Something exciting is happening for community growers across Ireland. For the first time ever, community gardens and allotments have been given legal recognition in Irish law. The Planning and Development Act 2024 introduces new obligations for all 31 local authorities to actively plan for community growing spaces, and that’s wonderful news for anyone who believes in the power of getting their hands in the soil.
We’ve been following this development closely, and we wanted to share what we’ve learned with you. Here’s what you need to know about this landmark legislation and what it could mean for the future of community growing in Wexford.
What the New Law Actually Says
Section 48 of the Planning and Development Act 2024 requires every planning authority in Ireland to prepare what’s called a “Sustainable Places and Communities Strategy.” Within this strategy, councils must include objectives for the reservation of land for use and cultivation as allotments and prescribed community gardens.
This is genuinely groundbreaking. For the first time, Irish law provides official definitions of what an allotment and community garden actually are:
- Allotment: An area of land up to 1,000 square metres, let for cultivation by local community members to produce vegetables or fruit mainly for personal or family consumption.
- Community Garden: Land let from a local authority to community members for collective gardening, used for food production or plant propagation, and operated on a not-for-profit basis.
The Act also requires councils to consider the regulation, promotion, facilitation, or control of land provision for these purposes. In plain terms: councils now have a legal duty to think about community growing when planning for their areas. That’s a big deal!
Where Does the Government Stand?
While the legislation has been passed, we should mention that government guidance documents for local authorities are still being developed. These were originally promised for December 2023, and councils are waiting for direction on how to implement their new responsibilities.
A note on commencement status:
The Planning and Development Act 2024 is being commenced in phases through ministerial orders. As of the time of writing, we recommend checking the Irish Statute Book commencement table for the latest status of Section 48. Some media sources have reported these provisions coming into effect, but official commencement orders should be verified before relying on this information for any formal purposes.
The absence of national guidance creates both uncertainty and opportunity. Some councils aren’t waiting around, Kildare County Council has already published a comprehensive Allotment & Community Garden Strategy 2024-2030, providing a template for how other authorities might approach their new responsibilities. It’s encouraging to see councils taking the initiative.
How Ireland Compares to the Rest of Europe
To understand why this legislation matters so much, it helps to see where Ireland stands in the wider European picture. The honest truth? We’ve been significantly behind our neighbours for a very long time.
Here’s how the numbers stack up:
| Country | Allotment Plots | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 900,000 – 1.4 million | 84 million |
| Poland | 1 million+ | 38 million |
| UK | ~330,000 | 67 million |
| Denmark | 40,000 – 60,000 | 5.9 million |
| Austria | ~38,000 | 9 million |
| Ireland | ~2,500 | 5.1 million |
Denmark is a particularly interesting comparison. With a similar population to ours, they have somewhere between 40,000 and 60,000 allotment plots. We have roughly 2,500. That’s quite a gap!
Perhaps even more striking: Ireland had approximately 35,000-40,000 allotments back in the 1940s. There are actually fewer community growing spaces in Ireland today than there were 80 years ago. The new legislation is a chance to start turning that around.
Legislative Support Has Been Lacking Too
It’s not just about the numbers. Other countries have had legislative support for community growing for decades:
In England, the Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908 places a legal duty on councils to provide allotments if six or more residents request them. This has been in place for over a century!
Scotland’s Community Empowerment Act 2015 goes even further, requiring councils to take reasonable steps to provide more allotments if waiting lists get too long, with a goal that no one should wait longer than five years for a plot.
Germany’s Federal Allotment Gardens Act of 1983 provides national standards including regulated plot sizes, fixed rents, and protected tenure, supporting some 13,000 garden associations across the country.
Ireland’s new Act is a welcome step forward. While it doesn’t yet include waiting list requirements or mandatory provision duties like some of these other frameworks, it’s the foundation we’ve needed.
Where Wexford Stands in the Irish Picture
So how does Wexford compare to other Irish counties? The most recent official national survey of allotment provision was conducted by the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) and published on data.gov.ie.
A note on data currency:
The LGMA survey data is from December 2018, now over seven years old. The data.gov.ie entry notes an update frequency of “never,” meaning this remains the only comprehensive county-by-county picture available. Current provision is likely higher due to community-led initiatives established since then. For up-to-date figures, we recommend contacting your local authority directly.
According to that 2018 survey, Wexford County Council reported 30 allotment plots and 2 community gardens. This places Wexford in the middle tier of Irish local authorities. Well behind leaders like Fingal (800 plots) and Dublin City (682 plots), but ahead of the eight counties that reported zero provision at all.
