Greenwich Council has reassured residents that it has no plans to sell or build on any of its allotments after a political row broke out at Westminster over the issue.

Neighbouring Lewisham and Bexley also say they have no plans to do away with allotments, with hundreds of residents on waiting lists across the three boroughs.

The row broke out after The Daily Telegraph reported that Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, had approved councils’ requests to sell eight allotments across England. The figures were revealed in a parliamentary question last month.

Then Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour leader who is setting up his own left-wing party, weighed in. He wrote in the Telegraph: “Allotments have always been under threat from developers. Now, that threat seems to have government backing, which makes the future of these precious spaces even more perilous.

“Allotments have been crucial in times of national stress. Many came out of the Second World War. Indeed, many that were established in the First World War, such as the one I enjoy in north London, have survived to this day.

“Once lost, they never return. Their loss makes us all poorer, as we become more and more detached from how food is grown and how nature interacts with us.”

The Telegraph has branded the issue “Labour’s war on allotments”, although the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said the figures for sales were slightly lower than in recent years, when the Conservatives were in office.

Allotments are protected by law and can only be sold with permission from ministers at Westminster, and councils have to follow a specific process including a consultation and identifying alternative sites. 

The National Allotment Society has played down the reports, saying it believed that laws protecting council-owned allotments were robust. It said that replacement sites had been secured in some of the cases and that proper processes had been followed throughout.

But it said that privately-owned allotments remained vulnerable to developers, as they did not enjoy the same protections under law. “This is a long-standing concern, and we believe it presents an opportunity for constructive discussion on how we can extend protections to more sites,” it said.

In SE London, where Greenwich, Lewisham and Bexley councils are all under financial pressure, all three said they had no plans to sell allotments.

Greenwich

In Greenwich, a spokesperson said:  “We have no plans to sell off or build on any allotments.” 

There are currently 579 people on waiting lists for council allotment sites. Annual rent on a five-rod plot (125 square metres) comes to £105 for residents (£60 concessions) and £220 for non-residents. There are 18 council sites. 

Lewisham

Lewisham Council told The Greenwich Wire: “We have no plans to sell off or build on any of our allotments. In fact, we have been investing in allotments with projects such as composting toilets, community orchards and meeting spaces. We’ve also been supporting community groups and residents to get involved with community food growing opportunities.”

There are 4,130 applications on its waiting list – the borough only has 1,150 plots –  although each resident can apply for three sites.

Only Lewisham residents can apply; the longest waiting lists are at Edward Street, Deptford and at Sydenham Park, where residents face a 13-year wait. At Exford Road in Lee, Meadow Close in Bellingham and at Chinbrook Meadows, the wait is an estimated three years.

The average cost of a Lewisham allotment is £96 per year, according to Parks for London, with 37 sites.

Bexley

Bexley Council said: “The council does not currently have any plans to sell off or build on any land which is being used as allotment gardens.”

There are 531 people on the waiting lists for the 30 sites that Bexley manages.

Annual rent on a five-rod plot (125 square metres) comes to £61.25 for residents (£31.25 concessions) and £72.50 for non-residents (£36.25 concessions) – however, waiting lists have now been closed to non-residents.

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