MANY people in Glasgow do not have access to a private garden.

The cost of homes with access to their own garden is increasing and in a city like Glasgow, having a garden space has become a luxury. Allotments offer access to incredibly valuable gardening space that is affordable.

Green Councillors are supporting the creation of over 250 new allotment plots to help tackle the growing waiting lists and bring communities together across Glasgow. In the last year, food growing sites have been supported by the Council funding of £200,000 and assisted by £218,750 developer contributions from housing projects. This is only possible through proposals brought forward by Green Councillors.

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There is unprecedented demand for allotments because of the pandemic. As people have realised the multitude of benefits they have to offer, allotments are an increasingly important community space. They encourage people to enjoy the outdoors, get active in the fresh air and spend time in nature.

There is a real community spirit on an allotment with many people developing lasting friendships whilst growing food on their plot.

Glasgow’s allotment community is becoming bigger, stronger and more relevant as people look for ways to meet the rising challenges of physical and mental health, food poverty and isolation.

We have to promote access to allotments as they also provide a more nutritious diet through own-grown fruit and vegetables. There is great satisfaction from eating something you’ve grown yourself. People who have allotments are also more likely to get their five-a-day fruit and vegetables. Food growing can address health problems through providing a local source of produce, and through the therapeutic benefits of gardening, taking part in activities with other people, or learning new skills to build self esteem.

Green Councillors are committed to creating more opportunities for people to get closer to nature. These days allotment plots are more diverse than ever and provide an ideal location for supporting beehives, ponds, and other wildlife friendly areas.

Allotment gardeners make a huge contribution to a more sustainable future for Glasgow. It is vital that we celebrate the work of gardeners and plot-holders who recycle and re-use throw away items, share their food growing knowledge with others, and make compost and mulch the soil.

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The demand for allotments during the pandemic has risen by over 200 percent. There doesn’t appear to be any reduction in enthusiasm for gardening as people continue to clamour for plots.

We have to ensure that many more can enjoy the multitude of benefits that allotment gardening can offer. In the year ahead, we must continue to support gardening opportunities to the widest range of interested people and encourage both new and established groups to develop their allotment associations and supporting their members.

An incredibly challenging and demanding time lies ahead in trying to create more allotments. We need to access enough land in Glasgow so that everybody who wants to participate in allotment gardening can. Allotments are a vital haven for many in these difficult times and this will continue into the future.