Demand for allotments 'at all-time high'

Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Local Government and also in Communities, Housing

Demand for allotments is at an all-time high with some waiting lists decades long, research suggested today.

More than 80,000 people are holding out for a plot with a typical delay of three years, a poll of local councils by home insurance company LV= found.

Camden and Islington in London and Blyth Valley council in Northumberland are particularly over subscribed, with waiting lists of 40, 25 and 30 years respectively.

The average wait is three years, and in the quietest areas - North Shropshire, Nottingham City and Bassetlaw District in Nottinghamshire - only five months.

Research company PCP got information from 301 councils on their allotment provision.

Geoff Stokes, secretary of the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners (NSALG), said: "We welcome this new insight into allotment accessibility in Britain, and it's encouraging that so many people are interested in getting out and getting in to some green space.

"Allotment gardening is a fantastic hobby and has so many benefits, it's cheap, it's good for you, and it can save you hundreds of pounds a year on food."

The research also showed that 56% of allotment users chose to take up a plot to save money, while just over a third (34%) did so to control the pesticides used on their food.

Managing director of LV= John O'Roarke said: "It's fantastic that so many people are embracing 'the good life' and growing their own fruit and vegetables."