Allotments have been a valuable local resource since the 18th century, but local authority allotments as we know them today were created during the first world war to combat food shortages.
For the past 100 years, allotments have been an important and popular local resource. Philosopher Julian Baggini, himself an allotment-holder, has noted that although allotment mania has fallen from its peak in 2010, there are still big queues of applicants for local plots.
Allotments even got their own television treatment earlier this year, with the Big Allotment Challenge, although opinions varied on whether this would encourage more potential plot-holders or not.
What is clear is that councils are under increasing pressure to provide land for much-needed new homes and this has resulted in tension in some areas between local authorities and allotment holders.
Last week was National Allotments Week and we want to know how your plot is doing. As part of its protect your plots campaign, the National Allotment Society is calling on allotment holders to monitor their local council health and wellbeing strategy and local neighbourhood plan, to ensure communities can influence development and protect allotments.
Whether you work in local government, hold an allotment or are just passionate about the issue, we want you to share pictures of your local allotment and help protect local plots.
After the campaign is finished, we will be pulling together a gallery of your images on the Public Leaders Network.
You can share your photographs or videos by clicking on the blue ‘contribute’ button on this article or you can download the free GuardianWitness app if you have a smartphone. Please use the description field to tell us more about the photo or video.
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