Gardeners facing 40-year wait for allotments

Monday, August 10 2009 17:54:17 by Editor

The waiting list for gardeners to get their hands dirty on an allotment in London has reached four decades in one borough.

That is according to a new poll of local councils, which revealed that the residents of Camden in London face a 40-year waiting list for an allotment plot.

Secretary of the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners Geoff Stokes said: "It's encouraging that so many people are interested.

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

Blyth Valley in Northumberland was the area with the second longest waiting time of 30-years.

A recent report by the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee urged the government to take action on allotment shortages.

The publication contained a report on how Britain should manage the impending global food shortage that is anticipated by a number of prominent commentators.