We often forget that the land that most allotments are on is
owned not by the Society, or its plot holders, or in fact by the local
authority, but by the community. It may be the local parish council, a local
council, or a metropolitan borough whose name is on the freehold, but it
remains community land and open space.
So how do allotments integrate and work with the community?
In this short series of articles, we look at some of those communities and
opportunities. There is no right or wrong approach, just opportunities.
2. Community Land
The allotment acts were set in statue at the beginning of
the 20th century to encourage, protect and give impetus to the
development of allotments for communities grappling with urban sprawl,
industrial pollution, an unhealthy lifestyle, no land on which to grow and
general polarisation of society. Today we can change the labels, but the
messages are similar. The laws as set out intended that allotments were to be
available for a percentage of the population has long gone. The allotment
movement went in and out of fashion during the 20th century and the
space within urban areas disappeared rarely to return. The Thorpe Report in
1969 put forward the case again, but got short shrift against the materialism,
consumerism and social change of the day and the decline in allotment demand
continued until the 21st century.
'We also believe that boroughs that have unmet demand for allotments should consider using s106 agreements to compel the developers of high density housing to allocate a portion of land for use as allotments.' -London Assembly report: A Lot to Loose: London's Disappearing Allotments, Oct 2006.
Today many now seek a return to the health and well being on
offer through allotments. The environment, biodiversity, and all things green
and healthy may be spoken of by all, but the reality is that concrete and glass
development still dominate in a world of exploding population growth. Perfect
supermarket vegetables with ‘sell by dates’ are deemed to be better than ‘wonky
veg’ and no so perfect vegetables. Allotments continue to be low in the prioritises
of local authorities.
‘The lesson I have thoroughly learnt, and wish to pass on
to others, is to know the enduring happiness that the love of a garden gives.’
Gertrude Jekyll.
How do we accommodate the children, their parents, community
social groups, those less able and effectively create a virtual circle of
opportunity to grow? Allotments are only part of the answer and they can help
encourage and educate, but they are not the solution but merely part of it.
‘…it must be capable of being applied equally to land
used for all forms of recreation, since the only land use criterion
distinguishing the allotment from the playing field and the park is the number
of people who can be accommodated on it. Those who use this argument – and they
include many local councillors – are thinking of ‘value’ purely in commercial
terms, whereas the planner, values cannot always be stated in such terms…’ item
654 page 261 section 7 Thorpe Report 1969.
Community gardens are often sighted as the answer, but these
often have little protection in the law, are heavily dependent on a small
handful of enthusiasts and often are torn between being fully voluntary and
requiring funding. Again, they are only part of the solution and not the solution.
Housing Associations (HSA) could provide extremely useful
and productive areas within their estates. The major drawback here is that they
often can only allocate land to the specific estate’s residents, so again are
highly dependent on individuals. Here the HSA will often also require a
visually acceptable and managed area which sounds easy but may not be so easy
to maintain.
The bottom line is that the land is often owned by a body
whose interest may be long term and in conflict with those of those seeking to
work it.
'At a time of acute land scarcity, it is not surprising
that envious eyes have been cast on urban allotment sites. They are almost
invariably to be found within the perimeter of the town, where land is most
urgently required. They often lie close to heavily built up areas, where the
need for ancillary services is the greatest. As little or no demolition is
necessary, they are usually simple to develop. Since the closure of an
allotment site affects the lives of only a small minority of the town's
inhabitants (and electorate) no great clamour of protest occurs. Finally, many
sites, because of their untidiness and neglect, are looked upon by the public
primarily as horticultural slums, whose disappearance would add to the
attractiveness of the town and would provide space for more homes, schools or
playing fields. It follows that if a planner proposes that a site should be
developed, he is usually assured of the support both of the local authority and
the majority of its ratepayers...' - item 88 page 32 section 1 Thorpe Report 1969.
‘I could put up a nice block of flats there and help meet
the housing demand and targets,’ says the developer to the local authority who
has steep targets to meet and little land and money to achieve them.
Should planners look to the provision of allotments and
community gardens in the same way they look at schools, medical centres, parks,
playgrounds? After all, allotments aid education, they can provide prescriptive
medicine and health and wellbeing, are the best ‘five a day ’promotion and
assist both physical and mental health.
For many allotments are still seen as shanty towns,
overgrown wastelands and day care centres for the old.
Is this where we have to think seriously about rooftop
gardens, sky gardens, urban growing on industrial sites?
It is all about balance and as land scarcity increases and
housing demand continues to grow, there is perhaps a need for a different
approach to planning and provision of open space.
‘I support Alice Waters in her desire that there be a
vegetable garden at the White House. I don’t think they should rip up the Rose
Garden, because that’s something that I love. They should probably grow some
vegetables there.’ - Martha Stewart.
The allotments also need to look beyond their fences and
outreach to their communities and engage with them and perhaps alter their food
supply and perception of growing and their perception.
