CONSULTATION DRAFT
STRATFORD-UPON-AVON TOWN COUNCIL
ALLOTMENTS AND GROWING POLICY
Introduction
Growing your own food provides many benefits. It promotes good health through outdoor exercise and the eating of fresh food. It saves energy and carbon through lower food miles and reduces the need for food processing and storage. When people grow food collectively, as on allotments, it can bring communities together and help them to acquire new skills. Allotments and gardens also provide much needed green space and contribute to local biodiversity
The last ten years has seen a big increase in the number of people growing, or wanting to grow their own food. Demand for allotments has increased across the country. In Stratford-upon-Avon at the beginning of 2010, over 100 people were waiting for an allotment in the town. Locally, demand has been fuelled by recent housing developments, where garden sizes have proved inadequate for people’s needs.
Stratford-upon-Avon Town Council is the allotments authority for the town. As such, it must formally consider any written request by six or more electors to operate the Allotments Act and, if it is of the opinion that there is a demand, it is bound to provide allotment gardens. However, the Town Council does not own or operate any of the allotment sites within the town, and it owns no land that might be turned over for use as allotments.
The Town Council is in the process of exploring ways to provide people in Stratford-upon-Avon with the opportunity to grow their own food. This policy sets out how the Town Council proposes to take this work forward.
The draft policy is being published for consultation with a response time frame of eight weeks. The following organisations with the town of Stratford-upon-Avon have been consulted:
Alveston Residents AssociationBishopton Residents AssociationBridgtown Residents AssociationClopton Community ForumCommunity ForumLocal Housing AssociationsStratford SocietyStratford VoiceStratford-in-BloomTiddington Allotment AssociationTown TrustTrinity Mead Residents AssociationU3A Gardening Club
The Town Council will adopt the policy subject to any revision in the light of comments made during consultation at its meeting on on 21 September, 2010.
Planning for allotments – the legal position
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is responsible for overall government policy on allotments at a national level. The Department’s aim is to promote allotments, provide necessary protection for them and ensure there is sufficient provision to meet demand.
The relevant planning policy guidance relating to allotments is contained within Planning Policy Guidance Note 17 – Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation.
PPG 17 identifies allotments as an important typology of public open space. The general thrust of PPG17 requires a Local Planning Authority to carry out a regular assessment of the needs and opportunities for allotment provision which will be used to inform decision making on the setting of a local standard of provision. There is an obligation to protect existing provision in order to maintain an adequate supply for local people. Deficits in allotments provision should be reduced and any over-provision should be dealt with by appropriate reuse for other types of open space.
There is a requirement for all Local Planning Authorities to ensure that provision is made for recreational facilities such as community allotments (either through an increase in the number of facilities or through improvements to existing facilities) where planning permission is granted for new developments (especially housing). Planning obligations should be used where appropriate to seek increased provision of open spaces and recreational facilities, and the enhancement of existing facilities.
Future provision of community allotments should be addressed through the appropriate allocation of land, having regard to accessibility, sustainability, demand, the amenity of neighbouring residents and biodiversity. Through the careful consideration of these factors, the selection of appropriate sites can be undertaken.
Paragraph A14 of the Companion Guide to PPG17 states that “The need for allotments, community gardens and urban farms is likely to rise with the growth of interest in organic farming and as a result of rising housing densities and the consequential reduction in the size of many gardens.
The number of allotments required in any area is a function of demand and therefore it will be appropriate to use a demand-led methodology, based on local authority records. It is obviously desirable for local authorities not only to provide and rent allotments, but also to keep a waiting list as this helps to identify the level of unmet demand and its spatial distribution. Accordingly there is likely to be a need for a population-based provision standard, coupled with an accessibility standard or distance threshold”.
Where are we now?
This section sets out the opportunities currently available to people in Stratford-upon-Avon who do not have their own garden but wish to grow their own food:
Shottery Allotments (also known as Redlands Crescent Allotments) are owned and administered by Stratford Town Trust. There are 92 plots of a variety of sizes.Tiddington Allotments is owned by the church and administered by the Tiddington Allotment Association. There are 46 plots. The site is at the Alveston end of Tiddington.Bordon Place Garden Plots are two sites owned and administered by Stratford-on-Avon District Council. There are 11 plots which are mainly let to local residents, as the site is landlocked.Manor Cottage Allotments in Shottery Village are privately owned and provide 10 plots.
There is another small privately-owned allotment plot at Warwick Court, about which the Town Council currently has no further details.
