People are waiting years for an allotment plot in one part of Kent, as the list to get your own plot triples in four years.

With the cost-of-living crisis in full swing many are looking at growing their own food as a way to reduce costs, stay active and cut back on carbon emissions.

In Medway this year, more than 2,000 people sit on the waiting list for an allotment – three times as many than the 700 recorded in 2018.

Claire Wilders received her plot two months ago but had previously been on the waiting list since 2015.

She said: “I actually thought we were forgotten and fell off the list to be honest but glad we got it now.

“We moved and I changed my email address, so I just assumed that they’d tried to contact me and not succeeded.

“I actually reapplied which caused a bit of confusion because the guy thought we managed to bump the list because we did hear back not long after that.

“I don’t know whether that nudged them and show we were still interest or whether it was just pure fluke.”

Others like Kim Evans are sharing a plot with friends to ensure they have a green space.

She said: “I think I applied for an allotment around three years ago when we moved to Rainham and have had absolutely no movement.

“Every time I checked the lists, I hadn’t moved up at all and was just very fortunate I had a friend who had just got her plot.

“She needed a bit of help, so I jumped in with her.”

Lib Dem campaigner, Stuart Bourne, put a request into Medway council to ask for key stats after waiting for a plot of his own for a while.

It was with this request he found the waiting list had tripled in size.

He said: “In 1971 the government did a report on allotments and they recommended there should be 15 full size plots per 1,000 households in an area.

“When I did the maths, it turns out Medway is at nine plots per 1,000 so there’s a huge drop.

“Mainly because of a huge increase of people moving into the area and the fact the council hasn’t invested in allotments in the last 20 years so what I think we need to do is identify other plots of land immediately.

“A lot of councils also have allotments strategies. I think Medway Council hasn’t got one and needs to get one soon.”

“We’re in a process of doing the local plan I feel it would be great if in that plan we can identify new areas that can be used for allotments in Medway.

“These people are trying to do their best for their community they know it’s important to grow fresh fruit and veg, to save the planet from climate change, and are desperately trying to do their bit so it’s frustrating on their end they have to wait years and years to do it.”

In 2022, 42% of local councils had an allotment strategy, with 56% including plots in their local plan but Medway Council did neither.

Cllr Teresa Murray said: “It is really disappointing isn’t it. We weren’t in charge then, but we are now and we’ll definitely have an allotment strategy.

“It’s really important and it’s part of our climate emergency work to make more of those places available so by 2025 hopefully there’ll be a strategy in place.

“We have a good allotment federation in Medway, and they’re encouraging people to share plots so if you have half each more people can get on.

“We’re also encouraging people to leave plots in good order because if you let it lay fallow it can be very hard to get it into shape again and that means a longer wait for someone else.

“People are also being encouraged to go to a different site than the one they wanted. This isn’t always possible because of transport but it’s an option as we have smaller waiting list at some sites than others.

“And finally, we’re thinking about how we use community spaces as allotment gardens for example in my ward Rochester East Ward at Copperfield recreation ground we’ve just put in a community herb bed.

“It’s definitely a priority for the cabinet we want people to have as much access as possible to green spaces and healthy activity as possible.

“I’m sure all our councillors will be encouraging that to happen I don’t want people to feel there are obstacles in the way but I want them to understand at the moment we’re struggling with a huge deficit and can’t make things happen overnight.”