Allotments are threatened by sale to developers
Allotment policy should be seen as part of the broader movement to build stronger communities by empowering local people. Fulfilling the promise that devolution would also bring a return to genuine local democracy.
The Greenspace survey suggests that around one allotment plot is required for every 37 people, which is equivalent to 2.7% of the population. This means allotment provision needs to be increased by around 10-fold in Scotland. This won’t happen without stronger statutory provision and planning action.
Ecologist, Dr Beth Nicholls, sums up the case for allotments, “In a world of increasing urbanisation, producing food in and around cities has the potential to improve both nutritional and health outcomes, alleviate poverty and simultaneously provide habitat for wildlife and create sustainable cities.”