Gosen is a specialist land management company reimagining how allotment sites across the UK are managed. We partner with local councils to transform underutilized, neglected, and struggling allotment sites into thriving community hubs—at zero cost to the public purse.

​

Across the UK, thousands of allotment sites face similar challenges: mounting budget pressures, maintenance backlogs stretching years, fly-tipping and antisocial behaviour, occupancy rates below 85%, waiting lists exceeding a decade, and infrastructure steadily deteriorating. Council teams are stretched impossibly thin, juggling allotment management alongside competing priorities with insufficient resources.

​

The true cost of council-run allotments is often hidden across multiple budget lines. When properly calculated, even a modest 100-plot site can consume £45,000-50,000 annually when administration, maintenance, waste removal, repairs, insurance, and hidden costs are fully accounted for—yet these sites often still underperform.

​

Gosen operates through two distinct partnership models, determined by the legal status of allotment sites under the Allotments Acts 1922-1950. Both deliver professional management, site transformation, and dramatic cost savings—but the legal mechanisms differ to protect statutory obligations while maximizing council benefits.

​

Non-statutory sites are allotments not governed by the Allotments Acts. These represent approximately 29% of UK allotment plots. Councils have full discretion over their use and can dispose of them without ministerial consent. Most non-statutory sites exist on general parkland, community land, or land held for other purposes.

​

Statutory sites are protected under the Allotments Acts 1922-1950. Councils must provide these where demand exists and cannot dispose of them without Secretary of State consent. They carry specific legal obligations but also offer greater long-term security for allotment provision.

​

Take our quick Allotment Self Assessment Quiz to see if devolved management could benefit your allotment sites.