Allotments: duty to prepare a food growing strategy - guidance for local authorities

Annex F - Food-Growing Strategy Template

<Local authority name>

Local Food-Growing Strategy <date >

(para 6) Legislative requirements of s119 – the authority must set out in its food-growing strategy how it will meet the requirements of section 119 of the Act. The food growing strategy must achieve the following:

(a) identify land in its area that the authority considers may be used as allotment sites (as defined by the Act),
(b) identify other areas of land in its area that could be used by a community for the cultivation of vegetables, fruit, herbs or flowers,
(c) describe how, where the authority is required to take reasonable steps under section 112(1) of the Act, the authority intends to increase the provision in its area of—
(i) allotments, or
(ii) other areas of land for use by a community for the cultivation of vegetables, fruit, herbs or flowers, and
(d) when describing the matters required in paragraph (c), describe whether and how the authority intends to increase the provision of land in areas which experience socio-economic disadvantage.

Vision – of the local authority's strategy. The authority's food-growing strategy should set out the overall vision of what the strategy is to achieve until the strategy is next reviewed, for example the vision may set out the authority's vision of what additional growing space it will have provided in five years' time, and the community benefits which will be gained through this vision.

The vision may also include a statement that the authority plans to make more growing space available in its local area to meet future anticipated demand, having regard to the desirability of making available allotments that are reasonably close to the residence of persons in the list maintained under section 111(1) of the Act.

The vision of the strategy will be tailored towards the needs of that particular authority, and will identify how needs or gaps identified by the authority will be addressed.

Any relevant background – to the authority's particular strategy approach.

Even if there is no duty to do so, the local authority may wish to include further background which is not captured in other areas of the template, such as background to particular local issues it addresses, approaches to stakeholder engagement, or how the food-growing strategy links to other local authority health / biodiversity / social / economic policies etc. (para 9).

The authority may likewise wish to include funding / budgetary information within its food-growing strategy, even if there is no requirement to do so.

(para 9, 11) Local authority responsibilities: planning, partnership working – interactions / outcomes with local authority stakeholders and partners e.g. inclusion of allotments or other growing spaces on Local Development Plans / master-plans for areas of development / housing expansion etc, interactions with CLOs, interactions with external stakeholders.

(para 7) Goals – consider how the goals are being met by the strategy.

(para 8, annex A) Impacts and benefits to be realised – Consider social / economic / health / education / environmental benefits to be gained from current / future plans set out in the strategy.

(para 11) Identification of land – consider whether all forms of land and growing spaces are being considered. Include explanation of why certain types of land are excluded or why it is not appropriate to consider them

(para 11) Outcome of the land audit – audit and map sites of growing space and locations of demand.

Authorities should audit and map all existing allotment sites and other growing spaces so that the authority can set out its current position. The authority should also map newly identified / future proposals for growing land/growing spaces.

Authorities should map demand, both current and anticipated future demand to take account of planned housing developments etc.

Details of the audit and mapping activities should include processes used / not used / outcomes.

(para 9) Stakeholder engagement – details of the stakeholder engagement or consultation carried out to implement the steps set out in the strategy.

(para 13) Assistance to community growing groups – detail any assistance (financial and non-financial) provided to local community groups and details of information and training opportunities for people who want to get involved in allotments or grow-your-own.

Other information – the authority should include any further information relevant to their local area which should be included in their food-growing strategy. This may, for example, include any training programmes, sources of help or other assistance available.

Review date – the date the authority's strategy as a whole is to be reviewed. If there are any actions or steps to be reviewed before the next strategy review date, how and when they will be monitored and reviewed.