“I would like an allotment space where I can learn with other people how to grow food. I’ve been added to “the waiting list for the waiting list”. How long will I have to wait?”
In view of the long-standing shortage of plots in Glasgow and the large increase in demand for that most of us have experienced as a result of the Covid pandemic, we believe we need the City Council to take action by making more land available for food growing.
The best hope we have of doing this is to help those who want a plot to get together to campaign for change.
You’re welcome to join in, particularly if you don’t already have an allotment, or if your allotment life would be more convenient if a new site were set up closer to home.
To register for the meeting, to put forward any questions for discussion, or just to find out more, email GAFForum@gmail.com.
Councillor Martha Wardrop (Green Party Councillor for Hillhead) and Rachel Smith (Glasgow City Council Landscape Design and Development Manager) have agreed to attend an online meeting to discuss:
- the opportunities for new sites in Glasgow
- the Community Empowerment Act 2015
- which includes a duty on local authorities to provide allotments, and to act if the waiting list exceeds 50% of the total number of allotment spaces owned by the council – see Section 112
- Glasgow City Council’s Draft Food Growing Strategy
- which the Council were required to write as a result of the Act above, and which includes a plan to develop new allotment sites over the next 5 years – see page 28
You may also be interested to read about:
- the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019
- which includes a duty on local authorities to provide an Open Space Strategy ‘to set out a strategic framework of the planning authority’s policies and proposals as to the development, maintenance and use of green infrastructure in their district‘ – see Section 3
- Glasgow City Council’s Open Space Strategy, adopted in Feb 2020
- which has overlap with the plans for new allotment spaces mentioned in the draft Food Growing Strategy, mentioned above
| Time | Content | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 19:30 | Welcome Introduction to panel members | Jenny Reeves (Chair, Glasgow Allotments Forum) |
| 19:35 | The Community Empowerment Act 2015 What it says about allotments and food growing | Jenny Reeves |
| 19:45 | Glasgow’s Response The Food Growing Strategy and proposed action regarding new allotments | Rachel Smith (Landscape Design and Development Manager, Glasgow City Council) |
| 19:55 | Discussion Participants’ questions about the meaning and implementation of the new legislation in Glasgow | Panel chaired by Scott Ramsay (Member, Glasgow Allotments Forum) |
| 20:15 | Taking Action How you can make your voice heard Strategies / approaches for effectively demanding land / space for growing | Councillor Martha Wardrop (Green Party Councillor for Hillhead) |
| 20:25 | Discussion Participants’ questions about taking action for the provision of new growing spaces | Panel chaired by Scott Ramsay |
| 20:40 | Summary and Next Steps | Jenny Reeves, Rachel Smith, and Councillor Martha Wardrop |
| 21:00 | Close |
If you can’t make the meeting, you’re still very welcome to join the campaign. Get in touch so we can keep you up-to-date with developments and other activities in the future.
Where is the meeting?
It’ll be online, so you can join from the comfort of your own home! We’ve updated the description to reflect that, and we’ll post more specifics here shortly.
Unfortunately we missed the meeting but we are very keen to help where we can.
Regarrds