I've been waiting 16 years for an allotment
- Published
Diane Jackson said she had been on the waiting list for 16 years
When she had a baby 16 years ago, Diane Jackson put her name down for an allotment.
It was in the hope that she could teach her daughter about the benefits of growing fruit and vegetables.
However, 16 years on Dr Jackson is still on the waiting list. She is one of a growing number of people waiting for a plot to become available.
The rise in sign-ups for an allotment plot has been linked with the two years of living under Covid restrictions.
The waiting list for some council-run allotments in the north east of Scotland has more than doubled in recent years, new figures have shown.
BBC Scotland has learned the waiting list for an allotment with Aberdeenshire Council went up from 50 in 2019 to 106 by 2021.
Aberdeen has also seen a sharp rise in demand in the past year.
Dr Jackson, of Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, used to work as a lecturer, specialising in nutrition.
"I understand how important it is for children to learn about where their food comes from," the 49-year-old said.
"I kept contacting the council every now and again just to see where I was on the waiting list and how things were going.
"And 16 years down the line I'm still on the waiting list and I'm still waiting for an allotment".
Her baby is now a teenager, and Dr Jackson said she feels that a generation has lost out on the opportunity to learn about growing their own food.
Not all of Scotland's allotments are council-run, with others in the hands of community groups.
Lorraine Todd is hoping to take over the running of the council allotments in Ellon
Lorraine Todd is one of the founding members of the Ellon Allotment Association which is trying to take over the running of the council allotments in the town.
Currently, they lack the 20 members needed to complete an asset transfer.
"We want to work with the initial waiting list, by splitting the plots up we can get maybe nine or ten people a bit of ground," she said.
"This will bring such a benefit to the community - helping people with health and wellbeing, and also loneliness".
While waiting lists have increased in size, some of the plots are in a state of disuse due to weeds and overgrown trees, so would require extra work.
"We would probably have to get a digger in giving us a hand", she said. "We want to get this back to a standard so it can be like the one next door. We'd give our green-fingered volunteers a hand because there's years of neglect."
In Aberdeen, Martin Toward has had a plot at the city's Slopefield allotments for several years.
Martin Toward said he enjoyed the peace and tranquillity
"It's amazing when you just plant a small seed and a few months later you've got something that you can eat," he explained.
"I enjoy the peace and the tranquillity of the allotment.
"I've got quite a busy job so I enjoy after a hard week at work just coming down here - and there's a real community spirt about allotments as well".
Aberdeenshire Council said that although it currently did not have plans for new allotments, it was working with community groups who wish to take over the running of existing plots.
The local authority said it was difficult to accurately estimate how long any applicant could expect to be on the waiting list.
Aberdeen City Council said it was exploring options for land to convert into allotments.
- Published16 June 2021
