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Right to Grow

In 2025, after 4 years of community collaboration and careful consideration of legal implications, Hull became the first council in England to implement an effective Right to Grow policy for council owned land.

This means that anyone resident in Hull has the right to cultivate on any suitable land, whether this be for food cultivation, biodiversity or to enhance their neighbourhood.

There is a process to go through, to ensure that is safe and appropriate to grow on places that are identified.  But it simple and straightforward enough to do.

You can find out more about Right to Grow, and how to apply, from the Hull City Council website.

Hull Food Partnership supported community groups in lobbying the council to consider this policy. We then worked with the councillors to draw up the motion. Finally, we were part of the group that designed the policy in its final form.

Hull Food Partnership were in turn supported by Incredible Edible, who generously shared their expertise with us, for example by helping us to  draw up the council motion. If you live outside of Hull and want to do something similar in your area, please contact Incredible Edible’s Right to Grow Learning Network.

Throughout 2024 and 2025, Hull Food Partnership also contributed to various research projects relating to the Right to Grow in the UK, most closely with Dr Rebecca St Clair and Claire Gribben at the University of Leeds who are due to publish their findings soon.

A separate report which features Hull’s work around the Right to Grow was published in May 2025 by Coronation Gardens for Food and Nature (a partnership between The Wildlife Trusts, Incredible Edible, the WI and Garden Organic), this independent report into community food growing raises important questions:

  • Can grassroots organisations and policy-makers ever truly work in partnership?
  • Does change emerge from incredible individuals, challenge between opposing sides, or partnership that seeks to reconcile different views?
  • Where does the power in community truly reside – the people or the politicians?

To find out more, please read the Coronation Gardens for Food and Nature Project Report.