Background:
Allotments have a long history, established in the late 1800s to provide fresh air, access to land and nature for health purposes and affordable food. Traditionally associated with individuals or families cultivating a single plot for well-being and growing their own produce, allotments became more important during wartime and the interwar years, supporting low-income households in growing fresh, seasonal food. Today, allotments vary in size and ownership, including local authority land, leased sites and privately owned spaces. They serve diverse communities and offer multiple benefits: food production, connection to nature and each other, wellbeing and a sense of sanctuary. Alongside community gardens, they are especially valuable in areas with limited access to green spaces. Many allotment sites host community plots, school groups, people seeking asylum and refuge, offering a more supported introduction to growing food and wider community life. Whilst more and more allotment sites engage in wider community activities, the principal model is one where one person or ‘family’ takes on a plot, pays the local authority or committee directly, and consumes the produce grown.
Today
With rising food insecurity, interest in and need for local food growing is increasing. Demand for allotments continues to exceed supply, with long waiting lists and limited land availability. The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, Part 9, requires local authorities to assess demand for local food growing and support, and to outline the provision of allotments and other growing spaces in a Food Growing Strategy. However, competing land use and stretched public resources remain challenges for allotment provision. Allotments are changing, with many sites offering a range of plot sizes to suit different needs. abilities and time commitments.
These pages will highlight the unique value of allotments, the shared responsibility of stewardship, and the need for more flexible, creative approaches to reduce waiting times and expand access to growing opportunities.
Resources
- So you want an allotment? A guide to get you growing sooner.
- The National Society for Allotment Gardeners has a number of practical resources.
- Food Growing Strategies
- Scotland’s Allotment Design Guide
- Finding Scotland’s Allotments
- Grow Your Own Allotment site
- Good Governance