Want to grow food but don’t have the space? Stuck on an allotment waiting list?
Interested in nature recovery or greening your neighbourhood?
We know there’s a lack of accessible spaces in the city where we can grow food,
enjoy nature and connect with others. But what if we could unlock unused spaces in
our neighbourhoods for exactly this?
Imagine how much greener, more nature-friendly and food-secure our borough could
become. Communities coming together to care for shared spaces, a greater sense of
ownership of our environment, and the foundations for stronger communities and a
healthier planet.
This is all possible. We just need to make it easier for communities to access unused
land. Other boroughs are already taking steps in this direction, and Wandsworth
could be next!
What is the Right to Grow?
The Right to Grow is a national and local campaign calling on councils to make it
easier for local communities to turn suitable, unused public land into spaces for
growing food, supporting biodiversity and bringing people together.
Councils are beginning to put this into practice. Hounslow has introduced its Go
Forth and Grow for the Future policy, while Hackney Council adopted a Right to
Grow motion in March 2026. We’re calling on Wandsworth Council to follow their
lead.
In practice, this would mean an official map of potential spaces, available to all
residents, alongside support to help make them accessible when a group comes
together to request one. Pretty simple, right?
Why we need it?
Wandsworth Council already has its Wild Wandsworth Biodiversity Action Plan, and
the London Plan Policy G8 recognises the importance of green infrastructure,
including urban food growing. The Right to Grow could help turn these ambitions into
action by giving communities more opportunities to care for and improve local
spaces.
Recent warnings about the vulnerability of our food supply to extreme weather and
other disruptions are another reminder that we need to think about food security.
While keeping some supplies at home can help in an emergency, we also need
longer-term solutions that strengthen our communities and our food systems.
Imagine neighbourhoods where people can grow food together, create welcoming
green spaces, help manage rainwater and local flooding, give children places to play,
or simply provide somewhere for neighbours to sit and chat in the shade.
These spaces can bring people together, encourage people to learn from one
another and help nature thrive. They can also build the connections and practical
skills we need to prepare for a changing climate.
Beautify Balham and their initiatives are, through their various planting projects,
laying the foundations for this to happen in Balham. Working together to make this a
council led scheme would be incredibly powerful and impactful.
We Need You!
There are three ways you can get involved:
- Sign the petition and support The Right to Grow in Wandsworth.
- Help us identify unused spaces. If you know of somewhere that could be
transformed, submit it using this form. Your suggestions will feed into our
open-source map, which we plan to share with the council. - Get involved in the campaign. Email dpateln@gmail.com to join our
WhatsApp group and help us make the Right to Grow a reality in Wandsworth.
Article by Dipa Patel – Transition Town Tooting