Park Lane Allotment. Waiting list faces a long wait.

10.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 16th Apr 2007

Peter Lambell at the Park Lane allotment site

Although there is a long waiting list for a plot in the Park Lane Allotment site in Reigate, things aren't likely to get any better for the next 12 to 18 months.

Tory Councillor Tom Stoddart, Executive member for Leisure and Healthy Living has said that even though the Council owns adjacent land and there are currently 15 people on the waiting list, they are unable to improve availability on the site for 12 to 18 months, if at all.

The Tory Executive member says, "To extend the Park Lane allotment site will require a degree of capital input from the Council and a loss of rental income. As there is no statutory requirement upon the Council to provide more allotments than we currently do (despite the waiting list) I must be fully confident that this is the best use of a Council asset".

There has been a waiting list for a long time. Why didn't the Conservative run Council start the process to reclaim this unused, Council owned land before now?

Reigate Lib Dems believe that residents who want an allotment plot should be able to have one provided close to where they live.