Senate discusses law to permanently secure allotment gardens

Allotment gardens are used for recreation and are also important as urban greenery. (archive picture)

Berlin's allotment gardens on state-owned land are to be permanently secured.

The Senate has passed a corresponding bill. "We are serious about preserving the current stock of state-owned allotment garden areas", said Senator for the Environment Ute Bonde (CDU). According to her, allotment gardens will in future only be allowed to be rededicated, i.e. dismantled, within very narrow limits.

Narrow framework for rededication of allotment garden areas

"Exceptions are only possible within the narrow framework of the law and with the approval of the House of Representatives," explained Bonde. In addition, the affected allotment gardeners would have to be offered replacement areas of the same size in the vicinity. The removal of allotment gardens may become necessary, for example, if the areas are urgently needed for the construction of affordable housing. The construction of social and transport infrastructure can also justify such exceptions. The question of how to effectively prevent allotment gardens on state-owned land from disappearing has been discussed for a long time.

"Allotment garden site protection law" is discussed in the mayors' council

According to the environmental administration, there are 870 allotment garden sites in Berlin with almost 70,700 plots (as of the end of 2024). They cover around 2,900 hectares, which in turn corresponds to three percent of Berlin's surface area. However, the new law only affects 56,280 allotment gardens on state-owned land, which together cover an area of 2,283 hectares. Allotment gardens on other sites, such as those owned by Deutsche Bahn, are not covered by the planned law. According to the environmental administration, the Senate draft will now be discussed by the Council of Mayors before being submitted to the House of Representatives for a decision. The "Allotment Garden Site Protection Act" will then be finally passed there.