Introductory Note: Urban Growing: Edible Land in Swansea · 2014. 11. 11. · Introductory Note:...

Introductory Note: Urban Growing: Edible Land in Swansea 1

Introductory Note:

Urban Growing: Edible

Land in Swansea September 2014


This document has been prepared by the Planning Policy Team and the Community Grow-

ing Team.

About this document

Further information on Edible Land is available to view on the Council’s website:

www.swansea.gov.uk/growlocal

The Council's Community Food and Growing Team are available during normal office

hours to discuss any aspect of this document.

They can be contacted by letter/in person:

Community Food and Growing Team

Room 3.3.4

City & County of Swansea Council

Civic Centre

Oystermouth Road

Swansea

SA1 3SN

or via: Tel: 01792 635730 Email: [email protected]

The Council’s Planning Policy Team are available during normal office hours to discuss

any aspect of this document.

They can be contacted by letter/in person:

Planning Policy Team

Room 2.6.2

City and County of Swansea Council

Civic Centre

Oystermouth Road

Swansea

SA1 3SN

or via: Tel: 01792 635744 Email: [email protected]

Front cover photos 1, Grow Sheffield - Grow Sheffield. 2, Kilvay Hill over the Vetch

Swansea - CCS. 3, Queen red tailed bumblebee feeding on chives in Swansea herb garden -

Jo Mullett. 4, Toy on Vetch Veg Patch - Jo Mullett. 5, Growing Wellies - Feed Bristol (Avon

Wildlife Trust)

Contents page photos 1, Community Pizza at allotments- City and County of Swansea.

2, Clydach Primary School beans - Jo Mullett.3, Swansea Community Farm

Back cover photos 1, Gowerton Allotments 2, “Mochyn” Welsh Pigs - Jo Mullett. 3, Tot-

nes Chestnut Tree on the edge of playing field - Transition Town Totnes Nut and Fruit tree

project. 4, Coeden Fach. 5. Vetch Veg - Jo Mullet

Who to Contact for Further Information?


Introductory Note: Urban Farming: Edible Land in

Swansea

Contents

An Introduction to Edible Land 4

Benefits of Urban Growing 5

Urban Growing and Planning 6

Practical Considerations 8

Edible Land Design Options 9

Community Growing Project Flow Chart 10

Guidance for New Community Growing Projects 11

Community Growing Approaches 14

Resources and Further Information 25

Allotments in Swansea 27

Edible Land Case Studies 17

Thank you to the following for Edible Land Case Study permission: Brighton Hove City Council

Bristol Food Network and the Bristol Get Growing Map

Capital Growth

Coed Fach

Gowerton Allotment Society

Grow Sheffield

Shifting Growth

Star Apple Edible + Fine Gardening

Sustain - Capital Growth

Swansea Community Farm

Transition Town Totnes Nut and Fruit Tree Project

Wilson Meany

Vetch Veg


An Introduction to Edible Land 1

Edible land is a simple and quick step to help

build communities, foster the principle of

sustainable development, encourage biodi-

versity, learn a skill and gain enjoyment.

From something as simple as raised vegeta-

ble beds in your own garden to community

gardens, urban farms to roof top vegetable

patches, there are many opportunities and

simple ways to grow your own food here in

Swansea.

The Council recognises the value of Edible

Land, and this document sets out the various

issues that need to be considered in promot-

ing further opportunities for ‘Urban Farming’

in Swansea. This document includes design

options that may be incorporated into new

residential schemes. It is also hoped that the

case studies presented may inspire members

of the community to take the initiative to

start their own edible land schemes.

Urban Farming

Edible Landscaping Container Growing

Allotments Rooftop Gardens

Edible Land Types

Vegetable Patches Community Farms

Community Gardens Vertical Growing ...and many more!

Although Urban Growing is not new as a

concept there is very little formal guidance

on the topic, as it is not generally subject to

any regulation or control. This document

therefore highlights related guidance and

advice and draws attention to matters for

consideration when embarking on a pro-

ject .

Vetch Veg, Swansea


Benefits of Urban Growing 2

Urban Growing opportunities, such as allot-

ments, contribute to the well being of the

individual and the wider community. Gar-

dening provides the opportunity for a year-

round recreational interest which is active,

sociable, inclusive, and a hobby that reflects

the ideals of sustainability and promotes

wellbeing. Unlike other leisure activities, it

provides not only exercise, mental relaxation

and lifelong learning opportunities, but com-

munities can be strengthened or formed and

fresh fruit and vegetables produced can con-

tribute to healthy living.

Benefits wider than individuals and their

social sphere:

• Allotments are an important element of

the greenspace infrastructure of urban

areas;

• They provide important spaces for

healthy living;

• Biodiversity can flourish within these

spaces.

• They can also reduce food distribution

carbon emissions associated with supply,

as local produce is consumed locally as

opposed to consuming produce grown

elsewhere - even overseas.

Urban Growing brings multi-use to green-

space, offering an alternative to conven-

tional residential landscapes. It can

strengthen communities by providing a place

to socialise as well as produce. Urban Grow-

ing also can be linked to other functional

green landscapes such as Sustainable Drain-

age Systems (SuDS).

According to the UK Government’s Food

Strategy: Food 2030: “Growing food – at

home, in a community garden or allotment –

can produce a number of other benefits in-

cluding better mental and physical health,

bringing people together and improved

skills.”1 The Committee on Environment,

Transport & Regional Affairs produced a re-

port on allotments which detailed both their

physical and therapeutic benefits, these in-

cluded: “exercise, the supply of affordable

fresh vegetables, increased biodiversity,

‘green space’, and the potential for educa-

tional and therapeutic benefits for some sec-

tions of the community.” 2

1 The Future for Allotments: Environment, Transport & Re-

gional Affairs Committee Fifth Report (June 1998) 2

Food 2030: UK Government’s Food Strategy http://

archive.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/food/pdf/

food2030strategy.pdf

Growing at Ty Dewi Sant

Photo courtesy of: CCS

Photo courtesy of: CCS.

