Support to increase community food growing in East Renfrewshire
10 Council-owned sites identified as possible locations for additional community growing spaces
Published: 3 May 2023
Green-fingered East Renfrewshire residents could soon have more spaces to grow their own food after the Council identified potential new areas for community planting.
The Council's Food Growing Strategy, which has now gone out for public consultation, sets out a range of ways to support local people to adopt a more sustainable approach to food.
With two allotments in the area, one in Giffnock and one in Barrhead, the current demand for these outstrips the availability of plots.
To combat this, 10 Council-owned sites have now been identified as possible locations for additional community growing spaces.
The potential areas identified include establishing community growing at Cowan Park Bowling Club, Neilston lock-ups, Rouken Glen walled garden and land adjacent to Arthurlie Family Centre; expanding the existing growing area at Barrhead Water Works; creating new allotments at Capelrig open space and Glennifer View field; repurposing derelict land at Hurlet Depot; developing an orchard within Busby Glen; and developing a therapeutic area at Eastwood Health and Care Centre.
Councillor Danny Devlin, Convener for Housing and Environment, said: 'I'm pleased to see this strategy coming forward, as interest in food growing has increased rapidly over the last few years. More people than ever want to be able to plant, pick and plate their own food, so it's important we put plans in place to support more people to be able to do this within their own communities. Food growing develops individual confidence and community cohesion, supports healthy and sustainable lifestyles, reduces carbon emissions and enhances biodiversity. The objective of this strategy is to ensure that food growing in East Renfrewshire can maximise these benefits for our residents.'
As well as identifying potential new sites, the draft Food Growing Strategy sets out how the Council will support groups who want to start food growing or expand existing enterprises.
The strategy was developed in collaboration with food growing groups from across East Renfrewshire, with representatives from the two allotment associations, the food growing activists Incredible Edible based in Neilston, Green Guardians at Woodfarm Community Centre and Voluntary Action ER all part of the working group.
A public consultation was launched today (Wednesday 3 May). View the consultation. It is intended to adopt the finalised Food Growing Strategy in late 2023.
