The Green Allotments New Allotment Site Fund helps residents in England create new, community-managed allotment sites by funding the purchase of suitable land. Rather than awarding a cash grant, Green Allotments buys and retains ownership of the land, helping local residents establish an allotment society to manage it.
Who can apply: Permanent residents in England aged 18 or over who want to work together to establish and voluntarily manage a new allotment site in their area. Councils, statutory organisations and CICs cannot apply.
What you can get: Green Allotments can purchase suitable land costing up to £50,000 per acre. The new allotment society is then given a 30-year peppercorn lease, with the intention to renew. Green Allotments will also help residents establish their allotment society and pay for its first year’s membership of the National Allotment Society.
Key notes: This is not a cash grant and Green Allotments retains ownership of the land. Applicants should identify a potential piece of land before getting in touch and provide its exact location. The resulting allotments must be available to the wider public on a first come, first served basis rather than reserved for one particular client or demographic group. Environmental stewardship is also central to the scheme, including avoiding pesticides and herbicides.
Deadline: No fixed deadline – applications are currently open on a rolling basis. There is no application form at the initial stage; interested residents can contact Green Allotments with details of themselves and the potential site.