Ministers must respond to growing demand for allotments, MSPs say

MSPs have urged the Scottish Government to respond to Scotland’s spiralling demand for allotments.

In 2015, the Community Empowerment Act recognised the importance of growing spaces for communities and individuals, highlighting the benefits they can have on people’s health, the environment and food security.

Seven years later, the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee undertook an inquiry into the Act, examining whether it has improved the availability of allotments and reduced barriers to accessing them.

Despite positive developments since the legislation came into force, a new report showed the significant demand for growing spaces is unmet, with demand far outstripping supply.

Evidence revealed that the Covid-19 pandemic led to this increase, and the emerging cost-of-living crisis is expected to drive up the need for allotments even further.

The inquiry heard that demand for allotment space is more acute in Scotland’s cities, with the number of people on waiting lists in Edinburgh almost doubling since 2019, rising from 3,000 to 5,600, and Aberdeen’s waiting list increasing over six-fold, from 150 to 1,000 people in five years.

The committee warned that broader plans for developing community growing, food growth strategies and improving access to land are all being held back.

It made several recommendations for the Scottish Government and for local government .

These included increasing the leadership provided by the Scottish Government to improve access to allotments and growing spaces, and the creation of a national partnership forum which could foster cross-sector collaboration and enable local authorities to share expertise.

Further recommendations include recognising the importance of allotments and food growing in wider strategies such as the National Planning Framework, the forthcoming Biodiversity Strategy, and the implementation of the new Good Food Nation Bill.

Commenting on the report, committee convener Ariane Burgess MSP said: “Scotland’s appetite for improved access to allotments and growing space is flourishing, in part due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, but also due to the rising cost of living and levels of food insecurity facing people across the country.

“The benefits of allotments were made clear to the committee by the many passionate individuals we met in our visits to sites and in the evidence we received.

“These benefits extend from improving health and well-being to tackling social isolation, intergenerational engagement, education opportunities, carbon reduction and improved biodiversity.

“Nurturing communities’ and individuals’ interests in getting involved should be a priority for the government.

“Our hope is that this report prepares the ground for real change and that the Scottish Government now demonstrate increased leadership and a renewed commitment to the Act to deliver on its own food growth and well-being ambitions.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government welcomes the committee’s report and will give its recommendations careful consideration.

“We are committed to working with public agencies to make more land available for community market gardens, orchards and allotments during the course of this parliament.

“A review of the Community Empowerment Act is under way.”