New contract to facilitate future cooperation between the city and the regional federation of allotment gardeners

Since 2019, there have been intensive negotiations between the city of Jena and the regional association to draw up a contract for the provision of replacement garden land. Paragraph 14 of the Federal Allotment Garden Act stipulates that the municipality must provide suitable replacement land if permanent allotment gardens are terminated and converted (for example as residential or commercial land). The exact nature of the replacement land is not specified in detail by the legislator. In principle, it only has to be suitable. This means that the new area must not be contaminated, among other things. It must be usable as garden land and be designated as a permanent allotment garden area in the development and/or land use plan.

Specific regulations for the creation of replacement land

The new agreement creates concrete regulations for the creation of replacement land: in future, the city of Jena will not only provide the replacement areas, but will also contribute financially and to the coordination of construction measures for the development and preparation of the new areas. The agreement also includes a provision to create replacement areas by redensifying and re-plotting existing larger garden plots in order to make use of existing land reserves.

Constructive cooperation between numerous stakeholders

Thanks to constructive cooperation, including within the framework of an inter-factional working group with representatives of the regional association, politicians and the administration (Department of Urban Development and Environment, Legal Department and KIJ), it was possible to reach an agreement on the future structure of the provision of replacement land and to develop a solution that is acceptable to all sides. The first test of the practicality of the contract, which has yet to be signed, will be the new allotment site in Lobeda-Ost above Novalisstraße.

"I am glad that so much trust has grown between the city and the regional association with Mr. Eismann at the helm in recent years that these difficult negotiations could be brought to a good conclusion in the end. I am convinced that this agreement will form the basis for constructive cooperation. Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this over the past few years," said Mayor Christian Gerlitz.

"This contract is an important step for our allotment garden associations in Jena in order to be able to provide sufficient areas for our members in the future", emphasized Holger Eismann, chairman of the regional association Jena/Saale-Holzlandkreis der Kleingärtner e.V.