NAS and The APSE Survey Waiting List Findings

September 27th, 2022

APSE have recently released their 'State Of The Market- Local Authority Allotment Services 2022'

These findings are not a surprise to the NAS. We are always conscious of the length of waiting lists and the reduction in plot size to accommodate more people on sites. It is in the interest of the NAS and the country as a whole to increase the number of people who have access to an allotment. That is only compounded by the cost of living crisis that the UK is facing.

Ways in which the organisation are working to reduce waiting lists and the need for local authorities to create quarter and half plots or smaller:

Working with local authorities and associations to ensure sites are properly managed.

Often useable plots stand vacant for periods of time. Vacancies due to issues with eviction, overgrown plots or lack of access are frustrating for those waiting years on to get their hands on a plot. We are providing training to local authorities and parish councils on how to properly manage these obstacles and our local reps help to support associations on self managed sites with the aim to get new members on to plots.

Providing information and support to housing developers to ensure new allotments are considered in planning.

More and more the NAS is working behind the scenes to make allotments as much of an integral part of planning in new housing estates as parks and other green spaces. A brand new NAS guide-'21st Century Allotments in New Developments' is soon to be released with advice, statistics and support for builders and housing developers to make this happen. This should have a positive impact on the amount of allotment space in the UK and help to raise the importance of green space for growing food to those who are building new housing.

Section 8 of the Allotment Act 1925

Section 8 stipulates that where a local authority has purchased or appropriated land for use as allotments it must not sell, appropriate, use or dispose of the land for any purpose other than use for allotments without the consent of the Secretary of State for the Environment (termed a 'disposal application' in this article). The NAS legal team are at the front of the fight to keep allotment land for the purpose that it was intended under local authorities. Providing new land for allotments is only useful if we are able to retain the land that is already in use.

Purchasing land from private landowners

In cases where it is appropriate and all parties are willing the NAS has and will purchase allotment land from private landowners and then rent to the current tenants.

A quote from the NAS:

'The decreasing size of plots can be seen as a negative and the majority of our members would argue that local authorities should be providing more land for allotments, not splitting the land they already have into smaller plots. For the NAS, new sites are of course something we would encourage- the more land available for allotments the better for all concerned especially in the current climate. However, we understand the argument that space is at a premium as more and more housing is required for a growing population and in the eyes of local authorities splitting plots is a cost effective way to decrease the number of frustrated veg growers on the ever increasing waiting lists up and down the country. As an organisation, we will continue to fight to preserve current allotments, support local authorities and land owners to improve their management of sites in order to shorten waiting lists in a way that serves their community. The NAS will persist in our mission to create new allotments in the future and will collaborate with local and national government to make that happen'

Any queries or enquiries please email marketing@nsalg.org.uk