Tea Pots at the Vetch, Swansea


Urban Growing and Planning 3

From a planning policy perspective, guidance

on edible land solely relates to allotments as

this is normally the only form of edible land

use requiring planning control. However,

planning is supportive of the edible land con-

cept in principle, as it is strongly associated

with sustainable development, community

intergration, health and wellbeing all of

which are themes strongly encouraged in

National, and local planning guidance.

Welsh Government advice is that

“allotments should be an important part of

building a sustainable society.”1, and as such

they are covered by both Planning Policy

Wales (PPW) and Technical Advice Note

(TAN) 16: Sport, Recreation and Open Space.

PPW recognises the importance of allot-

ments and their contribution to sustainable

development. TAN 16 further identifies the

positives allotment provision can provide.

Importantly, both note that allotments

should be retained, and if loss is necessary

mitigation against that loss should be en-

couraged.

Relevant Policy Guidance Extracts

Planning Policy Wales2

Key Policy Points:

• Allotments should be retained, particu-

larly where they have an important open

space function and contribute to sustain-

able development.

Technical Advice Note 16: Sport, Rec-

reation and Open Space3

Key Policy Points:

• Allotments are identified important green

spaces and their cultivation can contrib-

ute to sustainability, provide opportuni-

ties for leisure, exercise and healthy food,

improve biodiversity and encourage in-

teraction between different groups in the

community.

Unitary Development Plan The City and County of Swansea Unitary De-

velopment Plan (UDP) adopted November

2008 provides the current local policy con-

text for determining planning applications.

The UDP sets out a range of policies and pro-

posals relating to future development, use

and conservation of land and buildings

within the City & County up to 2016.

The UDP implicitly recognises the impor-

tance of allotments in objectives which seek

to protect and enhance the greenspace sys-

tem, retain and improve community recrea-

tion land to maintain access to open spaces,

promote healthier lifestyles and tackle

health inequalities. Allotments fall within the

definition of Community Recreation Land

http://wales.gov.uk/topics/planning/policy/ppw/

http://wales.gov.uk/topics/planning/policy/tans


protected by Policy HC23, which specifies:

“Community Recreation Land Policy HC23

Development proposals that involve the loss

of land for community recreation purposes,

whether in public or private ownership, will

only be considered favourably where:

(i) Facilities can best be retained and en-

hanced through the development of a small

part of the site, or

(ii) Alternative provision of equivalent com-

munity benefit is made available, or

(iii) There is an excess of provision in the

area, or

(iv) A wider community benefit arises, or

(v) The existing and potential recreational or

amenity or natural heritage or historic envi-

ronment value of the land is maintained....”

The UDP also regards allotments as pocket

sites, so they are further protected by Policy

EV24.

Greenspace System Policy EV24

Within the greenspace system, consisting of

wildlife reservoirs, green corridors, pocket

sites and riparian corridors, the natural heri-

tage and historic environment will be con-

served and enhanced. Development propos-

als which would be likely to have a signifi-

cant adverse effect on the greenspace sys-

tem or which do not provide for appropriate

compensatory or mitigation measures will

not be permitted. 6

Local Development Plan The Local Development Plan (LDP) is cur-

rently in production and will supersede the

UDP upon completion.

The potential for identification of local stan-

dards of accessible open space including al-

lotments will form important background

evidence for the Plan. For more information

on the LDP please see www.swansea.gov.uk/

ldp

The production of this paper forms part of

the research and evidence base for emerg-

ing LDP policy on greenspace protection

and use of community recreation land in-

cluding edible land.

For Planning Applications contact Swansea’s

Development Control team on (01792)

635701 www.swansea.gov.uk/planning.

www.swansea.gov.uk/udp

1 National Assembly for Wales Sustainability Committee

Allotment Provision in Wales July 2010 Page 8. http://

www.assemblywales.org/cr-ld8152-e.pdf 2

Planning Policy Wales (PPW) Edition 5. 9 http://

wales.gov.uk/topics/planning/policy/ppw/?lang=en 3

Technical Advice Note 16: Sport, Recreation and Open

Space. Page 20 http://wales.gov.uk/topics/planning/policy/

tans/tan16e/?lang=en 4

City & County of Swansea Unitary Development Plan p.105

http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=20475 5

City & County of Swansea Unitary Development Plan

http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=20475 6

City & County of Swansea Unitary Development Plan

http://www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=20475

Bee Hives at the Vetch


Practical Considerations 4

Although there are many health and wellbe-

ing benefits of encouraging edible land initia-

tives, when considering the siting and devel-

opment of Community Growing schemes

due regard must be given to the following:

Historical Use of the Land: Not all land

may be suitable for food growing without

prior remediation works. Brownfield sites

with a history of industry may have high lev-

els of heavy metals, sulphates, phenols, as-

bestos, etc. Alternatively, areas which were

previously agricultural may have experienced

biological contamination. Pollutants may

have potentially significant adverse effects

both to human health and that of the sur-

rounding environment if disturbed. Based on

the historical use of the site, a soil survey

may be prudent to check for contamination

and/or soil tests would be useful to deter-

mine whether or not the land is suitable for

growing food. Alternatively sites may have

rare and protected species. Contact the

Council’s Biodiversity Team to establish if

there are any protected species. (Contact:

[email protected])

Previous uses can be determined by check-

ing historical maps - County archives or the

Council’s Development Management and

Control Team may be able to assist with this.

Whilst visual clues on site, such as stains on

patches of soil, an oily sheen to puddles, ex-

istence of pipes or tanks, should raise alert

to the site’s possible contamination.

Uses Adjacent to the Site: Uses nearby

may not be complementary to the growing

of foods for consumption. A recent European

Commission Directorate General Environ-

ment News Alert highlighted the implications

of growing near to traffic pollution. The main

findings concluded that “All vegetables con-

tained higher concentrations of lead if they

were grown on sites with high levels of traf-

fic... For lead, EU standards were exceeded

by two thirds of the crops sampled from

sites with high traffic burdens, less than 10

metres from busy roads...”1 Dr. Anne C. Bel-

lows notes that “Polycyclicaromatic hydro-

carbons (PAHs), a known carcinogen, have

been found in urban soils…They may exist in

gardens and other urban soils due to vehicle

pollution from adjacent roads and railways,

past wood or coal burning on or near the

site.”2 DEFRA’s Food and Environment Re-

search Agency also confirms concerns about

PAHs near roadside schemes. Numerous

academic studies have been conducted

which investigate pollutants in urban horti-

culture, therefore caution is advised and

proper mitigation or remediation methods

are advised before embarking on a scheme.

