Despite being best known for its dense urban landscape, almost a tenth of Greater London – equivalent to around 16,000 football pitches – is farmland. But is the capital reaching its true agricultural potential?
The London Assembly Planning & Housing Committee today launches an investigation into commercial food growing in London, looking at both the challenges and the opportunities presented by current planning legislation.
There are 472 registered farms in Greater London, most of them occupying Green Belt land on the city’s fringes. One of the original purposes of the Green Belt was to provide space for growing food, and the Committee will look at how effective the planning system is at fostering agricultural activity on this land.
The investigation will also look at whether existing commercial and social enterprise growers are adequately protected by current planning laws, and the scope for planning mechanisms to provide for growing spaces in existing urban spaces as well as in new developments.
Local food growing is linked with a range of health, economic, social and environmental benefits, and Londoners’ demand for it is on the rise. This is evidenced by the growth of farmers and specialty markets – around 50 have sprung up in London in the last ten years1.
Despite the increased demand for locally sourced food, one estimate puts the proportion of imported food in Londoners’ diets at 80 per cent2.
Chair of the Planning and Housing Committee, Jenny Jones AM, said:
"The social, economic and environmental advantages of locally grown and marketed food are well-documented, so it’s important we look at how much of London is fulfilling its potential for growing food.
"There may also be unfulfilled potential for new jobs in the London food sector, or for using the city’s resources more efficiently, such as compost made from London’s food waste"
"This potential is inextricably linked to the planning system and we will be reviewing the extent to which it supports commercial growing, and looking to remove any barriers it presents."
The Committee’s findings will inform its response to the Mayor’s review of the London Plan, which is currently underway, and to the boroughs for incorporation into local plans and planning guidance. At the moment, the London Plan has only one provision directly related to agriculture.
Notes for editors:
1. London Assembly Economic Development, Culture and Tourism Committee: London’s Street Markets, January 2008, p6:
http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/reports/econsd.jsp
2. Chartered Institution of Waste Management Environmental Body, City Limits: A Resource Flow and Ecological Footprint of Greater London, September 2002:
http://www.citylimitslondon.com/downloads/Complete%20report.pdf
3. Full details of the investigation are available at:
http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/scrutiny/commercial_food.jsp