The waiting time for allotments in many parts of the Cotswolds has increased to 18 months with some councils quoting a three year wait.
Demand for an allotment has skyrocketed in nearly every local authority through the Cotswolds this year. Almost nine in ten councils told the Association for Public Service that there has been a huge increase in enquiries. One council said it had 42 people on a waiting list where there was on average two allotments made available every year.
Association chief executive Paul O’Brien said the spirally cost of living has been driving more people towards growing their own their own fruit and vegetables. More than half 68 per-cent are now waiting 18 months for an allotment. The National Allotment Society says more sites are dramatically needed over the next twelve months. A spokesman reported: “People are now very concerned about food prices and are becoming stressed about how they will be able to feed their families over the next twelve months. The idea of growing their own food on an allotment has always been popular but in the last three or four months the interest has exploded. We are urging local authorities to do everything they can to release more land “
