Under the guidance of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 the Council has prepared a new Food Growing Strategy.
The Food Growing Strategy (PDF, 2 MB) was approved by Council on 27 October 2021 and is to be updated every 5 years with the next strategy due to be published in 2025/2026.
The strategy will help us improve the existing growing provision for communities across Perth & Kinross and help identify potentially suitable land for allotment and other food growing areas.
Our commitment
Section 119 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 details a specific requirement for Local Authorities to note how they intend to increase the provision of food growing sites, especially in areas that are experiencing socio-economic disadvantage, and to protect and support existing sites. Based on feedback from communities during our previous public consultations we have identified four key actions, which will be prioritised.
Action 1. Improving the existing growing provision for communities
| Proposed actions | Stakeholders | Timescales & progress | |
|---|---|---|---|
1. | Further consultation with existing growing groups (site visits and workshop) to explore barriers and opportunities. | PKC, existing growing groups | Workshops took place in 2021 and we will continue to keep in contact with local groups. |
| 2. | Maintain the Food Growing Storymap and keep up to date with information on local groups. | PKC, existing growing groups | Continuous |
| 3. | Establish and maintain an online allotment waiting list that is transparent and accessible giving everyone the same opportunity to request an allotment in Perth and Kinross | PKC (IT, planning, community greenspace) | To be completed by 2022 and maintained thereafter. |
| 4. | Annual review of allotment provision & potential sites and size of waiting list in line with duties of the Act. | PKC | Annual reporting with continuous monitoring of the central waiting list once established. |
| 5. | Update the Allotment Regulations in line with the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 duties and engagement with Allotment Associations. | PKC | To be completed by 2022 |
| 6. | Continue to support the Council`s Good Food working group to link food growing objectives to other priorities such as reducing food poverty and encouraging healthy eating habits. | PKC | Continuous |
Action 2. Identifying additional food growing land especially in areas experiencing socio-economic disadvantage
| Proposed actions | Stakeholders | Timescales & progress | |
|---|---|---|---|
7. | Carry out an open space audit and identify underused open spaces which could be suitable for food growing. >>PRIORITY ACTION<< | PKC (planning & community greenspace) | Ongoing, to be completed by end of 2022 |
| 8. | Work with partners to confirm land opportunities within areas where there is demand /shortfall. This will include a detailed assessment of potential sites. >>PRIORITY ACTION<< | PKC, communities, land owners | Continuous, priority will be given to settlements with demonstrated demand. |
| 9. | Work with public sector partners (e.g. hospitals, schools) and Housing Associations to identify potentially suitable land within their grounds. | PKC, public section partners, Housing Associations | Continuous |
| 10. | Support the co-location of `Good Food` services - promoting food growing opportunities near schools, food share schemes, libraries, community centres, sport centres etc. | PKC services | Continuous |
Action 3. Delivering new growing spaces, training and skills sharing
| Proposed actions | Stakeholders | Timescales & progress | |
|---|---|---|---|
11. | Work with communities to support the establishment of new growing groups and the delivery of food growing sites. Ensure that new sites are equipped with appropriate infrastructure. >>PRIORITY ACTION<< | PKC, communities, landowners | Continuous, first set of projects to be selected/delivered by 2022 |
| 12. | Establish opportunities for learning and knowledge sharing about food growing as well as preserving, storing, and cooking seasonal produce (e.g. mentoring programmes, Community Cookit). >>PRIORITY ACTION<< | PKC, experienced growers, colleges, schools, community cafes | Continuous |
| 13. | Deliver food growing opportunities as part of public realm improvement projects where possible (e.g. Dunkeld Road corridor regeneration). | PKC, public section partners, Housing Associations | Continuous |
| 14. | Incorporate any potential allotment site, identified by the Food Growing Strategy, into the next revision/update of the Local Development Plan and any development brief work. Encourage/Require all large residential development proposals to provide food growing opportunities. | PKC (City Development) & communities | Subject to LDP revision timescales |
15. | Assist the Good Food Coordinator in working with community groups. Support the food share pilot projects in Letham & Kinloch Rannoch | PKC (various teams) and pilot participants | Continuous |
| 16. | Extend the learning and growing space at Westbank Nursery in Perth | PKC, Westbank Nursery & Perth Community Farm | To be determined |
| 17. | Explore demand for creating tool sharing schemes to make larger / more expensive tools available for community groups. | PKC | Continuous |
Action 4. Raising awareness
| Proposed actions | Stakeholders | Timescales & progress | |
|---|---|---|---|
18. | Promote Lend and Tend and help establish local garden sharing schemes if required. | PKC, communities. | Continuous, first set of projects to be selected/delivered by 2022 |
| 19. | Improve PKC website to act as a `one stop shop` for community growers. Signpost users to:
| PKC, existing growing groups | Continuous |
| 20. | Support the implementation of the Local Biodiversity Action Plan by promoting practices and site design that supports biodiversity and delivers other benefits to the environment (e.g. improves soil quality) | PKC, Tayside Biodiversity Partnership, growing groups | Continuous |
| 21. | Promote available Council support for existing and new growing groups. | PKC | Subject to LDP revision timescales |
22. | Work with schools, the NHS, community councils and others to promote community food growing and spread the word about available opportunities. | PKC, schools, NHS, community councils | Continuous |
We are currently working on these actions by:
- Understanding the overall demand for community food growing by networking with existing community groups and allotment associations.
- Working with communities and schools to open up further growing sites within their areas through public consultation and community events.
- Establishing the Council's Allotment Site Regulations for allotments on Council owned land.
- Promoting skills and knowledge sharing between existing growing groups, garden sharing schemes and good practice, e.g. increasing biodiversity in allotment plots and gardens.
- Raising awareness of available funding for new and existing growing groups.
It's important that we hear from you if you'd like to be involved in a new food growing project in your community, so please fill out this form (opens new window) to take forward your request.
How was the strategy developed?
We carried out the environmental assessment screening as below and produced a Draft Food Growing Strategy for consultation. The public consultation took place between 1st to 25th October 2019 (opens new window). The findings informed the draft Food Growing Strategy which was approved on 28th October 2020. In early 2021 we engaged with communities (opens new window) and interested parties and incorporated the main outcomes into the final draft which was approved on 27 October 2021.
Strategic Environmental Assessment
As part of the development process we consulted SNH, SEPA and Historic Scotland on whether the strategy was likely to raise issues of significant environmental impact. In September 2019 we sent our Screening Report (PDF, 172 KB) for the draft Food Growing Strategy to the consultation authorities to determine whether the strategy is likely to have effects on the environment. You can view the response from the Consultation Authorities below:
Schedule 2 of the Environmental Assessment Act sets out criteria for determining the likely significant effects on the environment. Having consulted the three Consultation Authorities, and having considered the criteria set out in the Act, the Council considered that the Food Growing Strategy is unlikely to have significant environmental effects and has therefore decided that a SEA is not required.
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