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“Gardening and food growing matter, because they provide us with the opportunity to get back in touch with the land and gain a vital ‘food awareness’ that will help us to begin taking control of our food supply. By providing land and other low-cost forms of support, London Boroughs can help local residents to lead happier and healthier lives.” Myles Bremner, Garden Organic. Also Chair of Capital Growth and member of the London Food Board |
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Public demand for food-growing space continues to be high. The Capital Growth programme was created in 2009, aiming to establish 2,012 new food growing spaces in London by the end of the year of the Olympic and Paralympic games. This has been supported by the Mayor of London and the Big Lottery and run by London Food Link (a project of Sustain), working with the London Food Board and many other partners. So far, Capital Growth has helped to set up over 1,300 projects across the capital. The many benefits for local communities include:
- improving access to cheap and tasty fresh fruit and vegetables and providing stress-busting and low-cost physical activity
- creating green spaces where people can socialise, and that are rich in different types of plants and insects, which is good for wildlife such as bees and other pollinators
- providing opportunities for people to get new skills, not only in horticulture but also in small business development and enterprise (reference 1).
The Capital Growth initiative is also helping establish community beehives to promote bee-keeping, local honey production, and wildlife-friendly land management. Productive green space is also a great way for people of all ages to reconnect with our food system, with local food and with the seasons. Capital Growth has helped groups to transform small areas of derelict or unused land, often the focal point for anti-social behaviour, into a source of pride for the local community.
People need access to land (permanent and temporary), a clear process for getting agreement to use it, and some practical help to get started. London Boroughs can help by identifying suitable land and making it available to local communities, small-scale horticulturalists and – for larger areas of suitable land – to farmers. This has been recognised in the new London Plan (reference 2) (Policy 7.22) with commitments by the Mayor to encourage and support farming in London, particularly in the Green Belt. It also states that “use of land for growing food will be encouraged nearer to urban communities via such mechanisms as ‘Capital Growth’.”
The London Plan means that Borough planners should prioritise support for farming and food growing nearer to urban communities, protect allotments and identify more space for commercial and community gardening. This is an excellent start. Boroughs now need to implement these policies to transform our capital into a green and healthy city full of opportunities to grow more of our own food.
What can London Boroughs do? Sign up to support Capital Growth.
Contact Sarah Williams or Seb Mayfield, tel: 020 7837 1228; email: sarah@sustainweb.org or seb@sustainweb.org; website: www.capitalgrowth.org
- Roots to work: Developing employability through community food growing and urban agriculture projects (2011) City & Guilds Centre of Skills Development www.skillsdevelopment.org.uk/researchprojects/urban_agriculture.aspx
- The London Plan: Spatial development strategy for London. July 2011, Mayor of London, www.london.gov.uk/priorities/planning/londonplan
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