Sites of Importance for Nature Conser-

vation (SINC) and Wildlife Sites: Ensure

no protected or priority species or habitats

are on site by speaking to the Council’s Bio-

diversity Team.

1 "Science for Environment Policy": European Commission

DG Environment News Alert Service, edited by SCU, The

University of the West of England, Bristol. 2Health Benefits of Urban Agriculture Anne C. Bellows, PhD

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Katherine

Brown, PhD Southside Community Land Trust; Jac Smit,

MCP The Urban Agriculture Network.

Raised beds at the Vetch, Swansea


Edible Land Design Options 5

Space for edible land is all around us. Besides

dedicating a portion of a garden, a piece of

greenspace or using an allotment, there are

some exciting opportunities to be taken

whilst designing or renovating the built envi-

ronment. Traditional provision, such as allot-

ments or gardens can be challenging in high

density developments, however developers

can be creative in incorporating opportuni-

ties into master planning a development.

Community Farming An opportunity may exist in larger residential

developments to set aside a piece of green

space which could be used for growing food.

Such plots should be well visible for security

purposes, accessible by residents, flat and

ideally be set up following consultation with

local residents as to what they would like to

see planted in the set up of the space, with

the land then handed over to a residents’

association for future care.

Residential Gardens Below are just a few examples of possibilities

within an residential garden:

Herb Wheel. A formal garden utilising culi-

nary herbs to create a unique design.

Potager/Kitchen Garden. A functional ele-

ment to a regular residential (aesthetic) gar-

den that can provide herb and vegetable

growing opportunities. Sections for edible

crops can be sectioned off from the regular

garden or elements mixed together.

Green Walls There are various types of Green Walls, from

freestanding installations to the greening of

actual building walls, with the plants rooting

on the wall itself (in an appropriate media or

on ledges affixed to the wall), or with roots

at the foot of the structure.

Roof Top Gardens A Roof Top Garden can be included at the

design phase of development or can reclaim

‘lost’ space on an existing development.

There are varying types of roof:

Green roofs are roofs wholly covered in

vegetation. They do not have to grow edible

plants - they serve many functions including;

absorption of rain water, promoting biodi-

versity by providing habitats, and as insula-

tion for the building below.

Container gardens are another example of

roof top gardens, where plants are grown

out of containers on the roof or balcony

area. This may be a cheaper and more flexi-

ble option than installing a green roof.

Technical and Practical Considera-

tions • Roof/Wall penetration - roots or farming

implements may breach waterproofing of

a roof or may damage the integrity of a

roof/wall. Ensure protection of roof mem-

brane using root barriers.

• Load bearing - ensure that the roof/wall

can take addition weight of planting.

• Conditions - roofs can be more exposed,

windier and may not be as shaded as the

ground.

• Health and safety concerns relating to ac-

cess and working at height.

1 Green Roofs - SuDS Wales

http://www.sudswales.com/types/source-control/green-

roofs/

Photo courtesy of: Jo Mullett.

Herb wheel at Swansea Community Farm


Growing Project Flow Chart 6

You can contact The Community Food and Growing Team via: foodandgrow-

[email protected], www.swansea.gov.uk/growlocal or 01792 635730

Interested in starting a community growing project?

Yes

Do you have a piece of land in mind?

Are you an individual?

Are you part of a group (e.g. commu-

nity project, residents association)? Any growing projects will need to

show interest from a group of peo-

ple. The Council’s Community Food

and Growing Team can help you to

ask others if they want to join you

and to form a group.

No Please contact the Council’s Com-

munity Food and Growing Team

for help and ideas.

Where is the land?

Housing

estate The Coun-

cil’s Commu-

nity Food

and Growing

Team can

contact the

council’s

Housing

team to re-

quest per-

mission to

plant on

land around

council-run

estates.

Private land /

derelict land If you know who the

landowner is (eg private

housing association, uni-

versity, business), the

Council’s Community

Food and Growing Team

can support you to ask

them for permission.

If you don’t know, we

can try to help you find

out who owns the land

and ask their permission,

but this may need to be

done via the Land Regis-

try which incurs a fee.

Park Planting schemes in

public parks are man-

aged by Council garden-

ers but sometimes with

the support of a

‘Friends of’ group, a

group can help with

planting if the Council

gives permission and

the space is not being

used for other activities.

It may also be worth

approaching the park

gardener or Community

Parks Team about host-

ing some containers.

Other land The Council’s

Community

Food and

Growing Team

can contact the

relevant Coun-

cil Department

to request per-

mission to

plant on verges

and roadsides.


Guidance for New Community Growing Projects 7

This information has been developed to help

communities in Swansea explore new places

and more ways to grow their own food.

2

Use it to help you to: • Get inspired and spark ideas about com-

munity growing with your group or peo-

ple in your area.

• Map and audit your local spaces that

could be used for growing food.

• Explore the range of community growing

options.

• Think about the practicalities of different

growing approaches and find the ones

that will work best for your community.

• Plan local action to develop your commu-

nity growing projects and activities.

Why do this? More and more people in Swansea want to

grow their own fruit and vegetables but land

availability is a big challenge.

The Council wants to increase the number of

growing spaces to encourage people to grow

their own food. Community growing can also

strengthen communities, encourage self-

sufficiency and provide healthy activity.

The Our Growing Community guidance

notes and resource pack (separate docu-

ment) provides more information about the

different places where you could grow fruit

and vegetables. It highlights ‘things to con-

sider’ and describe how to ‘make it happen’.

With real life examples and suggestions of

‘who can help’, the notes will help you find

the right support and assistance to start your

own food growing community in Swansea.

Conducting a growing space audit Get a group of interested people together to

explore ‘where could we grow?’

• Create or draw your own local map and

plot potential growing spaces.

