Have you ever seen a piece of what appears to be derelict land in your neighbourhood that might be suitable to be put to growing use? Keen to find out if you could get permission to use it for landshare?
Have you ever seen a piece of what appears to be derelict land in your neighbourhood that might be suitable to be put to growing use? Keen to find out if you could get permission to use it for landshare?
We have over 1,500 people around the UK who are keen to become "land spotters" for landshare.
We hope we can soon help make the process of finding out who owns land, to then obtain their permission to add their land to landshare, an easy one.
But in the meantime, for those of you keen to get a head start, you can trace land ownership in most cases quickly via the relevant Land Registry Office.
England and Wales:
www.landregisteronline.gov.uk/lro/servlet/TitleSearchServlet?searchType=map
This is an easy to use online service which costs approx £3 per search.
Scotland:
www.ros.gov.uk
You need to either apply in person, by email or by post and it can cost approx £2-£10 per search.
Northern Ireland:
www.lrni.gov.uk/static/staticFrame.jsp
You can either apply in person at a cost of approx £6 per search, or by post at a cost of approx £25 per search.
Please do ensure that if you get permission to grow on land that has been derelict, check first for contamination and make sure you respect existing biodiversity.
Here are some examples of "land spotting" that has already started on landshare:
Please post here details of any enquiries you make and land spotting successes that you have. Sharing of tips welcome.
5 comments
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I know of a plot of land that is next to a small estate in London. I have seen peole working on it for "community service" but do not know who owns it. I think it is Council so will try them in the first instance
By Griffcrocker on 11 June 09 at 13:56 | Report misuse
I know of a plot of land which is ex nursery, although overgrown and containing old crumbling glasshouses would be ideal for landshare. When I wrote to the local council about any spare land they denied all knowledge of any. Now that I have joined landshare my enthusiasm has been renewed and I will try the council again with more vigour, after all I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Watch this space.
By growers18399 on 09 June 09 at 13:10 | Report misuse
Dear Jane
I was delighted to read your note about 'landspotting'. I've been sorry to see that the 'landspotter' option for landshare seems to have disappeared - it was there when the website started. It's very important that questions are asked about land - who owns it, how it is used, public access etc. Thank you so much for your tips - I wonder if landshare could be persuaded to put the 'landspotting' option back?
Lynne
By lynnef on 02 June 09 at 21:54 | Report misuse
There is a plot of land behind the front gardens of Victoria Buildings off Glastonbury High Street which used to be used by the residents as an informal patch (and had herbs, artichoke and black berries (errr hum... brambles!) but which has been fensed off recently by a new resident of the street who does not own the land or use it. Seems a real shame to me and very un-neighbourly. If anyone in Glastonbury wanted to set up a community garden, it would be a perfect place since is easily accessable (now nicely fenced!) and doesn't seem to be owned by anyone officially (or if it is, they don't want it!)
By Blue Butterfly on 15 May 09 at 14:44 | Report misuse
Oh you are sooo lucky--- it's very quiet in my area, people seem to have little awareness yet.
It's hard to know how to start.
By growers17173 on 09 May 09 at 21:31 | Report misuse