Scot plot guide Q3:layout 7 - Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society

Who owns and manages allotments?There are three main types of organisationsinvolved in the day to day leasing and managing ofallotments:• Local authority, i.e. a city or district council• Other landowners• Allotment associations or societies made up ofthe plotholders.The audit Finding Scotland’s Allotments 2007 1found that 69% of sites in Scotland are owned bythe local authority. Other providers include auniversity, housing associations, a convent, varioustrusts and other estate or private landowners. In afew cases the allotment association actually ownsits own site.Sometimes an allotment site is managed directlyby the provider. In this case the primary contactwill be between the individual plotholder and theprovider. However, quite often day to daymanagement of a site is devolved to an allotmentassociation for the site. In this case plotholdersmay have to take responsibility for letting theplots, for maintaining a waiting list if this isnecessary and for the repair and maintenance ofcommunal facilities. Even if the allotment providerperforms most management tasks, an allotmentassociation can be useful as a channel forconsultation and communication between theprovider and the plotholders. In some localauthority areas site associations come together ina forum or federation to provide an additionalmeans for plotholders to raise issues of commonconcern.If the local authority has a published allotmentstrategy document then this will outline themanagement policies the local authority has for itssites.Benefits of AllotmentsThe produce you grow contributes to a healthybalanced diet for you, your family and friends. Youcan have fresh vegetables all the year round andfresh fruit for up to nine months and this mayreduce your food costs.Gardening is moderate exercise, which is shownto decrease the risk of heart disease, diabetes andcancer 2 . It contributes to both physical and mentalwellbeing for all ages. Older people can benefitfrom the combination of gentle exercise and socialinteraction with other plotholders. Health benefitsextend beyond individual plotholders and severalsites are working with community groups topromote physical and mental health.At least 50 different local community groups arevariously involved with allotment sites. Sites runcommunity events and open days, offereducational visits from schools and other groups,have school plots contributing to the curriculumand Eco School awards.The Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society(SAGS) estimate that an average family growing ¼of their produce will save 4% (0.5 tonnes) of theirtotal emissions each year and a one hectareallotment site (40-50 plots) saves 25 tonnes ofCO 2 per annum 3 .Children can benefit from spending time on anallotment, either with their family or as part of theschool curriculum. Learning and fun can becombined. At the very least children gain anawareness of the diverse species that live in theearth and that food does not start out wrapped inplastic.By gardening people can learn how allotmentscontribute to increasing local nature and wildlife,and maintaining soil infrastructure - 99% of sitesform part of wider open space and greennetworks.Barbara De La Rue1 Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society (2007) Finding Scotland’s Allotments www.sags.org.uk2 Dr William Bird for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, endorsed by the Faculty of Public Health of the Royal Colleges ofPhysicians of the United Kingdom. (2004) Natural Fit, Can Green Space and Biodiversity Increase Levels of Physical Activity?www.rspb.org.uk3 Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society (2008) Briefing paper on Allotments, Food and Climate Change: how growing one’s ownfood can reduce emissions from food production www.sags.org.uk2 Allotments - A Scottish Plotholder’s Guide