Allotments
As COVID has made broad impacts across the country, many people have turned to gardening. Or have tried to. Allotments across the country are a precious commodity. Demand far outstrips supply, in some cases to the extent of 10 years or more (Edinburgh and Fife, possibly elsewhere). Yet councils employ full time allotment officers who preside over long lists with little turnover and no new sites being created. New allotments have to be fought tooth and nail to be created. Land in Scotland is owned by the few. The opportunity to grow your own, a long established British tradition, is the remain of only the few. There are considerable health, and social benefits for allotments in communities. People have greater attachment to their community and neighbors, health is improved in a country with high obesity.When the demand is so great, why is creating a strategy not more of a priority?
Comments: 2
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18 Feb
Nick MacIneskarAbsolutely spot-on. Now, more than ever, people are incentivized to produce their own food. The benefits are huge: from reducing plastic packaging waste (most shop-bought produce is wrapped in the stuff) to ensuring an alterative food supply and making good use of otherwise unused land. Aside from these, the psychological boost from doing something constructive with your spare time would surely make it worthwhile for local government to invest in allotments. A waiting list of 10 years is just madness!
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27 May
S RoseI've been waiting for nine years for an allotment in East Lothian. There's a row of them near new housing just a bit too far from me and no-one appears to be using them. It would be in the Edinburgh City Council area and it's like someone's chucked them in to tick a box but not actually put them where people want them to be. I'm hoping I'm wrong and the next time I get a walk I see a load of veg there.