Were it ever to come to pass there is every chance that the country would erupt in revolution, but England’s allotments could provide space for over 600,000 new homes, according to estate agent comparison site, GetAgent.co.uk.
GetAgent’s research found that there are an estimated 4,554 allotments across the nation containing roughly 177,606 plots, each at an average size of 250 square metres. That’s a potential 44,401,500 square metres of allotment space, enough to build 604,513 new homes based on the average property size of 73.45 sqm.
With the average new-build house price in England currently £348,298, it also equates to £210.5bn worth of homes.
London is home to the greatest level of allotment new-build potential, with over 7m sqm of allotment space able to facilitate 95,575 new homes to the tune of £50.3bn in market value.
Tyne and Wear comes in second, with its 291 allotments spread across an estimated 2.8m sqm able to facilitate 38,628 new homes.
The available allotment space across the West Midlands (35,442), Greater Manchester (32,788), County Durham (27,478), West Yorkshire (22,566) and Hertfordshire (22,301) could also potentially accommodate over 20,000 new homes in each area.
Outside of London, Hertfordshire (£10.4bn), the West Midlands (£9.3m) and Tyne and Wear (9.3m) also rank top where the highest potential value of these new homes is concerned, with Surrey also home to a potential value of £8.5bn in allotment new-builds.
In contrast, just one allotment space is recorded in the City of London. Despite this, the 9,750 sqm could still see 133 homes built to the tune of £109.8m.
Founder and CEO of GetAgent.co.uk, Colby Short, commented:
“Allotments can play a very important role within the community, particularly in our major cities, providing the outdoor space that many look to in order to relax, unwind and socialise. So in this respect, they are probably more valuable than any bricks and mortar market value.
However, we desperately need more homes, an issue that the government has been woefully poor at addressing. While we don’t suggest that allotments are the answer, we wanted to draw attention to the fact that more must be done.
Rather than sacrifice the nation’s allotments, there is a great deal of brownfield and wrongly classified green belt land that could go some way in helping deliver more homes. But until the government decides to pull its finger out, it will continue to sit unused and of no use to anybody.”
A story that is guaranteed to make a firm look like amateurs. Allotments will never be built on as they are too precious to local communities, especially to older residents whose allotments mean everything to them. Less than 10% of the U.K. has been built on and to advocate the removal of community land is appalling.
A cheap shot and shows this firm to be completely uncaring. Time for a new PR firm.
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Horrendous idea
How important is growing veg/fruit for mental and physical health vs profit? The latter is why the world is burning or under water currently.
Try thinking about people first.
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As Paul Daniels used to (nearly) say: “You’ll like this… not allotments!”
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A quick search of East Yorkshire shows the research is flawed.
Whilst the council are responsible for 4 main sites, their website states:- “There are many other allotment sites in the East Riding. Some are run by the local parish and town councils and others are run by allotment associations.”
Looking forward to GetAgents analysis of how much land is used by golf courses. 🙂
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Wrongly classified greenbelt? I bet everyone who backs on to that wrongly classified greenbelt would disagree it is and everyone in the village will agree with them.
Hhow about the more practical way to address the shortage of accommodation for people to live in is to address how much accommodation is now used for short term letting, denying homes to people who’d like to live near to where they work and denying trade to hotels, guest houses and bed and breakfast accommodation?
That as a suggestion will irk those people who like the convenience and freedom of renting short term accommodation, it will irk those benefiting from not declared SA105 income and capital growth but it makes the wider point that building to meet artificial (wealth) demand isn’t the answer to a crisis that hasn’t been properly considered.
If Mr. Short wants to start a row 2nd home ownership and accommodation used for holiday and entertainment is a much easier place to start.
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“That’s a potential 44,401,500 square metres of allotment space, enough to build 604,513 new homes based on the average property size of 73.45 sqm.”
Make that 604513 new homes with no gardens; no roads or footpaths; no amenity spaces; no trees; and no way to get in or out of any of them other than those on the boundaries, which could have the occasional window and door.
Eejits. I beg you please… SOMEONE… send out a press release stating that these complete, upper sh@gwits of the highest order do not represent the property industry in any way, shape or form when they release this unadulterated MDT.
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That was going to be my observation!
You are faster on the keyboard/calculator than me – clearly I need to get up earlier.
Hard to believe that the supposedly intelligent chaps at GetAgent had not thought about this. From the perspective of their hopeful public, if their analysis on this subject is so poor, would you really want to trust their process with regard to which agent you should instruct?
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^^THIS^^
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No when I sell a site I do my own research as I am sure most people do
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I am a developer we do not build high density sites.
Developers such as Octogon do high quality builds.
Berkeley Homes have 2 sites near me that have acres of county park.
Every one who lives in a house lives in a place that was once land
There is a well documented housing shortage in the UK
Personally I think the country is over populated but until some govt does something is about there there is a need for more housing
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The numbers claimed here suggest 54 units per acres , I’m not sure how that’s possible or how anyone thought that was possible.
Garbage in, garbage out!
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I suspect 54 per acre is perfectly achievable but ONLY if, as PeeBee says:
The homes have “no gardens; no roads or footpaths; no amenity spaces; no trees; and no way to get in or out of any of them other than those on the boundaries, which could have the occasional window and door.”
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Sorry to be a pedant but PPS3 limits development density to 40% of Mr Short’s estimate
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