The Scottish Allotment Diary

This page is a general archive of political activity involving MSPs or local councillors and related to allotments in Scotland of which SAGS members have become aware.  Anyone who wishes something added to this page is welcome to email the webmaster :

Motion lodged by John Scott on Thursday, July 15, 2010:

S3M-06741 John Scott (Ayr) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): Supporting National Allotments Week— That the Parliament supports National Allotments Week, taking place between 9 and 15 August 2010, which has the aim of promoting the awareness and availability of allotments both locally and nationally and showing the strength of support and interest for the heritage of allotment culture; encourages as many gardeners as possible to support the initiative and to promote the social benefits of allotment gardening, which include benefits to health, education and community wellbeing, and congratulates the Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society on its ongoing support of allotment holders and community gardens in Scotland.
Supported by: Michael Matheson, Derek Brownlee, Jamie Hepburn

CurrentWritten answer to Nanette Milne Friday January 22 2010

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a person who is removed from a local authority allotment waiting list as a result of changes to the local authority-made rules or devices regulating the list is entitled to be reinstated in cases where those changes have not been confirmed by the Scottish Ministers in terms of section 6(1) of the Allotments (Scotland) Act 1892.
(S3W-30806)
John Swinney: Regulations made to manage allotments in terms of section 6(1) of the Allotments (Scotland) Act 1892 should be formally confirmed by Scottish Ministers. Regulations, made under this provision have no legal effect without ministerial confirmation. It would be for the local authority to resolve any management issues that arose.

An enlightening exchange between Nanette Milne and John Swinney Thursday January 21 2010:

Questions and answers in Scottish Parliament Thursday January 21 2010:

Grow-your-own Working Group
8. Shirley-Anne Somerville (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Government what feedback has been received from the grow-your-own working group, which first met on 10 December 2009. (S3O-9246)
The Minister for Environment (Roseanna Cunningham): I am pleased to say that the feedback has been very positive and I look forward to hearing the outcome of the group’s work. It will meet next on 11 March.
Shirley-Anne Somerville: The minister is well aware of the work that is being done throughout Scotland by individuals and community groups to increase the amount of land available for allotments and community gardens. I draw her attention to an example in Edinburgh-the North Edinburgh Trust. Groups such as that one sometimes struggle to identify land that can be used, even from within the public sector. Therefore, I ask the minister to encourage the grow-your-own working group to look into that issue, perhaps through an allotment summit, with a view to determining how we can take a strategic and more co-ordinated approach to developing underutilised land-often derelict pieces of land that could be well used for community spaces.

Roseanna Cunningham: Those are the very issues that the working group is dealing with. I am happy to say that there will be a summit later this year-that is definite. The scope of and agenda for the summit are currently being addressed. I will ensure that the member’s personal interest is flagged up to the working group. She can perhaps ask to attend it herself.

S3W-30798 - Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con) (Date Lodged Friday, January 15, 2010): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29561 by John Swinney on 8 December 2009, whether tenants of local authority-owned allotments are required to institute legal proceedings to establish the legality of a local authority-made rule or device regulating the letting of allotments.Answered by John Swinney (Thursday, January 21, 2010): The first course of action would be for the allotment tenants to correspond with the local authority to try and resolve any differences. Should these remain unresolved, it would be for the allotment tenants to decide for themselves what further action, if any, to take.The final list of MSP’s supporting Jim Tolson’s motion (see below) due for debate on December 17 is:Jackie Baillie, Robert Brown, Mr Frank McAveety, Jim Hume, John Wilson, Mike Pringle, Robin Harper, Dr Bill Wilson, Cathy Peattie, Maureen Watt, Sandra White, Trish Godman, Hugh O’Donnell, Bob Doris, Sarah Boyack, Bill Kidd, Anne McLaughlin, Bill Aitken, Michael McMahon, Brian Adam, Marlyn Glen, Kenneth Gibson, James Kelly, Andy Kerr, Claire Baker, Linda Fabiani, Elaine Smith, Tavish Scott, Alison McInnes, Dr Christopher Harvie, Lewis Macdonald, Gavin Brown, Richard Baker, Nicol Stephen, Jamie Hepburn, Mike RumblesThere was a debate about the Central Scotland Green Network in the Scottish Parliament on November 12.  Allotments were mentioned many times in this debate.  Click here for a document just consisting of all these references extracted from the main debate. On Thursday, October 29, 2009 Jim Tolson MSP has raised the following motion for debate in Scottish Parliament.  It will be debated on Thursday December 17 : S3M-05087 Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): Allotments, Community Gardens and Grow-your-own Projects— That the Parliament congratulates the Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society in its role supporting allotment holders and community gardens in Scotland, encouraging the development of new sites, enhancing biodiversity and preserving skills in gardening; acknowledges the valuable work carried out by other organisations in the promotion of community gardens and grow-your-own projects; recognises the links between green space, activity and good health and the social, financial, environmental and health benefits of gardening and growing one’s own food; highlights the need to protect and enhance green spaces, particularly in urban and deprived areas; notes that Crossford Community Council, in conjunction with Crossford Allotment Association and the Carnegie Trust, is investigating the provision of land for allotments, community gardens and social enterprise, and hopes that local authorities and other public bodies examine ways of transferring land to local communities to be used for such projects.
Supported by: Jackie Baillie, Robert Brown, Mr Frank McAveety, Jim Hume, John Wilson, Mike Pringle, Robin Harper, Dr Bill Wilson, Cathy Peattie, Maureen Watt, Sandra White, Trish Godman, Hugh O’Donnell, Bob Doris Thursday October 15 Nanette Milne MSP  lodged written questions S3W-28236, S3W-28235   and S3W-28237 due for answer on 12 November: These questions all refer to the Allotments (Scotland) Act 1892, which sets the framework within a local authority can vary the rent it charges for its allotments.  These should be read with the awareness that some local authorities are attempting to increase allotment rents very aggressively.
Article in Herald Oct 12 2009 about the call for an allotment summit by Dr Nanette Milne MSP (Conservative) Nanette Milne (Con North East Scotland) lodged some written questions on September 1st: S3W-26840 -: To ask the Scottish Executive how many requests for allotments there have been in each local authority area in each year since 1999.
Due for answer Tuesday, September 15, 2009 S3W-26839 - : To ask the Scottish Executive how many allotments there have been in each local authority area in each year since 1999.
Answered by John Swinney (Tuesday, September 08, 2009): This information is not held centrally. Allotment provision is the responsibility of individual local authorities as independent corporate bodies.”
Parliamentary (oral) Questions  by Bill Kid (SNP Glasgow and others) to Roseanna Cunningham (Minister for Environment) Sept 3 2009