Food growing

Brighton & Hove City Council encourages proposals for development that incorporate dedicated food growing areas within the site footprint.

Raised beds

Raised beds can serve a dual purpose, growing food and delineating outdoor space.

Raised beds can be any height and built from a variety of materials, ideally ones that are being reused for this purpose.

They sometimes have a bottom with drainage holes:

  • if they are going to be on asphalt
  • to keep out rats

A wire mesh bottom is the cheapest and most effective.

Roof gardens

Green roofs can be categorised as extensive or intensive.  Extensive green roofs typically consist of non-productive plants, such as sedums, and are designed for energy efficiency or water management. They tend not to be generally accessible.

Intensive green roofs are designed to be accessible for either food growing or other recreational activities. Intensive green roofs will require deeper soil levels to support shrubs, perennials and even trees.

Beds or raised beds for growing can be incorporated into the roof during design and construction, or they can be added as containers after completion or in conversion projects. Loading capacity for green roofs should be addressed at the design stage.

An example of a roof garden with raised beds is at One Brighton on the New England Quarter, Brighton.

Dedicated area on ground level

Good soil is arguably the basic ingredient for growing food. It's important to determine what kind of soil is available in the development and what measures might be needed to improve things like the air and water content and texture of the soil, as well as assess what plants would be more suitable.

It's important to keep in mind that any soil benefits from compost. Not only does it have nutrients that improve soil fertility and help plants grow strong and healthy, but compost also increases water retention in your soil, so you don’t have to water as often.

Fruit and nut trees

Low-maintenance, productive landscaping can include the planting of fruit and nut trees, both freestanding and against walls. 

SPD06: Trees and Development [PDF 835kb] provides guidance and information on successfully growing trees on development sites.

Other types of food growing

Internal atria/courtyards

Designing buildings with atria or courtyards with adequate exposure to sunlight can create deliberate opportunities for food growing. This often creates microclimates, allowing plants such as tomatoes and citrus fruits to be cultivated.

Ground-level beds or planters can be used, as well as living walls. Care must be given in internal spaces to provide irrigation systems and allow for water run-off.

External landscaping

Depending on the land available around the building or the site, various options are available.

Low-maintenance, productive landscaping can include the planting of fruit and nut trees, both freestanding and against walls. Beds can include perennial edible shrubs such as currants or herbs.  

Similarly, planters or containers can be used if no soil is available or in hard landscaping designs.

Walls can be used for espaliered fruit and nut plants. At this level of planting, it will not matter if no one can harvest the plants, as they will survive with minimal attention.

Larger areas of external space can be used for beds or even allotments and/or communal gardens, which will require more maintenance by either residents or contractors.

General guidance on food growing

  • Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Guidance advocates the incorporation of food-growing spaces within a more comprehensive ecological context
  • Sustain, the Alliance for Better Food and Farming, has developed a guidance document, 'Good Planning for Good Food', which looks at how the planning system in England can support healthy and sustainable food
  • The Report of DEFRA’s Fruit and Vegetables Task Force emphasises the benefits of creating opportunities for communities to grow their food
  • Cultivating the Capital is a report written by the London Assembly, which explores food production and the planning system concerning London, but is relevant locally

Relevant policies

Brighton & Hove Local Plan

QD2: Key principles for neighbourhoods [PDF 934KB]
QD15: Landscape design [PDF 934kb]
QD17: Protection and integration of nature conservation features [PDF934kb]QD20: Urban open space [PDF934kb]
QD21: Allotments [PDF 934KB]
HO6: Provision of outdoor recreation in housing schemes [PDF 171kb]

Local Development Framework

SPD 06: Trees and Development
SPD 08: Sustainable Building Design
SPD 11: Nature conservation in development