provision for local food growing, for example through the use of basements or roof spaces for urban farms.

10.76 Wherever food growing space is included in a development, consideration should be given to issues such as exposure to the elements; drainage; soil quality, contamination and depth; solar orientation and overshadowing; water supply and the appropriateness of species planted to ensure suitable conditions are present for its meaningful use by residents.

10.77 In some cases initiatives such as the use of incidental open space on housing estates for food growing may not require planning permission. This would depend on its scale and form, and the extent to which it would change the character and function of the open space. The acceptability of such proposals would also depend on the impact on the availability of open space for general amenity use by residents.

10.78 Green roofs also provide opportunities for food growing, if structurally suitable, and can accommodate both growing beds and greenhouses. Local food growing spaces should incorporate sustainable landscape principles and practices, including effective water management, efficient energy use and use of sustainable materials.

10.79 Where provided, the identified space for food growing will be secured through planning condition or section106 agreement.

Calderdale

Local Plan adopted 2023

Sustainable Local Food Production

15.13 Community growing schemes can help people to access sustainable, affordable diets. These also offer a range of other benefits – they provide people with the opportunity to enjoy regular physical exercise, meet new people in their neighbourhood and benefit from a healthier diet, regardless of income. Growing food locally also increases biodiversity, helps to manage rainwater and creates a greener urban landscape.

15.14 There are a wide range of ways to incorporate food production into development. This could range from small scale landscaping with herbs, and planting fruit trees, to providing gardens and allotment space in residential developments.

Policy HW5

Sustainable Local Food Production

I. All new residential developments shall include gardens or communal areas of adequate size, commensurate in scale with the development, to support household food production.

II. Where practical, developments of apartments or specialist accommodation should have some or all of pot/trough space, window box facilities, communal gardens at ground or roof level, pre-built raised beds and sensory gardens.

III. Furthermore, all developers are encouraged to explore ways to incorporate food growing into landscaping schemes and the spaces around their developments.

Policy HW3 Wellbeing

The Council and its partners will seek to work together to create and safeguard opportunities for safe, healthy, fulfilling and active lifestyles by:

VI. Promoting the role of communal growing spaces including allotments, garden plots within developments, small scale agriculture and farmers’ markets in providing access to healthy, affordable, locally produced food options.

Table 15.1 Monitoring:

Policy HW5 – Local Food Production

Outcomes Provision of growing space for local food production

Indicators Area of dedicated space for local food production

Targets All larger residential development have local food growing space