In addition, Transition Stratford runs a Garden Share scheme, which brings together people wanting growing space with those who can offer some spare space in their garden. The scheme was launched in February 2010, and at the end of April 2010 had five Garden Shares in operation.
The individual allotment plots all have their own waiting lists. In February 2010, there were 68 names on the waiting list for an allotment at Shottery, 12 waiting for an allotment at Tiddington, 11 waiting for an allotment at Bordon Place, and 3 waiting for a plot at Manor Cottage allotments. In addition, 79 people had registered a request for an allotment with the Town Council as the allotments authority. Some people are on more than one list, but a comparison of lists carried out in March 2010 suggested that in total more than 100 people in Stratford are waiting for an allotment.
The Town Council has written to all those on the various waiting lists to bring their attention to other options for growing, such as Garden Share. At the end of April 2010, 24 people had expressed an interest in Garden Share.
What can we do?
Stratford-upon-Avon Town Council wants to
encourage more people to get the benefits of growing their own foodfoster communities through support for growing opportunitiesseek to widen access to opportunities for food growing across the town.
The Town Council will do this by
encouraging provision of allotment plots through the planning processsupporting the use of under-utilised land as growing sites working with partners to increase opportunities for growingpromoting the benefits of and opportunities for growing your own
The next sections of this document explain the Council’s approach in more detail.
Provision through planning
The Council will seek to ensure adequate provision for allotments and food growing in the town on the basis of the legal position set out earlier in this policy statement. In particular, it will
adopt a statement on opportunities for food growing to guide its comments on planning applications for house building in the town. work with Stratford-on-Avon District Council to agree supplementary planning guidance on the provision of gardens and growing opportunities in new housing developments.seek Section 106 agreements where proposals for housing developments do not make sufficient provision for food growing by householders.
Using land
The Town Council will seek to identify plots of under-utilised land on the basis of information from the District Council, general public and through discussions with owners.
The Town Council will develop criteria for assessing the potential of such sites for use as allotments or growing areas. These will include the geographical distribution of growing opportunities across the town, the state of sites, and the likely costs of bringing sites into use for growing.
The Council will seek to work with partners to bring sites that meet these criteria into use as allotments. Where this is done on a temporary basis, leases will be for a minimum of 10 years duration.
Where the Town Council takes on the development and management of individual sites, it will do so in accordance with agreed management standards. Proposed headings for these management standards are set out in the Appendix.
The Council will seek to ensure that all sites under its management have plot-holder committees and will seek to devolve management of sites to such committees.
Working in partnership
The Town Council will work with all those in the town who provide or seek to provide allotments or growing opportunities for local residents. It will explore with partners the extent to which formal arrangements could assist this process.
The Town Council will work with partners to maintain up to date information for members of the public on opportunities for growing their own food.
Promoting benefits and opportunities
The Council will actively promote opportunities in the town for people to grow their own food: for example through its newsletter ‘Bridging the Gap’, its notice boards and website.
The Council will maintain a waiting list of those who want an allotment. It will ensure that those on this waiting list are provided with information about the full range of opportunities for food growing in the town. It will review the list annually to ensure that people continue to want an allotment and that they are aware of all other opportunities for growing locally.
The Council will make arrangements with other allotment providers to ensure that anyone who applies for an allotment is also registered with the Council, so they can gain access to information about growing opportunities in Stratford.
The Council will invite all those on its waiting list to an annual forum, where they will be consulted on current arrangements and possible improvements.
Implementation
Once it has adopted this policy, Stratford-upon-Avon Town Council will draw up a plan for its implementation. This plan will be reviewed and revised annually, prior to the implementation of the budgeting process by Town Council.
Appendix
Outline management standards
At present Stratford-upon-Avon Town Council does not own or administer any allotment land. Should the Council acquire land for use as allotments, it will adopt a statement of management standards setting out how it will discharge its responsibilities as a provider of allotments. It envisages that these standards will cover the following topics.
Tenancies and tenancy agreements – the Town Council will seek to provide comprehensible tenancy agreements with provisions in line with national best practiceRents and charges – the Town Council will adopt a system for setting rents that seeks to ensure fairness between individual plot holders and between plot holders and local council tax payersServices – the Town Council will identify arrangements for providing key services, such as water, toilets, security and waste and rubbish disposalSite maintenance – the Town Council will set out how sites will be kept in good conditionDevolved management – the Town Council will seek to ensure that plot holders have the maximum opportunity for managing their site.
