Community Land Bank update

FCFCG is working on creating a Community Land Bank to help tackle the rapid rise in demand for land for local food growing, which has put existing allotments provision under severe strain.

The Community Land Bank would act as an independent, not-for-profit agency, supporting access to unused land for either temporary or long term gardening use.

FCFCG is now engaged in exploratory discussions to pilot Community Land Bank schemes in several local authority areas. Local private and public sector landowners (which could include councils, NHS and private developers) will be asked to work with the Federation to identify possible sites and link them up with community groups looking for land. The scheme would offer support and advice to landowners and tenants over the purchase, sale or leasing of land.

FCFCG Chief Executive Jeremy Iles said: “We are getting a very strong message from the thousands of community groups we work with that people are desperately seeking land for food growing. The Community Land Bank idea is still in its early stages, but it could help change attitudes to land access, fostering cooperation and respect at a local level and allow people to get to grips with growing their own food - it should be good for the wider community and the people involved.”

FCFCG has already conducted preliminary research into the Community Land Bank idea. For more information, and to download a copy of the research's executive summary visit the Community Land Bank page on this website.