Push for "Right to Grow" Food Gardens on London's Unused Land

Campaigners are urging the Greater London Authority (GLA) to establish a standardized "Right to Grow" framework across all 32 London boroughs and the City of London, enabling communities to legally transform unused public land into food gardens. The proposed policy includes key elements such as dedicated community growing officers in every borough and embedding food growing into future health and planning strategies to create a more resilient urban food system. Currently, access to land for community gardening is fragmented, with no standardized model for land access across the capital. Southwark Council has already become the first London borough to adopt the Right to Grow motion, which was developed by Incredible Edible and is available for other councils to adopt and adapt to local circumstances. The Right to Grow legislation requires local authorities to maintain a free, accessible map of all public land suitable for community cultivation or wildlife projects, making it straightforward for community groups to secure free leases. Additionally, the policy ensures that groups are given an opportunity to bid for the land if the authority decides to sell it, protecting community access long-term. City Hall has not yet confirmed whether it will draw up a Right to Grow framework, making this an emerging policy shift with potential for scalable urban food systems. The London Assembly's Environment Committee has released findings from an investigation into food growing in the capital that strongly supports adopting Right to Grow policies at the local authority level and encourages the Mayor to build support for the initiative into plans for a resilient food system. The committee also recommended amendments to the London Plan to encourage boroughs to work with communities to support right to grow initiatives. This policy aims to cut bureaucratic red tape, offer straightforward zero-cost leases, and let residents transform neglected corners into community gardens, growing spaces, and wildlife havens, effectively removing barriers and providing more funding opportunities for grassroots-led projects.