Allotment land could facilitate 200,000 new homes

The latest research from Searchland, the development site sourcing specialists, has revealed that there is an estimated 44.4m sq m of allotment space across England, enough to facilitate the construction of over 200,000 new homes with a market value of £84bn. 

Searchland analysed the total number of allotment sites across each area of England and what this equates to in terms of total land covered, before looking at how many new homes this land could accommodate and their current market value. 

The research shows that across England there are an estimated 4,554 allotment sites, with each home to an average of 39 plots at 250 sq m. That’s an estimated total of 44.4m sq m of land accounted for by the nation’s allotments. 

With the average new-build plot coming in at 222 sq m, the nation’s allotments could potentially house 200,007 new homes. With the average new-build commanding £418,519 in the current market, that’s a potential £84bn worth of new homes that could be delivered to market by utilising allotment land. 

Believe it or not, it’s London that ranks as the nation’s allotment housing hotspot, with 720 allotment sites spread across 7m sq m of land. That’s enough to deliver 31,622 new homes to market with an estimated market value of £18.4bn.

Allotment land could be utilised to deliver 12,780 new homes across Tyne and Wear with a market value of £3.8bn, while 11,726 could be built across the West Midlands with a similar market value. 

Other areas to rank within the top 10 include Greater Manchester (10,848), County Durham (9,091), West Yorkshire (7,466), Hertfordshire (7,378), Essex (6,017), Devon (5,578) and Kent (5,358). 

While the East Riding of Yorkshire is home to just four allotment sites, this land could still accommodate the construction of 176 new homes in the area.

Co-founder and CEO of Searchland, Mitchell Fasanya, commented:

“Allotments can play a vital role in the community, providing an outdoor space for many to socialise who may not otherwise have the chance, particularly in major urban hubs. 

So we’re certainly not suggesting that the answer to the housing crisis is to cement over the nation’s allotments. However, we do desperately need to build more homes and it’s a conversation we want to ignite, as so far the government has largely neglected to address this burning issue. 

Utilising allotments is a drastic measure and one we needn’t ever consider should the government stop bending to the pressures of NIMBYism and the subject of building on the green belt to deliver homes on land that is more than for purpose.”

Data tables

Data tables and sources can be viewed online, here.