Growing in the Community

The objective of Growing in the Community is to assist those who are responsible for managing allotments, either within local authorities or under schemes for devolved management, to work efficiently and effectively by emulating examples of good practice. The book also helps other stakeholders in allotments, including local authority officers in other departments, support organisations, allotment associations and individual plotholders, to understand the opportunities which allotments present for achieving multiple and inter-related benefits, and the advantages of working together to attain common goals. This, the second edition of Growing in the Community acknowledges the widespread renaissance in allotment gardening that has taken place since the first edition was published, including demands for new sites in some areas and growing waiting lists in others. The book is based upon extensive research into current good practice in the management of allotments in England and Wales. This has drawn in particular on documentary evidence, information from the internet, correspondence with allotment officers in leading-edge authorities and allotment associations, and the shared experience of the Allotment Regeneration Initiative’s Mentor Network. While the book makes no claim to document every example of good practice in allotment management in England and Wales, it does uncover a wealth of innovative and successful ideas, which can be widely emulated.

The book is organised in three parts: the plot, the tools, and the seeds, dealing with objectives, strategies, and practical methods respectively. Each part is illustrated with examples and case studies of good practice. The ‘plot’ sets out the opportunities and challenges that allotments now provide to councils and local communities, and maps out a course for getting the most out of allotments. The ‘tools’ identifies allotments as a key resource in achieving a wide range of local authority agendas, including wellbeing, health promotion, cohesive communities and quality green space. It also identifies some of the key partners with whom allotment managers should be working, for mutual benefit. A model is presented for an allotments strategy that links in with other areas of local authority work and offers a fully reasoned and resourced path to achieving good practice. Key elements of the allotments strategy include: promotion; resourcing; devolved management; effective administration; monitoring performance; and the achievement of best value. The ‘seeds’ is a compendium of practical means to
achieve good practice in allotments management, including: ideas for promoting allotments to convert latent demand into real users; setting rents and raising capital resources; and supporting devolved management.