Reports indicate that Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, has given councils the authority to sell assets, including sports fields and allotment sites, to finance spending. In an article published in The Telegraph, the Assistant Political Editor, Tony Driver, noted that Rayner has personally already approved the sale of eight allotment sites across England.
The Allotment Act of 1925 mandates that the sale of allotment sites require permission from Westminster. Given the government’s objective of constructing 1.5 million homes, would there be significant resistance to such an approval? Despite resident protests, Storrington and West Sussex have already been sold, and two additional sites in Ashfield and Notts have received permission. Furthermore, sites in Bolsover and Derbyshire are reportedly set for closure.
According to the article a government spokesperson has said that these sites should only be sold if “absolutely necessary.” Regrettably, we all know that once this threshold is crossed, it will be challenging to halt or reverse the process.
Brownfield blindness
Sport fields and allotments are everything BUT brownfield development sites. While the need for homes is evident, the pursuit of development sites amidst green community spaces is not just predictable and outdated, but severely lacking in ingenuity.
Especially in rural areas, our towns and cities are increasingly becoming desolate, characterised by obsolete retail and office spaces that will never be reoccupied due to the rise of online shopping and remote working. Instead of revitalising these locations, which possess all the necessary amenities and social infrastructure, the development focus remains on the obvious—productive farmland, sports fields, parks, community green spaces, and now, cherished allotments.
Just look at the much loved European towns and cities we visit in droves during the summer holidays. Vibrant and lively because they have successfully achieved a harmonious balance between retail, commercial, and residential areas. While providing a high standard of living, residential neighbourhoods serve as the bedrock of a robust local economy, ensuring the thriving of retail and commercial establishments. Local retail and businesses not only provide essential goods and services but also foster economic stability by generating local employment opportunities and anchoring wealth within communities.
The true brownfield sites—our empty office blocks, vacant vast shopping malls, forlorn industrial estates and factories—offer substantial potential for the development of innovative, modern, and sustainable urban planning strategies. These strategies could provide new housing while simultaneously supporting, strengthening, and revitalising local businesses, thereby benefitting their communities.
An interesting example, is the redevelopment of the former Philips industrial, manufacturing and research estate located in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. The area (Strijp) is being transformed into a 27-hectare “creative city”, incorporating mixed-use complex with a strong cultural and design focus. When completed, the site will include residential (around 3,000 housing units, including high-demand atelier dwellings and lofts), retail, office, cultural, and leisure functions. The development also includes the ‘Trudo Vertical Forest‘ designed by Stefano Boeri Architetti to provide social housing for low-income households and students. Similar to the building in Milan, the balconies of each of the 125 flats on 19 floors are planted with 1 tree and 20 shrubs – accommodating some 135 trees of various species and over 8000, smaller shrubs and plants.
Hence, creatively addressing both the pressing challenge of the environmental crisis, whilst providing affordable, contemporary housing – one can be proud of.
Allotment prescriptions
Why do we still need to debate the value of allotments? Beyond their role in food production and providing much needed gardening space for those without access to gardens, allotments offer multifaceted benefits that contribute to physical and mental well-being. They foster crucial community engagement, particularly for vulnerable older generations who are increasingly susceptible to loneliness and social isolation.
For the preservation of the environment and wildlife, allotment sites play a crucial role in bolstering biodiversity. One should note, that if development on allotment sites and sports fields is permitted, a significant number of these locations would likely fall under the category of “small development sites.” If the government’s proposed expansion of the number of exempt small sites from the Biodiversity and Natural Heritage (BNG) system is implemented, developers would be also be exempt from paying any compensation for the loss of that biodiversity.
Widely reported in the media and supported by numerous research papers, gardening has garnered significant recognition and value. The National Health Service (NHS) has adopted a “green prescribing” approach to facilitate patients’ access to the positive impact of gardening on both physical and mental well-being. Numerous studies have demonstrated that such prescribing can result in substantial cost savings, primarily through reductions in GP appointments, hospital admissions, and A&E attendances.
Though to reap those benefits, we need our allotments….
Statement from National Allotment Society
In response, the National Allotment Society (NAS) has issued a statement that “no changes have been made to the statutory protections afforded to allotments in England and Wales”.
The NAS is a consultee on the disposal of allotment gardens classified as “Statutory” and added that “statutory allotments cannot be sold or disposed of without following strict legal procedures, including consultation with the National Allotment Society. We remain a consultee in such matters and are directly involved in any proposed disposal process”.
Protection for existing allotments comes from the Allotment Act 1925. Section 8 stipulates that where a local authority has purchased or appropriated land for use as allotments, it must not sell, use or dispose of the land for any purpose other than use for allotments without the consent of the Secretary of State for the Environment. Only statutory allotments benefit from the Section 8 protections. Temporary allotments or privately owned allotment land does not benefit from Section 8 protections.
The NAS added that the society “continues to monitor proposed disposals closely and works with local authorities, plot holders, and communities to ensure that all statutory protections are upheld and that allotment land is not lost without proper scrutiny and mitigation”.
