Transition Towns South Liverpool
Planning Day
18th May 2008

Transforming land for food growing and biodiversity

  • Availability

Liverpool has many currently unused and/or poorly used, pieces of land on which food may be grown and/or biodiversity restored. Allotments already held – expand and develop etc. Contact school governors if land which may be used belongs to a school. Potential large site near Seaforth (for North Liverpool). Residents from all areas could suggest and nominate sites for growing/sowing in their own localities.

  • Bureaucracy

A contentious area in discussions. Some participants averse to going ahead without council backing as much work may be undone at a later stage if approval is not forthcoming. Others argued that council bureaucracy is such that it would basically be folly to wait until the authorities were completely happy. Present evidence to city council. Put pressure on the council. Contact allotment societies who, in turn, request those on their waiting lists put collective pressure on the council to increase availability of allotment provision. A 1922 Act of Parliament requires councils to meet demand for allotments. There are now more people than ever, under the age of 50, who are requesting allotment space.

  • Security issues

Alley gates widely installed – security of crops already present. Education of populace supports security of food crops.

  • Plans and ideas

Plant nut and fruit trees Make use of grass verges (especially for fruit and nut trees and for sowing wildflowers etc). Guerrilla gardening. Tyres filled with compost (from our own composting scheme!) growing food in back alleys. Make full use of all yards and gardens, no matter how small. Need for local awareness raising/education regarding growing food in back alleys, in particular, so that misunderstandings and consequences thereof, less likely to arise.

  • Evidence of need

Transition Towns G.I.S survey reckoned that England as a whole could produce only 80% of the food it would require. There is a shortfall of available land and certain ‘blackspots, in terms of less-than-sufficient land being available, includes the Merseyside area. An Energy Descent Plan should be created. (See TT Handbook for more on this). Photographically record potential growing sites. The island of Inishmore (Isles of Aran, Eire) could be cited as an example as commitment to sustainability has never wavered due to the expense of imported food. Document and map (with G.I.S) potential and problem areas. Establish a good working example of waste land food growing and present as strong evidence to the council as to its efficacy and viability. Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) – currently encouraging the uptake of allotments. Second World War ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign – evidence that this was a significant factor in the Allied victory. (Nazi Germany had no equivalent campaign or scheme and Germans were therefore much less well nourished). TT Middlesbrough, has set a good precedent on growing local food.

  • Moving forward

Search on the internet for ‘Liverpool sub culture’ to retrieve daily updates on the latest cock-ups by Liverpool City Council. Sub group will be formed.