• Conduct an ‘on foot’ growing space site

audit - explore the area to find possible

sites - take photographs and record infor-

mation about site condition and owner-

ship.

• Map and compile your findings as set of

potential ‘community growing scenarios’

– then use this toolkit to identify what

community growing approaches could

work in the different spaces.


Polytunnel at Swansea’s Vetch Veg.


Finding out who owns the land It’s a good idea to find out who owns the

identified land in the early stages of the de-

veloping your ideas, so that you know who

to approach to find out if the land is avail-

able and suitable to grow food. Projects in

public spaces may be time-limited and tem-

porary and you may need to sign an agree-

ment with the land owner. The Council’s

Community Food and Growing Team and the

Land Registry can all help to determine own-

ership

Visualising a food growing community

Talk to the wider community about your

ideas:

• run a community planning event or hold

workshops with different local groups -

present the potential community growing

scenarios for the area and get new ideas

about them.

• use the feedback from the event to identify

the community growing approaches you

want to explore further.

Community Consultation At the beginning of any project talking to

people in the immediate area who may be

affected by the proposal – or might want to

get involved is important. You should talk to

local residents, local ward members and

community groups and schools to ask them

their thoughts, whether they have any

strong objections, whether they have any-

thing to add and if they would like to get in-

volved. Speak to as many people as possible

who have an interest in the space. Will a

growing space conflict with ways that other

people use it? It’s always helpful to be able

to evidence local support for a project. A

short questionnaire is a good way to docu-

ment people’s comments. You could gather

a list of names and contact details of people

you’ve talked to. Be sure to include your

findings and even some supportive quotes in

your proposal.

Reality checking your ideas • Contact the ’Experts’ like the Council’s

Community Food and Growing Team or

CLAS Cymru – they can help you develop

ideas.

• Use their technical know-how and experi-

ence to help you work out the best way to

take your ideas forward.

Delivering a food growing community • Set up a local community growing group

to oversee the delivery of your ideas.

• Produce an action plan for things to do in

the short and longer term.

• Keep ‘experts’ on board – some might be

able to offer advice and help you deliver

your ideas, others might be able to help

with funding and resources.

Writing a proposal The land owner will want to see a proposal

outlining what you want to do, who will be

involved, what your space might will look

like, how you know the community is sup-

portive of your ideas etc. Writing a project

proposal is really useful in helping plan your

project and can help demonstrate that your

group has the capacity to develop and man-

age a growing space. Once complete, it can

also help convince others about the value of

your idea and will be useful if you need to

apply for funding.

Coeden Fach


Who can help?

Other things to think about when planning your project:

• Are there protected or priority species and habitats on site?

• Will security be an issue?

• What are the likely costs involved? How are you going to get funding?

• What tools, equipment and materials will you need? Will you need storage for them?

• How will you water the garden? Is there a source nearby? Or collection a possibility?

• How often will you need to be there to maintain the garden?

• Be realistic: gardens take a lot of work to maintain so you’ll need a committed core

team (as few as three or four people) to keep it going. Start small and keep it manageable.

Swansea Council’s Community Food

and Growing Team is responsible for:

supporting the development and creation of

new growing spaces, administering Swansea

Council’s ‘Grow Local’ small grant scheme,

and the management of Swansea Council’s

Allotment provision

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.swansea.gov.uk/

foodandgrowing Tel: 01792 635730

Community Land Advisory Service in

Wales (CLAS Cymru) is a service managed

by the Federation of City Farms and Commu-

nity Gardens helps community groups, land-

owners and aims to make more land avail-

able community growing spaces. Support

available includes: assistance in identifying

potential sources of land, negotiating its use

on a temporary or long term basis, advice

and support on legal issues, land agree-

ments, land purchase etc, and navigating the

planning system.

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 02921 960 966 Website: http://

wl.communitylandadvice.org.uk/

CLAS Cymru and FCFCG are currently work-

ing in partnership with Swansea Council to

increase the number of growing spaces and

develop best practice around community

growing in Swansea.

Federation of City Farms and Commu-

nity Gardens FCFCG is delivering a three-

year programme in Wales called Tyfu Pobl

(Growing People) through a team of regional

development workers who support and ad-

vise both existing and emerging community

growing projects, enabling the sharing and

transfer of best practice information, knowl-

edge and skills.

Website: https://www.farmgarden.org.uk/

farms-gardens/your-region/wales

Email: [email protected] Tel: 02920

225942

SPARK Painted Vegetable Planter



Community Growing Approaches 8

This section provides an overview of the different community approaches.

Abundance, foraging and scrumping involves collecting surplus produce (mainly fruit) and

putting it to good use. There are many fruit trees growing wild or in people’s gardens -

often a lot of this produce goes in the bin or is never harvested. Scrumping was an old

term for stealing apples but today it is used to describe finding fruit and other edibles

growing in public places such as road sides.

Allotments are probably the most familiar and traditional form of community growing.

Allotments are areas of land divided into plots which individuals or groups of people gar-

den. Plots are rented from allotment providers. There are 16 sites on Council land, six of

which are managed by the Council and ten are managed by Allotment Associations. There

is also one site on private land. All sites have waiting lists. To find out more visit

www.swansea.gov.uk/allotments

Beekeeping involves the maintenance of honey bee colonies, commonly in hives. Bees will

help with improving community growing productivity, the quality of the produce and will

produce honey. Virtually all fruit and seed crop production on a growing space will benefit

from honey bee pollination.

Community gardens are locally managed areas of land developed in response to the

needs of the communities in which they are based. They have a strong social focus and

function, often providing much needed greenspace in urban areas. Most of the gardening

is communal with groups and individuals contributing to the cultivation of the whole site.

Many community gardens include significant elements of fruit and vegetable growing as

well as community cooking and events within their activities.

Community market gardens are large areas of cultivated land, often with poly-tunnels

and other infrastructure. They have a commercial focus in terms of food production and

are usually under community or social ownership or management. Most operate on a so-

cial enterprise basis; aiming to provide produce at reasonable cost to the wider commu-

nity e.g. through organic box deliveries to the local area.

