Supporting local authorities to develop local Food Growing Strategies (LFGS)

The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 requires each local authority to prepare a food-growing strategy for its area to identify land that may be used as allotment sites, identify other areas of land that could be used for community growing, and describe how the authority intends to increase provision for community growing, in particular in areas which experience socio-economic disadvantage. Scottish Government guidance for local authorities on how to prepare the food growing strategies has been published. 

greenspace scotland has supported the initial stages of developing a Local Food Growing Strategy (LFGS) in six Scottish local authority areas. In each case, greenspace scotland staff have supported local authority colleagues to develop a framework for strategy development.

We have developed a series of learning notes drawing on our experience of working across the six Councils

We have also written an information note on how to use OS greenspace to find potential landfor community growing and allotments. The notes can be downloaded below

Learning Note 1: A proposed process
Learning Note 2: Site assessment matrix
Learning Note 3: Dig in Falkirk
Learning Note 4: East Dunbartonshire Council
Learning Note 5: Aberdeen City Council

Using OS Greenspace to find potential land for community growing and allotments

The support has, depending on the area and needs of the Local Authority, included:

• identifying the links between the LFGS and other strategies and policy commitments
• scoping out the key local stakeholders who need to be involved in strategy development
• planning how to engage and communicate with stakeholders;
• identifying sites which offer growing opportunities
• facilitating meetings, events and workshops with communities and others

Get Glasgow Growing Together

From January - June 2019 greenspace scotland is working with Glasgow City Council to support the development of a Food Growing Strategy for the city. All Scottish Local Authorities are required to develop a Local Food Growing Strategy as part of the implementation of Community Empowerment Act (2015). Find out more about the local events here

Clackmannanshire allotment and food growing strategy

The feasibility project (2017-18) was designed to inform the development of a Clackmannanshire-wide Allotments and Food Growing Strategy based on local need and demand for community growing. Development and Environment Services, Clackmannanshire Council, and greenspace scotland worked together on the project which also included an audit of current community growing sites and the development of four community growing case studies.