Council Agenda Item 49
Subject: Right to Grow
Date of meeting: 24 October 2024
Proposer: Councillor Alexander
Seconder: Councillor Gauge
Ward(s) affected: All
Notice of Motion
Labour Group
1) The strong link between health and wellbeing and the availability of fresh and healthy food options.
2) The cost-of-living crisis has increased real hunger in our city, reinforcing the need for accessible healthy fresh food.
3) Our city has a climate suitable for growing food, and yet the majority of what we eat travels hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles from farm to fork.
4) The cost-of-living crisis, food miles, climate change and the need to improve local biodiversity all influence our local food security, bringing an urgent focus on ensuring that residents have access to fresh food.
5) That there is under-used publicly owned land which could be used for community food growing while also improving the public realm.
This council resolves to request an officer report to the Cabinet Member for Net Zero & Environmental Services to consider:
1) Identifying all under-used Council owned land, suitable for community cultivation, that is publicly available at no cost to residents and is actively promoted across all wards.
2) Identifying land available for cultivation by a simple licence to community organisations and resident groups.
3) Examining how such licence can ensure that there are not significant barriers to residents in terms of financial or practical requirements.
4) Identifying steps which could be taken to actively support and promote volunteering to encourage residents to get involved in community cultivation.
Supporting information: