Empty London Car Lots, Run-Down Parks To Become Orchards, Gardens - Evening Standard

[hatrack]

A London council is converting its disused spaces into areas for local people to grow produce in an attempt to make its food supply sustainable by 2050. Hundreds of unused and abandoned spaces in Enfield are to be converted into fruit and vegetable plots in the hope of the area becoming "London's breadbasket".

Informal growing spaces around the borough, such as car parks, disused garages and empty spaces around blocks of flats, are to be converted into vegetable plots, while two of its rundown parks will become community orchards. The scheme is part of a borough-wide strategy announced today with the aim of reinvigorating food networks and improving sustainability. "The potential Enfield has for helping to feed itself and London is huge," said council leader Mike Rye. "We have a great agricultural and market garden heritage to build on - in years to come Enfield could become known as the capital's breadbasket."

As part of the £50,000 council-funded scheme, up to 120 trees - including apple, pear, plum and hazelnut - will be planted across two sites. Community groups will decide what they want to plant and whether they want to sell the produce or eat it themselves.

The first site will be on a rundown plot in Ponders Green, which will act as a pilot for working out how the food networks and community food projects could work. Enfield has about a tenth of London's 30,000 allotments, but many have become overgrown. The sustainability plans will offer tenants a year's free rent to reinvigorate these allotments with plans for a food market and an urban farm.

EDIT

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23731815-details/Empty+car+parks+to+sprout+vegetable+plots/article.do

[phantom power]

1. Cool.

[robinlynne]

2. fantastic.

[Libertas1776]

3. In NYC

they'd put up a freaking condo.

[MineralMan]

4. A great idea. I hope it works out for them.

I once wrote a proposal for the Parks Department in the city near where I lived in California. It was a suggestion that the Parks Department use edible plants any time there was a replacement planting in the many parks in the city. California is an idea place for such things. Fruit and nut trees to replace other trees as they were replaced. Berry vines along park borders. Strawberries in flower beds. And more.

While I did get a nice letter from the department. Their excuse was liability. I'm not sure exactly what liability they might have faced from people picking fruit in the park, but that was their excuse. I tried.

[Berry Cool]

5. Anyone else reminded of a song?

Take a packet of seeds
Take yourself out to play
I want to see a river of orchids where we had a motorway

Push your car from the road
Push your car from the road

...It's all in your backyard
You've the whole world at your feet
I said the grass is always greener when it bursts up through concrete...

[hatrack]

6. Want to walk into London on my hands one day!

:toast:

[kestrel91316]

7. Excellent

[Mist]

8. Very cool. Maybe the pic below will become permanent someday:

This was done as a temporary art project called "London Village" a couple of years ago.