Those waiting for a plot should prod their council
It’s good to hear that the number of allotment plots in Scotland is slowly creeping up and there are now more than 10,000. However, enthusiasm for allotment gardening is still increasing and thousands are still waiting for plots.
The Community Empowerment Act, passed in 2015, requires councils to find more land whenever their waiting lists reach a critical level. No-one should have to wait more than five years. Most local authorities seem to be dragging their heels waiting for further guidance from the Scottish Government about how to do this and progress is painstakingly slow. In 1885, Jesse Collings fought for everyone’s right for land to grow their own fruit and vegetables. His battle cry was “Three acres and a cow”. Like Collings, I think it’s time for those waiting for plots to remind their councillors and council officials of the pressing need for land and the many benefits of allotment gardening before another growing season passes by.
I’ve enjoyed reading Penelope Lively’s recent memoir Life in the Garden. She remarks that the urge to garden transcends social circumstances. She’s spot on with that observation. It doesn’t matter what one does outside the allotment. What counts is growing stuff and being part of the site community. It brings other benefits as well. For example, we eat healthy food, have regular exercise, and care for the environment. Rents are generally affordable so money shouldn’t debar anyone wanting to take one on.
The size of an allotment plot is
No-one should have to wait more than five years to get an allotment plot
roughly 250 square metres. This has long been recognised as an area sufficient to yield enough food for a family. Of course, not everyone will want one that big and they can ask for a half or quarter plot to suit their circumstances. I started off with a half plot and when the adjacent plot became vacant the site committee offered me first refusal. I’ve never regretted taking it on.
It’s possible to grow a variety of vegetables, particularly salads, in a much smaller area than a full plot. However, if you want to grow soft fruit such as raspberries and currant bushes they need plenty of space. I’ve been guilty of planting them too close together. It makes them difficult to pick and they suffer from lack of light and air. Rhubarb is the first fruit to make it into the kitchen each year and it certainly needs space to grow well. n