Community orchards are collections of fruit, and sometimes nut, trees and bushes. A

community orchard is open to local people, providing access to the produce grown. As

well as enjoying the orchard, local people can share the harvest or profit from its sale and

are often involved in taking responsibility for any work involved. A ‘virtual orchard’ in-

volves planting fruit trees and bushes in individual gardens, with agreement from the gar-

den owners to share the fruit and the harvest of it. In this way a community orchard can

still be created where the availability of land is an issue.

Community small holdings are areas of land, bigger than a garden and smaller than a

farm, which are used for productive agriculture or forestry. They can be comprised of

families, individuals or communities, where people pool resources to hold land together.

Community supported agriculture is defined as a partnership between farmers and con-

sumers where the responsibilities and rewards of farming are shared between them. They

can be farmer-led, where the community buys ‘shares’ and the return on these is pro-

duce; or community-led, where the community instigates and runs the scheme itself.

Some communities do the growing themselves, others employ a grower.


Container growing - if there is not enough space for a vegetable plot then growing vege-

tables in containers is a good way to grow your own. A hanging basket, patio pot, old tyres,

barrels and builders bags are all containers that are commonly used for growing food.

Edible landscapes (including edible borders and hedges) involves growing food in places

which are less traditionally associated with community growing. In many cases this in-

volves using civic and ‘incidental’ spaces in towns and cities. For example, growing vegeta-

bles and herbs in and amongst, or instead of, formal landscaping in flower beds and civic

planting. This approach requires a rethink about the role and use of the public realm and

the landscaping and management of public areas.

Forest gardening involves growing a multi-storey arrangement of perennial and self-

seeding plants to provide food. They are designed to be sustainable, edible landscapes

which follow the pattern of young woodland systems. A forest garden could be described

as a relaxed, informal orchard with room for soft fruit and vegetables to grow.

Healing and therapeutic gardens are spaces that are specifically designed to meet the

physical, psychological and social needs of the people using the garden as well as their

care-givers, family members and friends. They can be found in a variety of health care re-

lated settings. They can be designed to include active uses such as raised planters for hor-

ticultural therapy, alongside programmes for passive uses.

Landshare is a process where people with gardens or other sites that they cannot manage

are matched with people who are keen to grow food but have no space in which to do it.

Garden or site owners often receive a proportion of the produce in return for donating

their space. Typically it involves a website where landowners can post details of sites they

would like to offer and where potential growers can register their interest in taking on.

Nectar boarders are areas of land in, next to or near community growing spaces which

are managed for wildflowers. The aim is to attract pollinating insects such as bees and

butterflies to support the pollination of fruit and seed crops.

Raised beds are enclosed areas of soil or compost which are higher than the surrounding

ground. Higher beds make it easier for those with physical disabilities to use. Beds can be

designed to fit the space and are a good solution for growing vegetables in areas of hard

landscaping or where space is limited.

Roof gardens are gardens created on the roofs of building. They can provide food growing

spaces, habitats for wildlife and community gardens. The practice of cultivating food on

the rooftops of building is sometimes referred to as rooftop farming and is usually done

using container, green roof or hydroponics, aeroponics or air-dynaponics systems.

Temporary growing is the creation of food growing areas on land that will only be avail-

able for a limited amount of time. This mainly includes stalled development or derelict

gap sites, for which a long term use has yet to be found. In the longer term these spaces

will be developed and/or built on, but increasingly these sorts of spaces are being used ‘in

the meantime’ for community uses, including food growing with the agreement that

when development starts the community will move elsewhere.

Vertical growing - urban gardens with small outdoor spaces can make the most of their

walls to plant everything from lavish flower displays to home-grown vegetables. The trend

is growing in popularity in city gardens, as well as a number of community gardening pro-

jects, because of its eco-friendly credentials and space-saving techniques.


A quick reference guide to which community growing approaches will work best where.

Top ten tips to encourage pollinators and wildlife into your garden

1. Plan your garden so there are plants in flower all year round to attract bees and butterflies.

2. Grow ornamental plants that provide berries and seeds to attract birds and small mammals.

3. Select plants that provide fragrance into the evening for both you and night-flying insects.

4. Leave seed heads of annuals and herbaceous perennials over winter to provide food and shelter

for insects, birds and small mammals.

5. Where space allows, stack sawn off tree and shrub branches into a log pile to provide shelter for

insects, amphibians and small mammals.

6. Install bird feeders, bird boxes, bee nests and bat boxes. Remember to keep food and water sup-

plies stocked all year.

7. Consider replacing fences with hedges. They can offer nesting sites as well as additional food

sources, and create a more effective windbreak than a solid barrier.

8. Alternatively, train ivy up sturdy walls or fences. Ivy is not only decorative all year, but provides

nectar, pollen and berries when there is little else about, and is a favourite with nesting birds.

9. Incorporate a water feature into your garden. Even something as small as a washing-up bowl can

provide water for birds and a home to pond insects that in turn attract birds and bats.

10 Recycle old plant material in a compost heap or leaf mould pile. Dig it into the garden as a soil

improver or use as mulch.

Community Growing Chart


Edible Land Case Studies 9

There are numerous examples of exceptional

and creative Urban Growing and edible land

projects. From farms located underground in

a former bank vault under the streets of

Otemachi in Japan, to a top London restau-

rant that grows some of it’s ingredients on

the roof. This section highlights various edi-

ble land and community growing projects

both locally and from around the world. A

diverse range of schemes are highlighted;

from large-scale city-wide projects to small-

scale community based schemes. These in-

clude schemes that are led by communities

and those instigated by large scale residen-

tial developers. Some projects share infor-

mation on growing opportunities whilst oth-

ers highlight what is possible with funding

and urban farming training courses.

Rather than just using these ideas as a tem-

plate to copy, this Introductory Note seeks

to inspire interested individuals or commu-

nity groups to develop projects appropriate

for their local situation or Swansea as a

whole.

These case studies are included for illustra-

tive purposes only as examples of how the

concept of edible land can be translated into

a real world application. They are not neces-

sarily endorsed by the City & County of

Swansea Council.

