Hackney Council Launches Right to Grow Land Scheme: Hackney 2026

Key Points:

• Hackney Council has launched its new “Right to Grow” pilot scheme, enabling residents to claim and repurpose underutilised council-owned land for community gardening.
• Local groups consisting of five or more residents, including informal groups of neighbours, are eligible to submit applications.
• The scheme covers unused land surrounding council buildings, roadside spaces, and vacant green sites, though public parks in Hackney are explicitly excluded.
• Approved sites can be converted into community growing hubs for cultivation of vegetables, fruit, herbs, and flowers.
• The initiative forms a key element of the Mayor’s broader “Who Owns Hackney” campaign, which investigates land use and ownership to increase community access to space.
• Up to ten applications will be approved during the first phase of the pilot, with subsequent application rounds planned for the future.
• While submitting an application is free, local groups must fund the creation and ongoing maintenance of their growing spaces independently.
• Support with site selection, training, equipment, and general advice is available through partner organisations, including Hackney Right to Grow and Capital Growth.
• The scheme builds upon existing council efforts, with over 50 community gardening and food growing groups already operating on local housing estates.
• Cllr Jacob Cable, Cabinet Member for Climate, Clean Air, Energy and Transport, hailed the launch as a major milestone for local sustainability and resident engagement.

Hackney (East London Times) September 10, 2026 – Hackney Council has officially launched its new “Right to Grow” pilot initiative, granting local residents the legal right to claim and convert underutilised council land into thriving community growing spaces. Under the terms of the pilot scheme, groups of five or more residents—including informal neighbourhood collectives—can apply to repurpose vacant public land for the cultivation of fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers.

The initiative permits groups to target neglected spaces surrounding municipal buildings, roadside verges, and unallocated green areas. Hackney’s public parks are excluded from the scheme. Applications undergo formal council assessment to determine site eligibility and safety before permissions are granted.

The initiative operates as a cornerstone of the Mayor’s “Who Owns Hackney” campaign, an overarching municipal investigation examining local land use and ownership to unlock vacant property for public benefit. Hackney Council confirmed that the initial pilot phase will approve up to ten applications, with additional funding and application rounds scheduled to follow.

How Will the Right to Grow Scheme Work for Local Residents?

To participate in the new scheme, resident groups must comprise at least five individuals who share a joint proposal for a specific site. Applicants are required to submit detailed plans outlining their proposed land use, crop choices, and long-term site management structures.

The application process is entirely free of charge. However, as the initiative is fundamentally community-led, successful applicants are responsible for securing their own funding for tools, soil, seeds, and ongoing upkeep. To assist residents, non-profit organisations such as Hackney Right to Grow and Capital Growth are offering direct guidance on site identification, equipment sourcing, and agricultural training.

Groups interested in taking part in the first wave of ten pilot allocations must submit their site proposals, operational outlines, and management details directly to the council via email at [email protected].

Why Is Hackney Council Expanding Community Growing Initiatives?

Hackney Council already supports a strong urban agriculture network across its housing estates, where more than 50 community gardening groups actively cultivate land. The “Right to Grow” initiative extends these opportunities beyond housing developments into the wider urban fabric of the borough.

Local authority leaders highlight that opening up access to underutilised land establishes a more resilient, low-carbon local food system. The scheme aims to give residents direct access to fresh, healthy produce during ongoing cost-of-living pressures, while promoting physical activity and mental well-being through outdoor work.

Hackney’s pilot links into the broader national “Right to Grow” movement championed by grassroots advocacy groups, including Incredible Edible. These organisations campaign for statutory public access to unmaintained municipal land, arguing that converting unused urban pockets into productive food zones addresses food insecurity and strengthens community bonds.

What Do Council Officials Say About the New Pilot Scheme?

Speaking on behalf of the local authority, Councillor Jacob Cable, Cabinet Member for Climate, Clean Air, Energy and Transport, welcomed the launch as a transformative step for the borough’s green infrastructure.

Councillor Cable stated:

“Hackney’s Right to Grow is a huge step forward in making more land available for community use. By giving local groups the chance to transform these underutilised spaces, we’re helping residents grow food, connect with their neighbours and have more of a stake in where they live.

“We’ve already got some fantastic growing projects on our council estates, and now this scheme will give more residents the opportunity to turn a patch of under-loved land into somewhere the whole community can enjoy.”

Background of the Development

The concept of a formal “Right to Grow” has gained significant momentum across the United Kingdom over recent years, driven by community activists and environmental groups seeking to address urban land scarcity. Spearheaded nationally by campaigns such as Incredible Edible and localized bodies like Hackney Right to Grow, the movement pushes local authorities to create accessible registries of vacant public land and streamline permission processes for community cultivation.

Historically, urban residents seeking to start community gardens faced complex bureaucracy, uncertain land tenure, and lengthy legal negotiations with local councils. Hackney Council’s pilot scheme represents a structural shift toward formalising this process, making it significantly easier for informal groups to gain official access. The initiative builds directly upon the borough’s climate emergency action plans and aligns with the Mayor’s “Who Owns Hackney” inquiry, which seeks to bring transparency to borough-wide property ownership and maximize the public value of publicly held assets.

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Prediction: How This Development Will Affect Hackney Residents and Local Communities

The launch of the “Right to Grow” scheme is set to deliver tangible social, environmental, and financial outcomes for residents across the London Borough of Hackney.

• Social Cohesion and Health Benefits: By requiring a minimum of five participants per application, the scheme directly encourages neighbourhood collaboration. Local residents will gain shared gathering spaces that foster social connections, combat urban isolation, and improve mental and physical health through outdoor physical activity.
• Economic Relief and Food Access: For low-income households, community growing plots offer a practical buffer against food inflation, providing free access to nutrient-dense, locally grown produce, herbs, and fruits.
• Environmental Impact and Urban Cooling: Transforming concrete or neglected soil verges into vegetated growing patches will enhance urban biodiversity, support local pollinators, and help mitigate the urban heat island effect across densely populated residential streets.
• Increased Community Agency: Residents will gain a direct sense of ownership over their immediate streetscapes. Successfully converting under-loved sites into community hubs is likely to spur further grassroots urban renewal projects across the borough.
• National Policy Blueprint: If the initial ten pilot sites prove successful, Hackney’s framework will likely serve as a model for other London boroughs and UK local authorities, accelerating the adoption of statutory “Right to Grow” policies nationwide.