‘Garden swap’ allotment scheme 

A SCHEME allowing Carmarthenshire County Council tenants to sub-let their gardens to other residents to use as allotments, has been supported by the council’s Policy and Resources Scrutiny Committee.

The committee discussed the pros and cons of such a scheme last  Thursday (February 17).

The scheme, informally known as ‘garden swapping’, has been suggested as a way of coping with increasing demand for allotment plots.

The county council currently owns five public allotment sites across the county, with others being run by town and community councils or private landowners, but the volume of requests for plots far outstrip the land currently available.

The scrutiny committee asked for a report to be prepared to explore the potential for a scheme which would allow tenants who find it difficult to maintain their gardens to ‘sub-let’ to other residents to grow fruit and vegetables.

Not only would it help tenants to manage their gardens, but would also provide community benefits.

It is believed that many ‘garden swap’ schemes are already happening informally within Carmarthenshire.

Environmental Works Project manager Clare Tinkler said: “The use of tenant gardens in this way would enable local communities to increase the provision of home grown food which has clear benefit in terms of community sustainability and cohesion. 

“In addition, it will also help a number of council tenants to more actively manage their gardens over and above those schemes already in existence.”

The scrutiny committee was also be made aware of legal implications and practical considerations, including the safety of vulnerable tenants who agree to sub-let their garden.

Any final decision on the scheme will be made at a future meeting of Full Council.