CONSULTATION DRAFTSTRATFORD-UPON-AVON TOWN COUNCILALLOTMENTS AND GROWING POLICYIntroductionGrowing your own food provides many benefits. It promotes good health through outdoor exercise and the eating of fresh food. It saves energy and carbon through lower food miles and reduces the need for food processing and storage. When people grow food collectively, as on allotments, it can bring communities together and help them to acquire new skills. Allotments and gardens also provide much needed green space and contribute to local biodiversityThe last ten years has seen a big increase in the number of people growing, or wanting to grow their own food. Demand for allotments has increased across the country. In Stratford-upon-Avon at the beginning of 2010, over 100 people were waiting for an allotment in the town. Locally, demand has been fuelled by recent housing developments, where garden sizes have proved inadequate for people’s needs.Stratford-upon-Avon Town Council is the allotments authority for the town. As such, it must formally consider any written request by six or more electors to operate the Allotments Act and, if it is of the opinion that there is a demand, it is bound to provide allotment gardens. However, the Town Council does not own or operate any of the allotment sites within the town, and it owns no land that might be turned over for use as allotments.The Town Council is in the process of exploring ways to provide people in Stratford-upon-Avon with the opportunity to grow their own food. This policy sets out how the Town Council proposes to take this work forward.The draft policy is being published for consultation with a response time frame of eight weeks. The following organisations with the town of Stratford-upon-Avon have been consulted:Alveston Residents AssociationBishopton Residents AssociationBridgtown Residents AssociationClopton Community ForumCommunity ForumLocal Housing AssociationsStratford SocietyStratford VoiceStratford-in-BloomTiddington Allotment AssociationTown TrustTrinity Mead Residents AssociationU3A Gardening ClubThe Town Council will adopt the policy subject to any revision in the light of comments made during consultation at its meeting on on 21 September, 2010.Planning for allotments – the legal positionThe Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is responsible for overall government policy on allotments at a national level. The Department’s aim is to promote allotments, provide necessary protection for them and ensure there is sufficient provision to meet demand.The relevant planning policy guidance relating to allotments is contained within Planning Policy Guidance Note 17 – Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation.PPG 17 identifies allotments as an important typology of public open space. The general thrust of PPG17 requires a Local Planning Authority to carry out a regular assessment of the needs and opportunities for allotment provision which will be used to inform decision making on the setting of a local standard of provision. There is an obligation to protect existing provision in order to maintain an adequate supply for local people. Deficits in allotments provision should be reduced and any over-provision should be dealt with by appropriate reuse for other types of open space.There is a requirement for all Local Planning Authorities to ensure that provision is made for recreational facilities such as community allotments (either through an increase in the number of facilities or through improvements to existing facilities) where planning permission is granted for new developments (especially housing). Planning obligations should be used where appropriate to seek increased provision of open spaces and recreational facilities, and the enhancement of existing facilities.Future provision of community allotments should be addressed through the appropriate allocation of land, having regard to accessibility, sustainability, demand, the amenity of neighbouring residents and biodiversity. Through the careful consideration of these factors, the selection of appropriate sites can be undertaken.Paragraph A14 of the Companion Guide to PPG17 states that “The need for allotments, community gardens and urban farms is likely to rise with the growth of interest in organic farming and as a result of rising housing densities and the consequential reduction in the size of many gardens.The number of allotments required in any area is a function of demand and therefore it will be appropriate to use a demand-led methodology, based on local authority records. It is obviously desirable for local authorities not only to provide and rent allotments, but also to keep a waiting list as this helps to identify the level of unmet demand and its spatial distribution. Accordingly there is likely to be a need for a population-based provision standard, coupled with an accessibility standard or distance threshold”.Where are we now?This section sets out the opportunities currently available to people in Stratford-upon-Avon who do not have their own garden but wish to grow their own food:Shottery Allotments (also known as Redlands Crescent Allotments) are owned and administered by Stratford Town Trust. There are 92 plots of a variety of sizes.Tiddington Allotments is owned by the church and administered by the Tiddington Allotment Association. There are 46 plots. The site is at the Alveston end of Tiddington.Bordon Place Garden Plots are two sites owned and administered by Stratford-on-Avon District Council. There are 11 plots which are mainly let to local residents, as the site is landlocked.Manor Cottage Allotments in Shottery Village are privately owned and provide 10 plots.There is another small privately-owned allotment plot at Warwick Court, about which the Town Council currently has no further details.In addition, Transition Stratford runs a Garden Share scheme, which brings together people wanting growing space with those who can offer some