Agenda item

Report of the Assistant Director Environmental Services and Community Safety.

The Assistant Director Environmental Services and Community Safety submitted a report (previously circulated) to provide an update to Members on how Darlington Borough Council managed the Council owned allotments and those transferred to ‘self-managed’ associations.

The report explained that Council developed an allotment strategy when the majority of allotments were in council ownership, the strategy had not been renewed as during the period of the strategy 13 of the 16 allotment sites transferred to a ‘self-managed’ association. It did explain that the principles in the strategy have continued to be used as a management framework to manage allotments going forward.

The report stated that there was an excess of 800 individual plots available across the Borough, both DBC and self-managed. There are also four privately owned allotment sites in the borough, the council manages three allotment sites; Arnold Road, Honeypot Lane and Parkside, the other remaining sites are managed and ran by committees.

Conversation ensued around the current status of allotments still managed by the Council, Members wanted to understand whether there were any plans in place to increase dwellings for future allotment sites.

Members wanted to know if any 106 funding is used towards allotment sites and if the Council is involved with any Allotment Forums. One of the self-managed sites was praised allocation of fresh produce to Food Banks across Darlington.

AGREED – That Members note the report.