Section 106 growing spaces

The request was successful.

Dear Haringey Borough Council,

Can you please provide the information on and where appropriate copies of relevant documents of:

1) What land for allotments or growing spaces, both private and public, have you requested in the last 5 years?

2) From the land requested in the last 5 years, what land has not been put into use for your residents to grow on?

3) How many planning applications do you currently have which could be used to make a Section 106 requirement for land to grow on?

4) What targets are in place to increase the use of Section 106 to provide more land for your residents to grow on?

5) What is currently being done in your borough to provide alternative land for residents to grow on?

This is a request made pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act
2000.

Yours faithfully,

Dolly Theis

FOI, Haringey Borough Council

Dear Ms Theis,

Freedom of Information Request: Reference  810002786

I acknowledge your request for information received on 07.07.2010.

This information request will be dealt with in accordance with the Freedom
of Information Act 2000 and we will send the response by 04.08.2010.

Your request is being dealt with by The Adult, Culture and Community
Services Feedback Team. The e-mail address for that team is
[1][email address] if you have any queries.

Yours sincerely,

Ms Sirkku Pietikäinen

Feedback and Information Officer

Feedback and Information Team

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Christodoulou Michelle, Haringey Borough Council

Dear Dolly Theis,

Thank you, for your Freedom of Information Request regarding Section 106
Growing Spaces.

Please see questions and answers below.

1. What land for allotments or growing spaces, both private and public,
have you requested in the last 5 years?

The Allotments Service has not requested any additional land for new
growing spaces. However, we have cleared and brought back to use 2 disused
former allotment sites creating 50 new plots. We have also cleared and
brought back to use 50% of another partially used allotment site creating
14 new plots. We are also in the process of clearing another disused
former allotment site which is proposed to bring back to use in spring
2011

2. From the land requested in the last 5 years, what land has not been put
into use for your residents to grow on?

Please see response above

3. How many planning applications do you currently have which could be
used to make a Section 106 requirement for land to grow on?

There are currently three planning applications for major development that
fall within the criteria for the provision of allotments, community garden
or community farming being sought from the development in accordance with
the adopted Open Space Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD). There is no
provision within these developments for allotments; however there is
considerable scope for "green roofs" that includes opportunity for
community gardens for food growing. In each of these development proposals
there is significant S106 contribution being sought for a number of
community benefits and these include provision for open space and
environmental improvements. Under this broad category of community the
benefits includes provision for allotments and improving existing
facilities.

4. What targets are in place to increase the use of Section 106 to provide
more land for your residents to grow on?

There are no specific targets within the existing Planning Obligations
Supplementary Planning Guidance specifically for allotments; however there
is broad open space and environmental improvement criteria that meets the
wider objectives set out in the Open Space SPD. The S106 money received
for open space and environmental improvement is used for a number of
community based initiatives which also covers allotments. The programme
sets out in response to Questions 1 and 2 would benefit from the money
collected from the S106 Agreement.

The major housing development proposals (for 200 or more residential
units) are likely to fall within the policy criteria for the provision of
allotments or community gardens, Given the built-up nature of the Borough
and the need to build to high density in order to meet the housing
delivery targets, provide commercial and employment floorspace and
community and health facilities, the Planning Service has been considering
and encouraging proposals for roof gardens as part of the wider initiative
of "Green Roofs". These initiatives include community gardens that will
provide opportunities for food growing.

The adopted Open Space Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD) sets out
guidance for developer for open space requirement that also includes the
requirement for allotments or community farming. The emerging Haringey
Local Development Framework will further develop policies for open space
that will include requirements for allotments, community gardens and
community farming for future developments that fall within these
categories of development. The Sustainable Design and Construction SPD,
that is being prepared will provide further guidance on these initiatives
and how these should be achieve within the developments.

5. What is currently being done in your borough to provide alternative
land for residents to grow on?

Haringey Council has been developing a Sustainable Food Strategy for the
last year in close partnership with a number of community led
sustainability groups including Growing in Haringey. One of the key areas
this strategy will look to develop is the amount of food growing taking
place in the borough. Public consultation on this strategy is due to
commence in the next month and more information will be available on the
council web pages in due course.

In early 2010 Haringey committed to support the Capital Growth target of
2,012 new growing spaces in London by 2012 which is the equivalent of 60
new spaces in each borough. As part of this commitment and as part of the
wider Food Strategy there will be ongoing work with public, private and
third sector groups to increase the number of food growing spaces in
Haringey.

Working closely with community groups we are also developing an
interactive map for Haringey as part of the newly created Sustainable Food
web pages. The aim of the map is to enable residents to see what local
growing is taking place in their locale (i.e. community growing plots,
allotments or schools growing food). In addition, existing projects will
be able to share knowledge and expertise with would-be growers. It is also
our intention to use these pages to direct residents to many of the local
and national food growing campaigns for further support and advice on food
growing.

As part of the Sustainable Food Strategy development we have also been
networking with other local authorities to ensure we take on board best
practice examples. We regularly meet with other councils developing a more
sustainable approach to food and will continue to do so.

If you wish to apply for an internal review of the information provided,
or to complain about the way your request was handled please contact:

Haringey Council

Feedback and Information Team

River Park House

225 High Road

LONDON

N22 8HQ

Telephone: 020 8489 2550

Email: [1][email address]

Yours Sincerely

Michelle Christodoulou

Senior Complaints Officer

Urban Environment

From: Pietikainen Sirkku On Behalf Of FOI
Sent: 09 July 2010 11:38
To: 'Dolly'
Subject: RE: Freedom of Information request - Theis

Dear Ms Theis,

Freedom of Information Request: Reference 810002786

I acknowledge your request for information received on 07.07.2010.

This information request will be dealt with in accordance with the Freedom
of Information Act 2000 and we will send the response by 04.08.2010.

Your request is being dealt with by The Adult, Culture and Community
Services Feedback Team. The e-mail address for that team is
[2][email address] if you have any queries.

Yours sincerely,

Ms Sirkku Pietikäinen

Feedback and Information Officer

Feedback and Information Team

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