For ease of use, each case study is accompa-

nied by a series of symbols from the follow-

ing list which indicate the nature of the pro-

ject.

Type Symbol

Educational

Community

Design

Built Environment

Wales

UK

International

Ready to grow at Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg

Bryniago, Pontarddulais, Swansea

Photo courtesy of: Jo Mullett.

TOPIC raised beds Swansea


The Vetch Veg Community Garden is based

on the Vetch, the historic home of Swansea

City FC. The football stadium was known as

The Vetch because its previous owners, the

Swansea Gaslight Company (circa 1912),

used the area to grow animal forage.

The original Vetch Veg Project was commis-

sioned for the Cultural Olympiad 2012 as a

participatory artwork in association with

Adain Avion, Swansea Environmental Forum,

Taliesin Arts Centre, Glynn Vivian Gallery and

supported by the City & County of Swansea.

The intention was to transform a section of

the stadium into a temporary vegetable gar-

den leading to a Grand Finale of a “Flower

and Produce Show” in June 2012 when the

Adain Avion plane “landed” in Swansea.

By June 2012, local people had created 110

raised beds, 20 communal beds, composting

bins, water harvesting, two poly tunnels, in-

stalled a bee hive, built a kitchen, created a

traditional cob oven and rescued an old sum-

merhouse from the Glynn Vivian Home for

the Blind (which was being demolished) and

repaired and erected it on the 2,500 mtr sq

site.

In January 2013 the project became an inde-

pendently constituted association and se-

cured a 7-year lease from the City & County

of Swansea to continue the work of the

Community Garden.

The Community Garden has provided a focus

for local people, community groups and

schools to engage through a series of partici-

patory stages planting, tending, harvesting

and cooking their produce on site - cultures

meeting over a shared meal.

The work of the Community Garden contin-

ues to raise awareness around environ-

mental and social issues, reusing, reshaping

and rethinking resources.

The work on Vetch Veg Community Garden

has resulted in the creation of a bank of ex-

perience that is happily shared others who

may wish to embark on a similar project.

Vetch Community Garden Swansea

Location Swansea

Established 2012

Key details Established to promote and encourage

a community spirit through gardening

and other social activities.

Photo courtesy of: Vetch Community Garden

A View of the Vetch

Photo courtesy of: Vetch Community Garden

Beans at the Vetch


The Vetch Orchard


The Farm aims to help reconnect people of

all ages, backgrounds and abilities with their

food, their environment and each other at

the only city farm in Wales.

Farm animals – Swansea Community Farm

operates as a small working farm, stocking a

range of rare and rare-Welsh breed farm ani-

mals which provide food for the plate as well

as promoting increased awareness of the

issues surrounding food production.

Grounds & Buildings –the maintenance and

development of the 3.5 acre, purpose de-

signed and fully accessible site to demon-

strate a range of sustainability, resource con-

servation and nature conservation manage-

ment techniques. Food growing is promoted

through the community allotment, tradi-

tional orchard, raised beds, apiaries and edi-

ble hedges.

Farm Café – built by volunteers and offering

a range of informal and accredited training

opportunities in cooking healthy and afford-

able food as well as serving tasty treats and

meals for Farm users and visitors.

Volunteer & Training programme – supports

adult volunteers of all ages, backgrounds and

abilities to participate in the day to day run-

ning and longer term development of the

Farm while equipping them with the knowl-

edge, skills and confidence to move forward

in their own lives and contribute positively to

the Farm and wider communities.

Child & Youth programme - develops skills,

confidence and knowledge in mainly local

young people through hands-on practical

engagement in the day to day running and

development of Farm activities and through

free play opportunities within a safe, suppor-

tive and stimulating environment.

Education programme - full and half day

school visits and courses (2-12 weeks), with

an outdoor based, practical and experiential

approach to learning around a variety of en-

vironmental and food related issues.

As a small independent charity the Farm is

overseen by a dedicated group of volunteer

Trustees who, since 2005, when the Farm

became fully operational, have seen the

Farm’s services grow rapidly. Each year the

Swansea Community Farm works with over

200 adult volunteers, over 400 children and

young people, over 1,200 school children as

part of more than 50 school visits schools

and host around 10,000 visiting members of

the public.


Location Swansea

Size 3.5 acre

Established 1992

Key details Working urban farm (including live-

stock) offering volunteer opportunities

and educational visits.

Further info www.swanseacommunityfarm.org.uk




Based in Bishopston, Coeden Fach is a com-

munity organisation initiated in February

2008 to promote sustainable land manage-

ment, facilitating education for today and

tomorrow. The nursery field is 1.6 acres and

is leased privately. It’s normally open on

Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9.30 –

1.30 for volunteers and visitors. Coeden

Fach are establishing a community tree nurs-

ery and offer training and practical aid in

growing trees and perennial plants for both

woodlands and food production. Coeden

Fach works with many local businesses, com-

munity groups, Community Councils ,schools

and the Local Council.

Coeden Fach - Swansea Community Tree Nursery

Location Bishopston, Swansea

Size 1.6 acres

Established 2008

Key details Provides training and practical experi-

ence of tree and perennial plant grow-

ing skills. Also supplies trees, shrubs and

perennial plants.

Further info Email: [email protected]

Gowerton Allotment Society has been in ex-

istence since 1929, when a group of employ-

ees at the Baldwin’s factory in Gowerton,

entered into a rental agreement with the

Penllegaer Estate. There are currently 40 plot

holders, within a wide age range. Families

are encouraged and the Society is happy to

be involved with other aspects of life within

the community, be it local schools or other

organisations. The Society has a close rela-

tionship with and receives continued support

from Gowerton Community Council. Over

the last decade, Gowerton Allotment Society

has grown in member numbers due to an

increasing interest in ‘growing your own’.

There is currently a waiting list of people

wishing to obtain a plot.

Recently, there has been a drive to improve

and develop the Station Road site, increasing

the availability of plots. Following successful

grant applications, an area of ground was

reclaimed and a mains supply of water has

been developed.

Gowerton Allotment Society

Location Gowerton, Swansea

Size 1.14 acres

Established 1929

Key details Allows and assist members of the local

community in and around Gowerton to

participate in the growing of fruits and

vegetables.

