Waltham Forest Council has announced its support for the Right to Grow movement, a move that could see underused public land across the borough turned over to food growing, orchards, edible planting or wildlife.
The announcement was made at the Food Growers Network Harvest Fair at Good Shepherds Studios in Leytonstone. The Green-run council said it will hire a community growing officer to put the scheme into practice.
Why the council says it matters
Councillor Sarah Bentley, cabinet member for climate and air quality, linked the policy to the cost of food and the climate crisis.
"Affording enough nutritious food is difficult for many and it's being made even harder by the climate crisis," she said. "Through Right to Grow, we'll work with residents to boost local food resilience while enhancing opportunities for nature connection, mental wellbeing and improving our local neighbourhoods."
How it could work
The scheme will be evaluated after a pilot period. It is likely to follow models already used in other boroughs such as Southwark, where residents apply for tenure over unused land and a working group negotiates the terms.
The borough already has more than 60 community food growing sites, including OrganicLea, a regional training hub for organic horticulture.
A campaign win
The decision follows an 18-month campaign by the pressure group Waltham Forest Right to Grow, during which hundreds of people took part in public protests and guerrilla gardening.
A spokesperson for the group said: "The Right to Grow could be just the start of an ambitious food strategy in Waltham Forest. The opportunities to work with schools, to change council procurement practises, to subsidise training, and to better channel existing resources are enormous."
