Greenwich (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Greenwich Council reassures residents it won’t sell or develop its allotments, following a political dispute in Westminster over green space protections.
Hundreds of homeowners are on waiting lists in the three boroughs of Lewisham and Bexley, which are adjacent, and they also declare they have no plans to eliminate allotments.
The dispute started when The Daily Telegraph revealed that deputy prime minister Angela Rayner had granted municipalities’ requests to sell eight allotments throughout England. Last month, a parliamentary question disclosed the numbers.
Then Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour leader who is setting up his own left-wing party, weighed in. He wrote in the Telegraph:
“Allotments have always been under threat from developers. Now, that threat seems to have government backing, which makes the future of these precious spaces even more perilous.
Allotments have been crucial in times of national stress. Many came out of the Second World War. Indeed, many that were established in the First World War, such as the one I enjoy in north London, have survived to this day.
Once lost, they never return. Their loss makes us all poorer, as we become more and more detached from how food is grown and how nature interacts with us.”
Although the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government stated that the sales figures were marginally lower than in previous years, when the Conservatives were in power, the Telegraph has dubbed the problem “Labour’s war on allotments.”
Allotments are legally protected and can only be sold with Westminster ministers’ approval. Councils must also follow a set procedure that includes consultation and the identification of alternate locations.
The National Allotment Society has downplayed the accusations, stating that it thought the legislation safeguarding allotments controlled by the council were strong. It stated that appropriate procedures had been followed at all times and that replacement locations had been secured in certain circumstances.
Bexley Council said:
“The council does not currently have any plans to sell off or build on any land which is being used as allotment gardens.”
There are 531 people on the waiting lists for the 30 sites that Bexley manages.
Annual rent on a five-rod plot (125 square metres) comes to £61.25 for residents (£31.25 concessions) and £72.50 for non-residents (£36.25 concessions) – however, waiting lists have now been closed to non-residents.
How does Greenwich’s allotment protection compare to other councils’ policies?
Greenwich has explicitly reassured residents that it has no plans to sell or develop any of its allotments. This is similar to neighboring councils Lewisham and Bexley, which also have no plans to dispose of allotments despite financial pressures. These three boroughs are actively maintaining their allotment sites amid widespread demand and waiting lists.
Like other councils, Greenwich follows the legal framework that protects allotments from being sold or developed without ministerial permission at Westminster, including a required consultation process and identification of alternative sites.
This legal protection is standard across local authorities and is reinforced by the National Allotment Society which considers the laws around council-owned allotments robust.