spare space in their garden. The scheme was launched in February 2010, and at the end of April 2010 had five Garden Shares in operation.The individual allotment plots all have their own waiting lists. In February 2010, there were 68 names on the waiting list for an allotment at Shottery, 12 waiting for an allotment at Tiddington, 11 waiting for an allotment at Bordon Place, and 3 waiting for a plot at Manor Cottage allotments. In addition, 79 people had registered a request for an allotment with the Town Council as the allotments authority. Some people are on more than one list, but a comparison of lists carried out in March 2010 suggested that in total more than 100 people in Stratford are waiting for an allotment.The Town Council has written to all those on the various waiting lists to bring their attention to other options for growing, such as Garden Share. At the end of April 2010, 24 people had expressed an interest in Garden Share.What can we do?Stratford-upon-Avon Town Council wants toencourage more people to get the benefits of growing their own foodfoster communities through support for growing opportunitiesseek to widen access to opportunities for food growing across the town.The Town Council will do this byencouraging provision of allotment plots through the planning processsupporting the use of under-utilised land as growing sitesworking with partners to increase opportunities for growingpromoting the benefits of and opportunities for growing your ownThe next sections of this document explain the Council’s approach in more detail.Provision through planningThe Council will seek to ensure adequate provision for allotments and food growing in the town on the basis of the legal position set out earlier in this policy statement. In particular, it will adopt a statement on opportunities for food growing to guide its comments on planning applications for house building in the town.work with Stratford-on-Avon District Council to agree supplementary planning guidance on the provision of gardens and growing opportunities in new housing developments.seek Section 106 agreements where proposals for housing developments do not make sufficient provision for food growing by householders.Using landThe Town Council will seek to identify plots of under-utilised land on the basis of information from the District Council, general public and through discussions with owners.The Town Council will develop criteria for assessing the potential of such sites for use as allotments or growing areas. These will include the geographical distribution of growing opportunities across the town, the state of sites, and the likely costs of bringing sites into use for growing.The Council will seek to work with partners to bring sites that meet these criteria into use as allotments. Where this is done on a temporary basis, leases will be for a minimum of 10 years duration.Where the Town Council takes on the development and management of individual sites, it will do so in accordance with agreed management standards. Proposed headings for these management standards are set out in the Appendix.The Council will seek to ensure that all sites under its management have plot-holder committees and will seek to devolve management of sites to such committees.Working in partnershipThe Town Council will work with all those in the town who provide or seek to provide allotments or growing opportunities for local residents. It will explore with partners the extent to which formal arrangements could assist this process.The Town Council will work with partners to maintain up to date information for members of the public on opportunities for growing their own food.Promoting benefits and opportunitiesThe Council will actively promote opportunities in the town for people to grow their own food: for example through its newsletter ‘Bridging the Gap’, its notice boards and website.The Council will maintain a waiting list of those who want an allotment. It will ensure that those on this waiting list are provided with information about the full range of opportunities for food growing in the town. It will review the list annually to ensure that people continue to want an allotment and that they are aware of all other opportunities for growing locally.The Council will make arrangements with other allotment providers to ensure that anyone who applies for an allotment is also registered with the Council, so they can gain access to information about growing opportunities in Stratford.The Council will invite all those on its waiting list to an annual forum, where they will be consulted on current arrangements and possible improvements.ImplementationOnce it has adopted this policy, Stratford-upon-Avon Town Council will draw up a plan for its implementation. This plan will be reviewed and revised annually, prior to the implementation of the budgeting process by Town Council.AppendixOutline management standardsAt present Stratford-upon-Avon Town Council does not own or administer any allotment land. Should the Council acquire land for use as allotments, it will adopt a statement of management standards setting out how it will discharge its responsibilities as a provider of allotments. It envisages that these standards will cover the following topics.Tenancies and tenancy agreements – the Town Council will seek to provide comprehensible tenancy agreements with provisions in line with national best practiceRents and charges – the Town Council will adopt a system for setting rents that seeks to ensure fairness between individual plot holders and between plot holders and local council tax payersServices – the Town Council will identify arrangements for providing key services, such as water, toilets, security and waste and rubbish disposalSite maintenance – the Town Council will set out how sites will be kept in good conditionDevolved management – the Town Council will seek to ensure that plot holders have the maximum opportunity for managing their site.
