Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help maintain the number of community allotments.

We recognise the importance of community allotments and the immense contribution they make to the health, wellbeing and spirit of communities.

Local Authorities have a duty to provide allotments if there is sufficient demand for allotments.

The responsibility for the running, management, and organisation of these allotments falls entirely on the Local Authority. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government does not provide any specific guidance or regulations on how these allotments should be managed.

However, through the Government’s Green Flag Award scheme, allotments (if entered as a community garden) can be awarded for its quality standards.