Allotments under threat

[Allotmentannie]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/08/02/rayner-declares-war-on-allotments/

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/rayner-declares-war-allotments-144159010.html

She has already personally approved the sale of eight allotment sites across England since Labour came to power. Under the Allotment Act 1925, any disposal of allotment sites requires Westminster to give the go-ahead.

I'm quite concerned about this as the username might indicate I have an interest. I'm quite horrified.

The idea we build on good farmland for housing is gut-wrenching, but knowing they're after the smaller patches of community land is also pure evil.

Allotment demand fluctuates, but in most areas there are long waiting lists. We should be adding more allotment spaces to meet this demand.

On Facebook I see groups bemoaning their council isn't letting plots and the site is falling into disuse. They need to challenge this - every site should be full and well used! If they're destroying allotments by not letting plots then that's criminal.

Allotments are covered by several Acts of Parliament. Many are statutory, hence needing govt permission before they're built over. Any non-statutory ones can be just taken back without much of a fight.

Allotmenting is good for people. It's good for those who have no garden to grow in. It helps people stay connected to nature and understand where food comes from. It is a hobby that many people enjoy around the country.

Am I being unreasonable in asking that they don't destroy any more allotments?

I applied for an allotment 2 years ago. There are 3 allotment sits in my little town. I know of 8 plots that are standing empty and in a mess across all 3 yet I still can’t have one.

I don’t want to get into what I think/feel about the Labour government because I’d never get any of my house work done but what I will say is it doesn’t surprise me.

YANBU.

God, that would break my heart, I love my allotment. And I don’t have a garden, I spend an awful lot of time at the allotment. I did look at mine the other day and thought they’d make a very tidy sum if they were to build on it, but then I thought, nah, they’ll never do that! Little did I know.

Ive given up on getting an allotment 😔.

That's really really sad to hear the few that are left are being approved for destruction.

Waiting lists are long, we need more

Is this being reported by anyone other than The Telegraph?

They’re not just good for the things you mention, they are also good for the environment and being able to grow veg that you would otherwise buy is good for the cost of living!

Is there an online petition about this or anythIng?

All part of the plan to reduce our food supplies.

They don’t want any land owned by the people. Control the food, control the people.

That is quite shocking. Allotments are so important for people's happiness and for wildlife.

Eh? Allotments are generally owned by councils or private companies. Very few are part of people owned co operatives.

I volunteered on a Community allotment for a year until my back started giving me some grief. It is an amazing facility and huge and surrounded by dozens of individual allotments.

I utterly despise this current Government, not just for this type of stuff but because so they are so awful their behaviour encourages the rise of the far right and I do not mean Reform.

Since the second world war the number of allotments has been dropping from 1.4 million. After the war it was 700,000 and 300,000 by the millenium. Now there are 330,000.

This isn't a new thing.
This isn't a Labour thing.

In Bristol the increase in cost of owning an allotment has just been reduced by the council and a new 700 plot site has been opened.

Is this being reported anywhere other than the Telegraph?

I'm a huge fan of allotments and so is George Monbiot who is working with the Labour party. This just looks like political spin.

https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2025-06-09/debates/3B8E0A89-3756-49FB-8C07-CECF3B58A26A/PlanningAndInfrastructureBill?highlight=allotment#contribution-087F8CFA-26EA-4EB6-8FAA-2BB2261AD1D7

Sarah Champion
(Rotherham) (Lab)
Sharethis specific contribution
I rise to speak to amendment 91, on allotments and community gardens, and to new clause 60, on landfill sites, both of which stand in my name.

The UK currently has a shortage of allotments, with nearly 160,000 people on English local authority waiting lists. We need more space to grow. For the 8 million people in the UK who have no garden at home, shared spaces such as community gardens are a vital lifeline to nature. I am proud that my amendment 91 is supported by the Royal Horticultural Society, the Horticultural Trades Association, members of the National Network for Community Gardening and the National Allotment Society, as well as by Members across the House.

Jim McMahon is quoted somewhere as needing to provide best value for local residents - but as his constituency has bought a failing shopping centre and turned it into council offices then I'm not sure he should throw many stones.

I can’t think of one negative to allotments, green spaces that help peoples mental health, community, wildlife.. is she fucked in the head?

Its always worth reading to the end of an article like this, which is where the usually put the actual caveats and balance of the article, as against the click- and rage- baiting headline and first paragraph.

"The spokesman said they “should only do so where it is clearly necessary and offers value for money”, adding: “We know how important allotments are for communities, and that is why strict criteria are in place to protect them, as well as school playing fields.”"

Its not as clear-cut as "She's banning allotments". Its not actually as straightforward as that. There's nuance, and rules in place to stop that from happening.

She's already green lighted the closure of 8 allotments.

It's made me angrier and sadder than I can say.

I was initially horrified, but then reminded myself that this is the Telegraph, so read to the end.

I'd like to know the story behind the eight that councils have been given permission to build on, before I start signing petitions.

I did.

Allotments can be self-managed at no/almost zero cost to the council.

It's the land that has the value.

Weigh up intangible benefits to a group of people Vs the council having a brief flash of money from selling the land for housing and then the ongoing council tax income...

Allotments are so important. They are part of the community cohesion the UK has in some areas that makes it stronger.

I found an article on the Ashfield local paper referring to housing being built on a former allotment site. So it might be that although it's no longer used for allotments, the land still had to be released by the government, because it's still protected under its former use. So no-one's being thrown off their allotment there, after yesterday's decision.

I couldn't get any further without paying though.

The Storrington one is being relocated

I live in a new build on a new build estate. We have two allotment sites and are incredibly lucky. They are very well used and mine has great crested newts living on it as well as grass snakes and other creatures.

I very much hope the government can appreciate that allotments are excellent for mental health and wellbeing and can probably contribute more than the inherent value of the land.

Despite Ms Rayner’s department announcing that the new rules would “extend the freedom” of councils to sell off assets, a spokesman said they had been allowed to dispose of some sites since 2016.

So allotments have been being closed under the last Tory government, too

I think this is going to be another Telegraph wild spin on an insignificant story. I certainly hope so

I’m not sure what has changed here - allotment sales have always required approval from the relevant SofS so surely that’s just part of her job now she holds that position? Or did the conservatives deny every application made when they were in power?

The one I looked into is actually being relocated, so not just developed over.

Yep. It didn't take long to discover that it was the Telegraph being the Telegraph. War on allotments, indeed 🙄