Petition · past parliament
Keep allotments working during the Covid 19 outbreak
Rejected
11 signatures
What the petition asks
If measures to halt the spread of Covid 19 result in people having to stay at home we urge the government to allow allotment holders to work on their allotments.
There are over 300,000 allotment holders in the UK producing thousands of tons of produce each year. This produce is often shared with family, friends and neighbours which is a valuable sustainable food source. The majority of allotment holders are pensioners and working on their allotment has enormous physical and mental health benefits.
Why it was rejected
It asked for something that is not the responsibility of the UK Government or Parliament.
The Government hasn't required the closure of allotments, so decisions about allotments remain a matter for individual local authorities, not the Government or Parliament.
Many local authorities have decided to keep allotments open because they help people exercise, but have published additional guidance about how people should behave when using their allotment. You should contact your local authority to find out what arrangements they have made in relation to allotments during the coronavirus outbreak.
You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here:
www.gov.uk/coronavirus
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
The Government has also created an online service to help you out what you can do if you’re struggling because of coronavirus: https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-support
You can read NHS tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus here: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips
You can read impartial analysis of the Government response to coronavirus and policy developments here:
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/coronavirus/
You may also be interested to know that because of the large number of petitions that have been started in relation to coronavirus, the Petitions Committee has been questioning the Government about its response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Find out more and watch the Committee put questions suggested by petitioners to Government Ministers and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/news/145767/committee-question-deputy-chief-medical-officer-and-ministers-on-coronavirus-response/
Read letters asking further questions of Government Ministers: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/publications/3/correspondence/
Many local authorities have decided to keep allotments open because they help people exercise, but have published additional guidance about how people should behave when using their allotment. You should contact your local authority to find out what arrangements they have made in relation to allotments during the coronavirus outbreak.
You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here:
www.gov.uk/coronavirus
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
The Government has also created an online service to help you out what you can do if you’re struggling because of coronavirus: https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-support
You can read NHS tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus here: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips
You can read impartial analysis of the Government response to coronavirus and policy developments here:
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/coronavirus/
You may also be interested to know that because of the large number of petitions that have been started in relation to coronavirus, the Petitions Committee has been questioning the Government about its response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Find out more and watch the Committee put questions suggested by petitioners to Government Ministers and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/news/145767/committee-question-deputy-chief-medical-officer-and-ministers-on-coronavirus-response/
Read letters asking further questions of Government Ministers: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/publications/3/correspondence/
Timeline
| 23 Mar 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 28 Apr 2020 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
11
Status
Rejected
Rejected
28 Apr 2020
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.