2:03pm Tuesday 16th March 2010
Green-fingered residents looking to grow their own fruit and vegetables have welcomed plans for more than 150 new allotments in Chorley.
The borough has a chronic shortage of allotments, with just 148 available and more than 400 people on a waiting list.
Interest in owning an allotment has soared in recent years and after requests from residents, Chorley Council has found £40,000 for the provision of allotments in the next 12 months.
Bill Taylor, chair of Chorley Allotment Society, said the new areas were much needed.
“It's great to see that the council is responding to the longstanding need for more plots in the borough, we look forward to them delivering the 150 plots in the near future and to welcoming more people into the allotment movement,” he said.
Estelle Bryers is a committee member of the society.
She said: “I was on the waiting list for six years, despite living within view of Crosse Hall Allotments, in a first floor flat with no gardening space.
“My allotment is shared between three generations of my familly, my parents, siblings, cousins, nieces and friends.
“Any extra allotments has to be great news to the thwarted growers of Chorley.”
Councillor Eric Bell, the council’s executive member for neighbourhoods, said: “Due to the popularity of gardening shows, healthy living and the need to be more environmentally friendly we’ve seen the demand for allotments grow considerably in the last few years.
“Although we have 147 allotments in Chorley we realise this is not enough and we are actively seeking land to increase the number of plots available.
“We now have three or four sites in mind across the borough, which will create more than 150 allotments.”
“We hope to have planning permission sorted in the next couple of months and then we will be able to start offering allotments to people on the waiting list.”
It is understood that sites being looked at for the allotments include land close to the centre of Chorley and areas in Brinscall and Anderton.
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