Right to Grow’s on the ballot: the More Natural Capital local election pledges

With Londoners heading to the polls in just a few months, Capital Growth is calling for the Right to Grow to be on the ballot this election.

At a time when London’s green and blue spaces face increasing pressure from the climate crisis, development and threats to the green belt, the Right to Grow would improve access to land for community gardens, urban farms and orchards enabling citizens to come together and not only grow food but also community. It has never been more important to get food growing on the agenda as a holistic intervention for a greener, healthier and more resilient city.

From advocating for ancient trees to nature friendly flood prevention, the coalition, which includes Sustain, London Wildlife Trust, The Woodland Trust, Thames21 and The Orchard Project, has launched a 10-Pledge Manifesto for prospective councillors to sign. The pledges call on mayoral and local council candidates to take practical steps to protect and improve London’s green and blue spaces for people and wildlife.

The 10 Environmental Pledges include:

1. Record all ancient, veteran and notable trees in a Borough Register and commit to their protection, including the use of Tree Preservation Orders.
2. Create at least one new wetland area in eachborough where feasible.
3. Prioritise the installation of rain gardens during street works, and support households to capture rainwater and green front gardens.
4. Bring at least one derelict or landbanked green site back into use as a nature reserve, park, playing field, growing space or wetland.
5. Protect Local Wildlife Sites, Green Belt, Metropolitan Open Land and other valued green spaces through Local Plans and recognised protections.
6. Ensure green and blue spaces are properly funded, managed to Green Flag standards, and sign the Parks Charter.
7. Give every community access to nature close to home and deliver borough-level nature recovery priorities, including wildlife corridors and habitat creation.
8. Support the Right to Grow campaign by creating more orchards and community food growing spaces on unused land.
9. Transform at least one street in your borough into a local, nature-rich park in a neighbourhood lacking public green space.
10. Deliver healthy, low-traffic streets through liveable neighbourhoods and by reallocating space for trees, planting and community use.

Capital Growth coordinator, Rachel Dring states:

“The Right to Grow movement is gaining pace as Londoners increasingly want to tend the land and green their neighbourhoods. But competition for space to grow has never been fiercer. The Right to Grow is a systemic approach that enshrines land for growing into policy, creating more equity in who gets the opportunity to grow food, and encourages closer collaboration between residents and local authorities.

As well as the climate and biodiversity benefits, having more green spaces for food growing will create new jobs, provide education and volunteering opportunities, and help build stronger communities that are more climate and food resilient.

Not a councillor? You can still act.

Ask your local candidates to back the 10 pledges by signing the petition and committing publicly to the manifesto. You can also contact declared candidates directly and encourage them to show their support.

Candidates: back the 10 Environmental Pledges here.

Read the full manifesto here.