There are many different perspectives of allotments,
allotment folk and the value they provided to the community. Views will vary greatly,
and some from outside may be far adrift from reality. The views of the value
allotments give their plot holders will also differ by demographic and ethnic
mix. But whatever the view held we must respect perception often trumps all.
Some views may be tainted by the length of waiting lists and
in today’s instant gratification times, view allotments as elitist and plots
unobtainable. Others may look through the gates and take the view that they often
resemble a ramshackle shanty town. Others will look with envy at the fresh vegetables
and jealously yearn for the good life. The perception will obviously vary
significantly between rural and urban, suburban and inner-city sites. Some even
see them as a sort of day care centre for the retired.
Over the years allotments have gone in and out of fashion.
Often in times of hardship they attract attention, whilst in times of plenty
and affluence they may lose that attraction.
As a result of the current Covid virus has perception of
allotments changed?
One thing is very clear is that the profile of allotments
and the benefits they offer has been raised. It may be increased column inches
in the weekend broadsheets, or even the five-minute sound bite on TV but six
months ago there would have been none.
Perhaps two things have helped to raise the profile. The
first was the supermarket queues and the awakening that we as a society had
become too dependent on the one stop shop, the perfect all year-round fresh
food that knows no seasonality. When you start to add up the air miles and
extended supply chains and things done to preserve freshness maybe you realise
that there is fresh and there is fresh. The second profile raiser was the fact
that allotments remained open all hours and even government ministers classed
them as exercise. Later they were lauded as providing both mental well-being as
well as physical exercise.
In areas of dense housing and where the shift from houses to
flats often in the sky prevails, the loss of growing space or even meaningful
open space is acute. Here in London’s Docklands we have the highest density of residential
housing in Western Europe and everything new reaches into the sky in little
boxes piled on top of each other. There is some open space but that is often
managed by the estate to provide the lowest maintenance option and community
gardening is rarely encouraged or provided.
It is ironic that allotments as we know them today are only
some 100 to 150 years old. They were developed to provide, along with parks and
libraries, a release from the industrial sprawl and to give householders a
piece of land to grow on. Today the industrial sprawl has been replaced by concrete,
glass and commercial and residential sprawl and yet we have less space than we
did a 100 years ago or even 50 years ago. Some would suggest that we now have
longer waiting lists and latent demand than at any time in the history of
allotments.
I was once told by a Mayor of a borough that his colleagues were
the problem and that they viewed allotments ‘as the lowest of the low.’ Well if
there was ever a reason to change perception that was it. Today even the hardest councils have had to
keep allotments open and respect the benefits they give. Folk who thought
gardening was something their parents and grandparents did have started to
discover its many benefits and the closure of garden centres has in fact help
raise awareness even further.
But perception must be changed and allotments have to
continue to help that change happen. Allotments are integral to the community.
They are environmental standard bearers, centres of both mental and physical well-being,
educational stimulants, ethnic and social melting pots.
I often state to doubting eyes that only 28% of our plot
holders are retired, only a minority are English origin and so on. These are
small facts, but perception changes.
We do not judge the longest bean, the fattest leek, the
straightest carrot. In fact, we celebrate the community outreach program we
have and embrace environmental initiatives and projects.
Finally, I strongly believe that allotments do not stop at
the fence and these physical barriers do not stop the allotments fully integrating
into the community in many ways. Children may learn some basic gardening at
school but where do we expect them to continue this after leaving school? Where
do the disabled or long term sick go who are unable to physically manage a garden?
How do we ensure social housing also has social gardening?
The city planners need to think holistically about the city-scapes
they are responsible for developing and ensure that the various green and
welfare needs highlighted by the current situation are not a lost opportunity.
We can change not just perceptions but reality.
