Four year allotment wait as dozens apply for spots in Sandwell
Budding vegetable growers in parts of Sandwell could face a wait of up to four years to get an allotment.
Spaces at Britannia Park, Kenrick Park and Cherry Orchard, in West Bromwich, Rowley Regis and Cradley Heath, are the most sought after areas out of the 22 council-run sites.
Anyone wanting to rent an allotment on any of those three sites could be waiting for up to four years.
Brunswick Park in Wednesbury, Hall Road in Warley, Pound Road in Oldbury and Perry Park in Rowley Regis currently have a waiting list of three years.
Thirty-one people have applied for patches at Cherry Orchard, making it the most popular plot, while both Britannia and Kenrick currently have 21 people on their waiting lists.
Twenty-five people could be waiting for two years to get a plot in Stony Lane, Smethwick, with 14 on the list for Caroline Street in West Bromwich, which also has a two year wait.
Two-year waits also apply to Cemetery Road in Oldbury, Central Library in West Bromwich, Meadow Road in Oldbury, Merry Hill in Smethwick and Newbury Lane in Oldbury.
Nine people could be facing a one year wait to get an allotment in Dudley Road, Oldbury, which is the same amount of time eight people will be waiting for a Paul Street plot in Wednesbury.
Basons Lane in Oldbury has a 10 month wait and Ramsay Road in Oldbury six months, while both Lewis Estate in Oldbury and Thimblemill in Smethwick have five month waiting lists.
Scott Road in Great Barr and Grafton Road in Oldbury currently have no people on their waiting lists.
The information was released by Sandwell Council following a Freedom of Information request.
A Sandwell Council spokesman said: "We have 22 sites which are managed by the council.
"We currently have a separate waiting list for each allotment site.
"There are a number of influencing factors that can determine how long you will have to wait for an allotment.
"This includes the size of the allotment site and the number of plots on it, the number of allotment sites in one particular area and also how long people stay in their allotment tenancy.
"It is quite common for a tenant to have their allotment for 25 years."
The council 84 new plots had been let out over the last two years.