Further info

Planting at Coeden Fach

Gowerton Allotments


Capital Growth is a partnership initiative be-

tween London Food Link, the Mayor of Lon-

don, and the Big Lottery's Local Food Fund.

Championed by the Chair of the London

Food Board. It aimed to create 2012 new

community food growing spaces across Lon-

don by the end of 2012. The project works

with local authorities, housing associations

and other landowners, making under-used

land available to growers and communities.

Capital Growth is a hub for Urban Farming

information, offering practical help, grants,

training and support to groups wanting to

establish community food growing projects

as well as advice to landowners. The project

was piloted in 2009 and has since grown to

support over 2020 growing spaces.

Capital Growth

Grow Sheffield began as an active network

of individuals and groups promoting urban

organic food which growing adopted a crea-

tive approach to establishing a cultural

shift. It currently provides training, advice

and practical skills to help people grow and

harvest food in their community. It organises

events, such as the annual Allotment

Soup event. The event brings allotment

holders, the community, performers and art-

ists together to celebrate harvest on an al-

lotment site. Grow Sheffield works in part-

nership to raise awareness of wider issues of

sustainability and has active links with local

Universities, Voluntary Action Sheffield,

Transition Sheffield, and Sheffield City Coun-

cil. Grow Sheffield is engaged with local or-

ganisations including: schools, resident's as-

sociations, homeless shelters, church

groups, community forums, local businesses

and artists through many diverse pro-

jects, which includes Encounter Abundance.

In 2008 Grow Sheffield collaborated

with Encounters Arts to create Encounter

Abundance, a shop with a difference, that

offered free fruit in exchange for stories,

recipes, swaps and ideas.

Grow Sheffield

Location Sheffield, England

Size Active in community growing projects

in 13 areas of the city, active Abun-

dance hubs in 9 areas of the city, food

sourcing, growing and consuming map-

ping, and volunteering projects, across

whole city.

Established 2007 by Anne-Marie Culhaine

Key details A not for profit organisation that cele-

brates, inspires and raises awareness

of the benefits of growing, harvesting

and sharing food.

Further info www.growsheffield.com

“GROW SHEFFIELD celebrates, inspires and raises

awareness of the benefits of growing, harvesting

and sharing food across our communities and

city. We are transforming our city into an urban

food-growing landscape, based on collaboration,

where anyone who wants to has the opportunity,

space and support to grow and harvest chemical-

free fresh fruit and vegetables. We believe a vi-

brant, diverse food culture is a vital aspect of our

healthy communities.” ~ Grow Sheffield Vision

Location London

Established 2009

Key details Offers practical help, grants, training

and support to groups in establishing

community food growing projects.

Further info http://www.capitalgrowth.org/

Photo courtesy of: Grow Sheffield


Bay Meadows Community Garden

Drawing on inspiration from a number of

projects including community urban farms in

various US/Canadian cities (San Francisco,

Oakland, LA, Seattle, Vancouver, Toronto) the

developers sought to instill the principles of

sustainable living into their development

master plan for a new urban village.

The overall Bay Meadows project (formerly a

horse race track) had stakeholders involved

in planning the community. This includes the

City Council and City Planning Department,

and staff of the City of San Mateo (where the

community is located), along with many local

citizens and neighbours and community or-

ganizations. Nine architects/landscape archi-

tects, and ARUP engineers were involved in

the design of the Bay Meadows community.

The Community food garden was the initia-

tive of the developer with design and pro-

gramming work undertaken by Star Apple

(edible garden specialists), CMG landscape

architects, and Merit Property Management

(Home Owners Association management

company). The consideration of a meaningful

community space that fosters neighbourly

encounters, personal accomplishments and

memorable experiences was a huge focus

during the planning stages of the project and

the concept of community food gardens sup-

port all of those objectives.

The long term viability of the community gar-

den has also been carefully considered and

the cost of the garden construction is pri-

vately-funded by the developer. The initial

operating costs will also be subsidised by the

developer, but in the long run will be met by

subscription fees of the garden plot users

along with Home Owners Association dues

from the overall community.

Location San Mateo, south of San Francisco,

California , USA

Size The garden will be home to 99 unique

garden plots that will eventually be

planted and maintained by local resi-

dents under the guidance of Star Ap-

ple. The project is designed to be a

sustained feature of the community

for decades to come.

Established Concepts of the project evolved in

conjunction with the programming of

other greenspaces in the develop-

ment over the past two years.

Key details The developer wishes to create a

community that embraces a sustain-

able, urban lifestyle hoping that the

community garden will help future

residents become vested and con-

nected to their wider community

while celebrating concepts of sustain-

able living.

Further info http://baymeadows.com/community-

garden

Plan courtesy of: Wilson Meany


The project involves planting and caring for

trees in and around Totnes on public land, or

land open for public use. Initially this in-

volved nut trees and fruit trees. In the last

few years the project has linked with the

Transition Town Totnes Incredible Edible

Growing Project, which grew edible vegeta-

bles, herbs and flowers in public places. Both

forms of growing have now come together in

the planting of a Forest Garden in a public

arboretum during 2012/2013.

More than 300 trees have been planted in

and around Totnes since March 2007. At any

time there are about 50 volunteers involved

in the on-going care of the trees and other

edible growing in public places. Funding over

the years has come from many individual do-

nors, Town and District Councils, Housing

Associations, small local charities, as well as

National Tree Council funding. Vandalism has

been an issue so the project has tried to find

ways of engaging those living around the

planting sites to take interest in and act as

'guardians' of trees on their doorstep. Where

trees have been damaged or destroyed

young people have been involved in replant-

ing. The project hopes to continue expanding

and promoting public growing in Totnes.

Transition Town Totnes Fruit and Nut Tree Project

Location Totnes

Size Town wide

Established 2007

Key details Planting of Fruit and Nut Trees in Pub-

lic spaces

Further info http://

www.transitiontowntotnes.org/

groups/food-group/nut-tree-planting/

A Planning Advice Note document has been

produced which contains basic technical

considerations, as well as case studies, on

how food growing can be incorporated into

proposals for new developments.

