Locavore signs 20-year lease for food growing site in Glasgow

The Glasgow-based organisation, which has three shops in the city, as well as others across Scotland, announced it had signed the lease with Glasgow City Council for Bellahouston Nursery.

The site used to be a council-run plant nursery within Bellahouston Park.

The 20-year deal also includes an right to renew for a further 20 years, and comes after five years of negotiations.

Space will be created on the site for community and individual growing plots, as well as “scaling up” its own commercial growing of flowers, fruits and vegetables.

The group posted on social media: “With an acre of greenhouse, outdoor space and polytunnels it will let us really scale up hyper-local food growing in Glasgow and create a hub for sustainable food activities.

“We’re keen to create a diversity of activities on site and want to hear from start up and mico-businesses who are working in the sphere of food and sustainibility and looking for a space to grow and develop; there’s lots of facilities on the site and we’re keen to build partnerships and make space available.”

The council has provided funding for Locavore to get started at the site, which will cover essential maintenance, creating the community growing space, and employing a small team.