Activists are pressing City Hall to implement a London-wide "Right to Grow" policy, enabling communities to cultivate food on underutilized public land. This initiative aims to establish a standardized model across all 32 boroughs and the City of London, following successful similar programs in councils like Hounslow, Southwark, and Hackney, which have already converted neglected areas into allotments, community gardens, and orchards.
A report released by the London People's Assembly on Food, Nature and the Right to Grow outlines 12 proposals intended to make the capital more sustainable and edible by 2035. The suggestions include appointing dedicated community growing officers in each borough and integrating food cultivation into future health and urban planning strategies.
Campaigners highlight a significant disparity between the demand for growing spaces and their availability. According to a 2023 Greenpeace report based on Freedom of Information requests, over 30,500 Londoners are on allotment waiting lists, with 16 boroughs no longer accepting new applicants. In some areas, such as Camden, waiting times can extend up to 12 years. Islington, for example, offers only 106 allotment plots for approximately 17,000 households lacking private garden access.
Mete Coban, a local councilor and co-founder of the campaign, emphasized the potential for transforming overlooked spaces. "We have the opportunity to make London a greener and more edible city," Coban stated during a presentation. "There is a huge appetite from Londoners who want to grow their own food, and we have thousands of pieces of unused land across the city that could be used for this purpose."
Mentioned in the report are examples of how even small, neglected areas can be repurposed. Kalpana Arias, a member of the London People's Assembly, spoke about the benefits, noting that "growing food in urban areas can improve mental and physical wellbeing, increase biodiversity, and help to reduce the urban heat island effect."