Some South Lanarkshire residents wanting to grow their own produce have been waiting for allotments for over a decade.
The 400-strong waiting list is “not compliant” with Scottish Government legislation which states no-one should be waiting longer than five years.
Figures revealed at a meeting of the council’s planning committee on Tuesday, August 13, highlighted the need for allotments in the region – with 451 people currently on the waiting list.
Planning and building standards services area manager Tina Meikle told the councillors at the meeting: “The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 places an obligation on local authorities within Scotland to provide allotments where there is an identified need.
“Residents have been on the waiting list for over five years, therefore the council is not compliant with the legislation.”
Councillor Graham Scott (East Kilbride East) felt this was no good enough from the council. He said: “There is clearly an identified need in South Lanarkshire.
“Some of the applicants have been on the waiting list for 10 years or more. That is not acceptable in 2019.”
Current legislation states that applicants cannot remain on the waiting list for longer than five years or the number on the waiting list cannot exceed 50 per cent of the overall number of plots available.
