Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 - Allotments Waiting List Register
Argyll and Bute Council · 1 September 2022
Back to Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee — 1 September 2022 and its agenda
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE LEGAL AND REGULATORY SUPPORT 1 September 2022 Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 - Allotments Waiting List Register 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 The purpose of this paper is to update the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee on the ongoing actions that are being undertaken in response to duties placed on the Council under Part 9 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 which provides a legal framework that promotes and encourages community empowerment and participation in growing food. 2.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 Members asked to note the Allotments Waiting List Register update which reflects the duties placed on local authorities arising from Part 9– Allotments of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. 3.0 DETAIL 3.1 The council’s Business Continuity Committee on 16 April 2020 adopted Argyll and Bute’s first Community Food Growing Strategy. The Strategy’s vision is to encourage and enable people in our community, who wish to grow their own food, by providing information on potential community food growing spaces, advice and guidance. 3.2 Developing the strategy was a duty placed on the council by the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, which requires each local authority to produce a food growing strategy. It also places a duty on the council to establish and maintain an allotments waiting list register and to produce an allotments report for the area each year. 3.4 At the time of preparing this report 106 individuals had requested to be included on the Register. Area Number of Individuals on the waiting list 2022 Bute and Cowal 31 Helensburgh & Lomond 46 Mid Argyll, Kintyre & the Islands 15
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Area Number of Individuals on the waiting list 2022 Oban Lorn & The Isles Area 14 3.5 Argyll and Bute Council has three allotment sites (as defined by the Act which are those on Local Authority land) one in Helensburgh and two in Rothesay. They are each managed by allotment associations. Other Community Food Growing Spaces such as community gardens and schools exist within a number of mainland and island sites which are managed by local dedicated community members and school groups. 3.6 As the Council does not currently directly manage allotments, Legal and Regulatory Support Officers have established relationships with allotment sites and other land owners. With agreement from those that have submitted their details these are then passed to these independently managed sites in anticipation of securing land for the purposes of growing food. 3.6 There is circumstantial evidence to suggest that land owners have become anxious to welcome individuals onto their property as a consequence of the restrictions that were imposed during the pandemic. However, officers are optimistic that as we emerge from the pandemic more land owners would welcome the opportunity to work with the Council is making land available for allotment use. 3.7 In order to complement the Community Food Growing Strategy Legal and Regulatory Support provide a dedicated Community growing spaces website, which can be accessed by following this LINK (https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/community-growing-spaces). The website holds useful information relating to Community Empowerment, including allotment legislation and guidance for community groups who are interested in growing their own food. 3.8 The Partnerships Development Officer who supports Community Asset Transfer requests has received several intimations of interest from individuals regarding the use of council assets for allotment and community gardens. These intimations of interest have not, to date, reached a positive conclusion in terms of the establishment of an allotment association or community garden groups. However, Officers are committed to supporting individuals’ and groups to encourage and enable people who wish to grow their own food. 3.9 The Council manages a demonstration garden in Hermitage Park, while this does not fall within the definition of an allotment in the traditional sense it is used to give people, particularly schoolchildren, experience of food growing. Additionally, much of the food grown in the demonstration garden is available for the public to freely pick, for example last year many people helped themselves to strawberries with many patrons being gifted bags of produce to enjoy at home.
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Pupils of Hermitage Primary enjoying the demonstration garden. 4.0 CONCLUSION 4.1 The adoption of the Argyll and Bute Council Community Food Growing Strategy met the councils duty under Part 9 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, officers continue to provide information to support and signpost individuals and community groups who wish to grow their own food. 5.0 IMPLICATIONS 5.1 Policy – None 5.2 Financial – None 5.3 Legal – Meeting our duty to produce a Food Growing Strategy, Allotment Waiting List and Rules and Regulations under Part 9 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 5.4 HR – None 5.5 Fairer Scotland Duty – None 5.5.1 Equalities – None 5.5.2 Socio-Economic Duty – None 5.5.3 Islands Duty – None 5.6 Climate Change – None 5.7 Risk - Failure to report the Allotments Waiting List Register means we do not fulfil our duties placed on local authorities arising from Part 9 – Allotments of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. 5.8 Customer Service - None
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Executive Director with responsibility for Legal and Regulatory Support May 2022 For further information contact: Stuart McLean, Committee Manager Telephone 01436 658717 - stuart.mclean@argyll-bute.gov.uk