Plan for £50k allotments on derelict Walsall land
A £50,000 allotment site will be created in Walsall to cope with soaring demand for spaces under new plans revealed today. At least 15 new plots would become available on derelict land in Rushall.
The move is part of an expansion of the nearby Borneo Street allotments site, one of the most popular in the borough, being considered by Walsall Council.
New spaces would be created in Cartbridge Lane South through the action plan to tackle waiting lists.
Latest figures show 152 people are queuing for a space on one of the 10 council-managed sites.
It comes despite an announcement in the autumn that charges for allotment plots in Walsall will increase by more than 70 per cent over the next four years.
This was after it emerged that the cost of sports pitches and allotments were losing the council more than £100,000 a year.
A new report to the council says: "The demand for allotments within Walsall has increased in recent years in line with the national trends.
"Meeting this demand in full would be very challenging particularly in light of the many competing demands for capital funding.
"This scheme will go some way towards meeting this demand."
