ALLOTMENTS across Hyndburn are in high demand despite many being in a “shanty-town” state.
Over 500 people are on the waiting list for an allotment but around half are under-used or overgrown, making them a target for fly-tippers and vandals.
However, Hyndburn’s Cabinet has now launched a campaign to tackle the problem.
At last week’s meeting senior environment officer Anne Hourican gave a presentation about the state of the borough’s 25 allotment sites, and how funding is desperately needed to clean up and improve the plots.
She said the allotments have the capacity to produce 500 tons of fresh food a year and could help Hyndburn become a greener borough.
Ms Hourican said: “If people can grow their own food than less will need to be transported into the borough.”
Baxenden councillor John Griffiths said: “Some of these allotments have been empty for years because we can’t seem to let them. Some are like shanty towns. People are collecting old doors to build sheds on them.”
Council bosses agreed to a five-year regeneration plan for the allotments.
Council leader Peter Brit-cliffe: “I think it is time that we invested in allotments. We have had under-investment for 20 years.
“There will be budget implications but there is a strong need for it.”
Labour leader Councillor Graham Jones said: “I think we do need to have allotments borough-wide but there are all kinds of problems which need to be addressed.”
