A Starter Landscape Upgrade for Portsmouth (ASLU;P) is a social
enterprise to help get people out of their homes and back in the
fresh air of the outdoors.
With the intention of acquiring local unused land. Then with the
help of various groups, upgrading those unused areas into
plantations of free food.
This free food can then either be collected and distributed to
those who want it, collected so that the people involved can have a
party or even be left till it is needed.
This ePetition ran from 30/07/2019 to 10/09/2019 and has now finished.
One person signed this ePetition.
From a Local Plan/planning policy perspective, PCC are focused
upon protecting those spaces for food growing that already exist in
the city in the form of allotments, as well as encouraging more
green infrastructure in new development which is designed to offer
multiple benefits including the opportunities for informal food
growing:
- Allotments are an important space for food growing and the city
and these are protected through the Local Plan's green
infrastructure policy at present as an important open space within
the wider green infrastructure network (this will continue to be
the case in the new Local Plan). AN assessment of the current
condition of the city's allotments was undertaken as part of the
evidence base supporting the Local Plan; this can be found in the
open spaces assessment.
- In a general sense, the green infrastructure policy of the new
Local Plan is being drafted in a way that encourages greater
"multi-functionality" of green assets in the city. This means that
green infrastructure should be designed in a way that can offer
multiple benefits to residents such as improving biodiversity,
contributing to physical/mental health, adapting to climate change.
Incorporating green infrastructure that can contribute to locally
sourced food is one of these objectives that will be
highlighted.
Beyond planning the community allotment is a council project
that has been running since 2002 and has made an important
contribution to improving the health and wellbeing of many
Portsmouth residents.
Details of community allotment schemes are available here:
https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/ext/health-and-care/health/growing-food
PCC supports and encourages community projects such as the
Cornwallis Crescent Community Orchard, Charles Dickens Community
Orchards - a series of linear community orchards along the famous
Charles Dickens Trail, Hilsea Fruiting Hedge at Rugby Camp public
open space and Southsea Green at Eastern Parade.