THE growing challenge of getting an allotment is set to be investigated by a Scottish Parliament committee.
The Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee is to explore whether council provision of allotments is sufficient as well as looking at how supply and demand varies across the country.
It will form part of the committee’s post-legislative scrutiny of the Community Empowerment Act 2015, which aimed to encourage and promote community participation and engagement in local decision-making.
Part nine of the Act requires local authorities to maintain waiting lists and take reasonable steps to provide allotments if waiting lists exceed certain trigger points.
The Committee now wants to hear from people in communities throughout Scotland about their experiences of getting an allotment and what more could be done to ensure there is adequate provision.
READ MORE: Who is Ncuti Gatwa? Meet the Rwandan-Scottish actor taking over as Doctor Who
Committee Convener Ariane Burgess MSP said: “The Community Empowerment Act sowed the seeds for the provision of allotments throughout Scotland. But we already know that in some areas, this has failed to take root and flourish.
“The benefits of allotments have been well documented, not just in terms of health and well-being but also around intergenerational engagement, waste reduction and biodiversity. And the pandemic and the cost of living crisis have put these benefits in sharp relief.
“We will be looking at the availability of land and how it is allocated by local authorities, but we also want to hear about what else could be done to make sure that allotments and their users can thrive.”
Other areas which will be explored by the committee include the impact of the pandemic on the demand and supply of allotment sites and the effect allotment provision has on local community food growing.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel