Whitehall and local authorities have been urged to expand the number of public allotments by building on brownfield sites and encouraging landowners to donate unused holdings to their local community. That call came in a report from think-tank the New Local Government Network (NLGN) which argued that central Government and local councils could make better use of the estimated 3,500 hectares of derelict brownfield land to create new community allotments.
The report advocated tax incentives for landowners to allow allotments to be built on unused sections of their property. The think-tank also suggested that if a voluntary system proves ineffective, the Government should consider establishing a Large Private Estates Commission which could have the power to temporarily transfer unused plots of private land to the local community for agricultural use.
In addition, the NLGN report also recommended that local councils should encourage ‘edible landscaping’, including the creation of more roof gardens and the conversion of agricultural land owned by county and unitary authorities into allotments. NLGN director Chris Leslie said: “It is well documented that allotments can help to keep people fit, encourage healthy eating, reduce carbon footprints and save money on food bills, so it’s a tragedy that more than 100,000 people are waiting to be provided with a plot of land. Our reforms would see much more unused and unfunctional brownfield land developed into a much more picturesque landscape of working allotments.”
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