The growing demand for high quality, locally produced food and a rising interest in “Good Life” style grow-your-own could offer new business opportunities for landowners in 2009 – according to the CLA, the rural economy experts.

Tim Daw, one of the CLA’s South West field officers, says there is a huge increase in the popularity and demand for traditional allotments – and the resurgent interest in home-grown food could provide new business opportunities for farmers and landowners.

“Parish councils have a duty to provide allotments if six parishioners ask for them, “said Mr. Daw, who is chairman of the parish council at All Cannings, near Devizes, Wiltshire.

Allotments, he says, are still sized in square rods and the usual size of an allotment is 10 square rods – the equivalent of 250 sq metres. Full sized allotments are rented out from £60 up to £200 a year depending on facilities and demand.

“As every schoolboy knows there are 160 square rods to an acre, and so allowing for paths and tracks it is easily possible to have 12 allotments to an acre. Modern allotments often now subdivide plots so that people can rent half or quarter sized ones for a pro rata rent. The opportunity to rent out an acre next to a village for between one and three thousand pounds a year is an opportunity not to be sneezed at.”

Mr Daw is speaking from experience as his own parish council was recently petitioned to provide allotments and within the first month of them being available 28 people had rented allotments.

“There is a real demand from people who want to be able to grow wholesome food for themselves and that means that there is an opportunity for private landowners to rent out land for allotments - provided they get the proper advice on issues such as land use change and tenancy agreements,” he said.

But he warned that the increasing interest in home grown veg could prove to be a double-edged sword for private land owners.

“Parish councils do have compulsory purchase or rental powers, under the Allotment Act 1908 to back up nay ambitions they may have to provide allotments. Councils may reach an agreement with a landowner – or they may already own land - but with the powers they have available, landowners could suddenly find they face a threat to their land and will need advice from an organisation like the CLA on how to protect their interests,” he said.

Some farmers in Cornwall have already taken up the challenge. In one area in West Cornwall two fields have been turned over to allotments and 200 people are growing their own vegetables.

In another venture, a farmer responded to a parish council request for land for allotments after parishioners petitioned the authority. Within a couple of months land was made available and digging is due to begin soon.