Waiting list for allotments in England almost doubles in 12 years. Recent FOI requests by independent artists and Greenpeace show outstanding applications of at least 157,820 to local authorities, and waits of up to a huge 15 years.

According to The Guardian, “The most recent figures, obtained by independent artists and supported by Greenpeace through freedom of information requests, show there are now at least 157,820 applications sitting on English local authorities’ allotment waiting lists, up 81% from 12 years ago when researchers found the figure was 86,787.”

Allotment popularity has been continuing to climb following the pandemic surge, perhaps driven again by the cost of living crisis as people look for alternative ways to reduce food bills. In the past year, internet searches have increased 12%.

The Greenpeace research isn’t the first report of its kind, showing that allotments are hard to come by in some areas of the UK. GTSE, an online DIY and garden supplier conducted FOI research this summer, finding that availability differs vastly across England.

England’s allotments (not including London)

25% have one or more waitlists closed, meaning would be allotment renters can’t even put their name down for one. Bolton has the most closed waitlists. With 36 currently closed to names.
Only 39% of council areas have plots with immediate availability for locals.
56% of councils in England offer some form of discount on their allotments.
London Borough allotments

38% of London Boroughs have one of more closed waitlists. In fact, in Richmond upon Thames and 3,600 people are currently on the waitlist.
Only 42% of London Borough Council areas have plots immediately available.
88% of London’s allotments offer discounts to renters.
It’s interesting to see that despite a huge difference in land value, the average cost of a plot isn’t dissimilar between London and the rest of England. The average plot cost in England is £84, whilst in London its just £6 more at £90.

Tom Armenante, director at GTSE said,

“Our research has found that there are huge differences in availability and costs surrounding renting allotments in England. However, there are multiple factors at play here with each council managing their city’s allotments differently. Some are council run, whilst others are completely independent. Some plots are larger in size and others have higher costs due to water access and the amount of work required to maintain.

Despite this though, it’s clear that demand is high and that location really does play a role in how much residents might end up paying and how long they might be waiting to start their allotment journey. It really is a postcode lottery.”