Edinburgh gardeners 'waiting up to 14 years' for highly prized allotment plots

Edinburgh residents are waiting up to 14 years for allotments as demand for the popular garden plots surpasses the supply.

Edinburgh Live applied for plots at four allotment sites across the city and found some individuals have been left waiting nearly 15 years for a spot.

Locals have been queuing for the four sites - West Mains, Pilrig Park, Carrick Knowe, and Inverleith - for between nine and 14 years.

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Plots at West Mains and Inverleith saw the longest waits with some gardeners awaiting plots since 2010.

The long queue is linked to high demand for the popular plots, which has grown in recent years and surpasses the amount available.

There are currently about 1,700 plots in the city’s stock. Council data shows that the waitlist for an allotment in March 2020 was 2,310 (140 per cent of allocation) which increased to 5,658 (352 per cent of allocation) in November 2021.

Ian Woolard, the city’s allotments officer of 33 years, spoke to Edinburgh Live about the work he loves and the challenges that come with reducing the city’s waitlist.

He said that in a given year, around 100 plots become available. Council data shows a turnover rate of about eight per cent per year.

Ian said: “I first came here in 1992 and there was still a four year waiting list for [Inverleith allotments]. The whole dynamics of allotments changed in the last 33 years.”

Demand has boomed in recent years, with Ian citing online allotment applications, the pandemic, and the popularisation of organic produce as factors contributing to the increased demand.

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Ian works to split larger plots, monitor disused plots, and validate the waitlist. The city has also added to its allotment stock, but the demand for plots remains in the thousands each year. Ian estimated the city-wide waitlist stood at around 6,000 currently.

He said: “When I first came 30 years ago, we had 19 sites and 965 plots.” He pointed to the increase in provision with Edinburgh’s 44 allotment sites across Edinburgh and over 1,700 plots, but said “Can we ever meet the demand? I don't think we can.”

Part of the challenge lies in expanding existing sites, said Ian. Edinburgh Live met Ian at the Inverleith Allotments which are bordered by sports fields and Inverleith Park. The officer pointed out how expansion into surrounding areas was difficult, asking “Where do we get the land here?”

The council’s 10-year allotment strategy includes an ongoing intention to expand the city’s allotment supply as part of its commitment to preserve “open spaces” or unbuilt land.

While Ian said his job as allotment officer was a challenging one, he reported loving the role and called it “almost like a paid hobby.”

He added: “Sometimes I'm working Saturday and Sunday mornings, just just to make it work. Nobody's saying, ‘Ian get to the allotment sites at five in the morning.’ I just like doing it.

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