GREEN-FINGERED Scots are waiting up to 14 years to be assigned an allotment space in Edinburgh.
Revealed by Edinburgh Live yesterday, locals in the Scottish capital have been waiting between nine and 14 years for one of the city’s 1,700 available allotments.
The plots are dotted around the city and are meant to allow those living in flats the opportunity to garden.
There are four main spots in the capital where locals can apply for an allotment – West Mains, Pilrig Park, Carrick Knowe and Inverleith.
The wait for allotments varies between areas with some applications taking longer due to particularly high demand for spots.
According to Edinburgh’s own allotments officer, Ian Woolard, only about 100 allotments become available in the city every year.
The waitlist for an allotment reportedly stands at around 6,000 people, with the number split between the four available areas.
The City of Edinburgh Council has an allotment development plan that will span ten years, aimed at creating more space for allotments in the capital.
It is part of the Council’s commitment to preserve open spaces and unbuilt land, protecting the city’s green space.
Once accepted for an allotment space, residents are expected to ‘let’ it, paying rent on the gardening patch.
