It was a privilege to have been invited to give evidence to the Local Government, Housing and Planning parliamentary committee chaired by MSP Arianne Burgess on 14th June.
Issues we highlighted:
There is a gap in terms of being able to access allotments and community growing spaces in Inverness. Long waiting lists are an issue that affect many local authorities. One of the main barriers is access to good land for developing these space.s
Our project despite being an asset transfer for public land has faced many barriers and we need a culture of collaboration with community organisiations and a simpler process.
On planning, we need a change of mindset to recognise that allotments and community food growing need to be in good agricultural land and close to where people live/easily accessible.
There is a real desire from many individuals and organisations to have access to community and growing spaces