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Allotments

Allotment gardening provides a wide range of benefits to communities and the environment.

Apart from providing low cost food, they also provide valuable recreational opportunities involving healthy activity and social contacts. Allotments are significant to our green spaces and provide habitats for many forms of wildlife.

Allotments have evolved through a rich and varied history of social and economic change, the most notable being the 2nd World War where the public were encouraged to 'Grow their own Greens' and 'Dig for Britain'. The first legislative reforms date back to the Enclosures Act of 1845.

Today, the Council has a statutory requirement to provide allotments for the public.

Taking on an allotment plot is not all hard work; it can have many advantages, providing fresh home grown vegetables, fruit and flowers for you and your family, free from artificial additives and at a fraction of that you would have expected to pay in a supermarket or greengrocer.

There is also the social side, meeting new friends with similar interests and enabling you to enjoy a healthy outdoor life with gentle exercise and a place to relax and unwind.

"Allotments - A Plot Holder's Guide" is available on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister website, which may contain more useful information.

We are currently updating the information on allotments.

Telephone enquiries are welcome from 8.30am to 5.00pm Monday to Thursday - 8.30am to 4.30pm Friday

Contact - Amanda Barton - Technical Support Officer

Telephone - 0191 301 8674

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Other pages you may find useful

• Leisure and social activities (PID 241)