Of course, community-led initiatives like our own allotments here in Enniscorthy represent significant additions to this official count. With 65 ground plots, 27 raised beds, and 60 polytunnel spaces, we operate on a scale that would place us among the larger community growing facilities in the country.
This matters because it shows what’s possible when communities come together. We operate on land facilitated through community partnership, and it’s a team effort to keep it running: From our volunteer committee to the community groups who call the allotments home, to every member nurturing their plot, polytunnel space, or raised bed. It’s proof that the community-led model works.
What This Could Mean for Enniscorthy Community Allotments
We find ourselves in an interesting position as this legislation takes effect. Over the years, our allotments have built a track record that we’re genuinely proud of:
- First Prize at the Keep Wexford Beautiful 2025 Awards for Best Community Project to Improve Accessibility
- Selected as one of just three field trips for the National Climate Action Conference in 2025
- Winner of the LAMA Community & Council Awards 2024 for Health & Wellbeing
- Runner-up at the IPB Pride of Place Awards 2023 for Community Wellbeing
- Winner of the GIY Best Transformed Space Award 2021
- Overall Winner at Keep Wexford Beautiful 2021
We’ve even been cited as a model for potential action elsewhere in the county by the Southern Regional Assembly, and featured as a case study in Kildare County Council’s own allotment strategy. That recognition means a lot to everyone who has put their heart into building this place.
The Opportunity Ahead
When Wexford County Council develops its own strategy in response to the new legislation, there’s a real opportunity for established community projects like ours to contribute our experience.
The Kildare strategy provides some interesting pointers for what council approaches might look like. They identify three management models for allotment sites, listed in order of council preference:
- Semi-Autonomy: Community organisations lease the site, manage tenancies, collect rent, and reinvest revenue. The council retains oversight but the community runs day-to-day operations.
- Delegated Responsibilities: Community groups accept formal management duties under a Service Level Agreement, with the council retaining more involvement.
- Direct Council Provision: The council manages sites directly – the least preferred option due to resource requirements.
Here’s the thing; that first model, semi-autonomy, is essentially how we already operate! Our committee manages the site, handles memberships, organises events and workshops, and maintains the facilities. This positions us as a working example of what councils are likely to favour when developing their strategies.
Kildare’s strategy also outlines infrastructure that councils may provide when establishing new sites: boundary fencing, path networks, water supply, communal facilities, and site preparation. For existing community-managed sites like ours, this suggests potential avenues for council support that could help with ongoing development and improvements.
Funding and Recognition
The legislation also creates a framework for local authorities to direct resources toward community growing. Kildare’s strategy identifies funding mechanisms including the Community Climate Action Innovation Fund and LEADER Programme.
We’ve already benefited from Climate Action funding, we were selected from 52 submissions as one of just 16 projects supported across Wexford. As councils develop their strategies under the new Act, similar funding streams may become increasingly available for community growing projects.
National advocacy is building momentum too. Community Gardens Ireland has published its GROW2030 manifesto, calling for every community to have access to a growing space by 2030. The new legislation gives this campaign concrete legislative backing for the first time.
Looking Forward Together
The Planning and Development Act 2024 represents genuine progress for community growing in Ireland. For the first time, councils have a legal obligation to plan for allotments and community gardens. While we’re still waiting for government guidance and implementation will vary across local authorities, the framework now exists, and that’s something to celebrate.
For our community here in Enniscorthy, this feels like validation of what we’ve been building together since our founding in 2021. We’ve shown that community-led allotments can thrive, serve diverse needs, and become award-winning models of what’s possible when people come together around a shared love of growing.
As Wexford County Council begins developing its response to these new obligations, we’ll be watching with interest, and we’re ready to play our part. Whether that means sharing our experience, supporting new initiatives elsewhere in the county, or working with the council to strengthen community growing across Wexford, we’re committed to being part of the conversation.
In the meantime, our allotments continue to do what they’ve always done: bringing people together, growing fresh food, and building community one plot at a time. If you’d like to be part of that story, get in touch, we’d love to welcome you.
This article draws on research compiled in our detailed briefing document on the Planning and Development Act 2024. The official legislation can be found at irishstatutebook.ie. County-by-county data on allotment provision is available from data.gov.ie. This article was last updated in January 2026. Readers are encouraged to verify current legislative status and data through the official sources linked above.