Technical Notes 2023, Issue 108 - Applying a weighted matrix to the current allotment waiting list to prioritise the assignment of allotments
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- The purpose of this technical note is to make Elected Members aware that the Council will be applying a weighted matrix to the Council led allotment waiting list, which will provide a ranked order in which residents should be prioritised in the assignment of a Council led allotment. It is expected that by using this matrix, residents should be assigned an allotment in a consistent and fair method, based upon guidance provided in the Community Empowerment Act (Scotland) 2015, (‘The Act’). This matrix will also be incorporated into the final Allotment Regulations which are currently in preparation.
- Localised food growing, particularly in the current financial climate, can help to reduce the burden on more vulnerable families, groups and communities. This is because it can provide access to cheap and healthy produce, which can help to improve people’s diets and overall health. In addition, food growing can bring physical and mental health benefits, help to mitigate the effects of climate change, and raise awareness of these issues. It can also help people develop skills such as how to utilise the produce in the kitchen more effectively.
- The Council is currently preparing to pursue recognition as a Sustainable Food Place, as per the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill. Council led allotments and being a Sustainable Food Place will both serve to facilitate the success of one another by improving production and access to local food growing, increasing community activity, and improving the food network and economy across East Dunbartonshire.
- The matrix methodology uses a combination of distance and time spent on the waiting list as the main drivers for assigning a resident on the waiting list an allotment. It assigns a greater weighting to those that are located closer to the allotment from their registered address. The Act provides guidance that suggest allotments should be within approximately 3 miles of the residence address, although there is some flexibility for local authorities’ discretion. This is to help ensure the sustainability of the allotment; it is preferable that users of allotments travel in a sustainable or active way, such as walking, wheeling, cycling, or via public transport. Providing allotments outside this approximate distance may result in increased private car use, and therefore more traffic and associated issues.
- The time spent on the waiting list is also factored in so that those who have been waiting longer are given higher priority than those who have recently joined, with a higher weighting given to those who have been on the list for 3 years or longer. As per The Act, it is recommended that no one is on the waiting list for a period longer than 5 years, hence the increased weighting from 3 years onwards to ensure favourable ranking is given to those who are closer to this limit.
- Consideration has also been given to the means of transportation, income, accessibility and commitment. Providing a weighted element for these aspects is reasonable but significantly increases the complexity of the matrix without providing a proportionally better allocation of plots, and it is also not legislated for in the Community Empowerment Act, therefore it was decided not to factor these issues into the matrix.
- An example of how the formula is calculated and the different weightings used can be found in Appendix 1.