COUNCILLORS are to discuss a huge shortage of allotment sites in a North-East town, where gardeners face waiting lists of up to ten years.

Members meet next week to come up with plans to address a shortage of allotments in Darlington.

Demand for plots has risen dramatically in recent years as town residents look for ways to grow their own food.

Darlington Borough Council meets next week to discuss the problem, and to create a new policy to make sure the shortage is addressed.

Papers prepared for the meeting by Cliff Brown, director of community services, state: "The council's Allotment Service with 15 sites and nearly 900 separate plots scattered across the urban area is the main way (outside of people's own gardens) that residents of Darlington are able to take up growing their own food.

"Until recently the combination of council, parish and privately operated sites has been sufficient to cater for demand with most sites having a surplus of plots or only a small and temporary waiting list. The dramatic change in this situation has led Darlington and many other councils to review their current policy towards allotment provision.

"The huge increase in the interest of growing food locally can be illustrated by the growth in the council's waiting list, currently standing at over 400 people.

"The rate of turnover is very low, with someone joining the waiting list possibly having to wait for as long as ten years to get an allotment."

Councillors are to look at ways of reducing the allotments waiting list, and increasing the numbers of people involved in growing food.

The meeting is held at Darlington town hall at 9.30am on Thursday January 14.