The waiting list for allotments in Wrenhaven has fallen by almost a third after the city council opened 120 new plots on a former playing field in Eastmoor. Around 380 people are still waiting, down from more than 550 at the start of the year, and the council says average waits should drop from over four years to about eighteen months.
The new site at Coldbeck Fields includes 60 half-size plots, which the council says suit people who are new to growing or short of time. There are also eight raised beds at waist height for gardeners with mobility problems, a composting area, rainwater tanks and a shared shed with tools. Rent for a half plot is €45 a year, with reductions for pensioners and people on low incomes.
A full plot is a lot of digging if you have never grown a potato. Half a plot is a much friendlier start.
So said Patience Okonjo, secretary of the Wrenhaven Allotment Federation, which helped plan the site. She said demand had risen sharply in recent years, driven by food prices and interest in outdoor activity. The federation pairs new tenants with experienced growers for their first season and runs short workshops on soil, sowing and pest control.
Not just vegetables
Several of the new plots have been taken by groups rather than individuals. A local primary school, a mental health charity and a refugee support group each have a shared plot, and a beekeeping club has placed four hives at the edge of the site. Raymond Achterberg, 71, who finally received a plot after five years on the list, said he had planted garlic and broad beans within a week of getting the keys.
The council says it is looking at two more sites, in Northfield and Millbrook, and is encouraging tenants who no longer use their plots fully to share them. Anyone wanting to join the waiting list can apply at any branch library.