Planning Advice Note 6

Brighton & Hove Food Growing and Development

Location Brighton & Hove

Size Extent of County

Established 2011

Key details Planning guidance document on Food

Growing.

Further info www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/

Chestnut tree on edge of playing field in

Totnes

Photo courtesy of: Transition Town Totnes Nut and Fruit tree project.


2010, over the next couple of years it gained

momentum and funding as its steering group

focused on engaging local groups, raising

awareness and populated the map with de-

tailed information on projects in Bristol. The

map continues to grow and is up dated by the

Bristol Food Network.

Bristol Food Network Get Growing Map

Location Bristol

Size City wide

Established 2010

Key details Map showing food projects.

Further info http://www.bristolfoodnetwork.org/local-

food-map/

The garden creates a space for community

members to grow their own food within a

wider proposal for a large residential devel-

opment. It was sponsored by the developer

of the community to provide amenities for

new residents and delivered through a part-

nership between the site developer, Shifting

Growth (a charity who transforms vacant

spaces into temporary community gardens)

and Can You Dig It (an initiative tackles the

challenge of social isolation through garden-

ing). The garden is temporary, however all

beds are mobile so can be moved to a new

site if necessary. There are 64 plots, 2 are

wheelchair accessible and 4 are “kid-

friendly” height beds. The garden was at ca-

pacity the day it opened. About 90% of the

gardeners are first-timers, the beds act as a

great learning introduction to growing food,

as well as building a community.

Burke Mountain Community Garden

Location British Columbia, Canada

Size 64 plots

Established April 2013

Key details Garden sponsored by developer to

provide amenities for new residents.

The community garden is a temporary

use of the land, beds are completely

mobile and may be relocated to an

adjacent site. The project aims to cre-

ate a space whereby local residents

can come together and grow food.

Further info www.thefoothillsatburke.com/about/

burke-community-garden/

www.shiftinggrowth.com www.cydi.ca

Photo courtesy of: Avon Wildlife Trust.

Feed Bristol

Photo courtesy of: Shifting Growth.

Burke Mountain Community Garden

This map is a resource for those who are in-

terested in local growing. The main aim of

the map is to pull together all the commu-

nity growing group information for Bristol

into one place. Allotment information is eas-

ily and clearly available via the Council web-

site, but finding out about other local edible

land initiatives was quite difficult - reliant

mostly on word-of-mouth and local knowl-

edge. The map project sought to change

this. It started as an unfunded scheme in


Resources and Further Information 10

City & County of Swansea Development Management and Control

The City and County of Swansea’s Develop-

ment Management and Control Team deal

with the regulation of land through the plan-

ning process. They offer advice on whether

planning permission is required, and are the

team which planning applications are sub-

mitted to. (01792)635701.

www.swansea.gov.uk/planning

Planning Policy

The Planning Policy Team is responsible for

the preparation of the Council's Develop-

ment Plan, and is also engaged on a range of

other strategic planning studies, area devel-

opment briefs and other forward planning

projects. The team provides guidance to de-

velopers, their agents and other relevant in-

dividuals/organisations on development po-

tential, and also advises on emerging legisla-

tion, statutory procedures and relevant plan-

ning policies at the national, regional and

local level. www.swansea.gov.uk/devplan

Grow Local

Swansea Council is encouraging our commu-

nities to grow their own food by funding a

range of community-based growing projects

with the aim of improving access to fresh

fruit and vegetables throughout the city.

http://www.swansea.gov.uk/growlocal

Allotments

The City and County of Swansea provides

and promotes as a valuable resource that

should be maintained for future generations.

w w w . s w a n s e a . g o v . u k / i n d e x . c f m ?

articleid=4974

Swansea Community Directory The directory includes information on or-

ganisations and services serving the commu-

nity in the Swansea area.

www.swanseacommunitydirectory.org.uk/

Swansea Green Map The interactive Swansea Green Map identi-

fies over 200 locations in and around the City

and County that are helping to protect the

environment. Places like Nature Reserves,

recycling points, community projects and

shops that are working towards making

Swansea more sustainable.

http://www.sustainableswansea.net/green-

maps.html

The Environment Centre Swansea The Environment Centre is an independent

charity whose focus is environmental infor-

mation, education and activity in South West

Wales.

www.environmentcentre.org.uk/

SPARK funky raised bed, Swansea

Flags at the Vetch, Swansea


Allotments in Swansea 11

City & County of Swansea Allotment Sites

Other Allotments Gowerton Allotments

Station Road,

Gowerton

David Phillips – Gowerton Allotment Associa-

tion Secretary can be contacted via: langdon-

[email protected]

For more information about Allotments in

Swansea visit www.swansea.gov.uk/

allotments or Tel 01792 633813

Eynon Street Allotment

Eynon Street

Gorseinon

Swansea

SA4 4DU

Frederick Place Allotments

Frederick Place

Llansamlet

Swansea

SA7 9TT

Heol Y Gors Allotments

Cockett Road

Swansea

SA2 OFN

Grenfell Park Road Allot-

ments

Grenfell Park Road

St Thomas

Swansea

SA1 8EY

Lon Mafon Allotments

Lon Mafon

Tycoch

Swansea

SA2 9ER

Fairfield Allotments

Gwili Terrace

Mayhill

Swansea

SA1 6TN

Singleton Allotments

Sketty Lane

Sketty

Swansea

SA2 8QG

Plunch Lane Allotments

Plunch Lane

Limeslade

Swansea

SA3 4JE

Castle Road Allotment

Castle Road

Mumbles

SA3 4ST

Upper Norton, Lower Nor-

ton, Castle Acre and Acre

Field Allotments

Castle Road

Mumbles

SA3 4ST

Cwmgelli Allotments

Gelli Hir

Treboeth

Swansea

SA5 9DG

Grange Allotments

Ilston Way

West Cross

Swansea

SA3 5LG

Sea View Terrace Allotments

Sea View Terrace

Mount Pleasant

Swansea

SA1 6FF

Cwmgelli Allotments, Swansea


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www.swansea.gov.uk/growlocal

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